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Success of development now tied to world leaders’ agendas at home
As the UN’s Sustainable Development Summit closed in New York on Sunday with a bold new global sustainability roadmap, world leaders now need to focus on fulfilling that vision. The task ahead is clear, but not easy – world leaders must go home and make the necessary administrative, legal, regulatory and fiscal decisions, and spend the next 15 years implementing and enforcing this agenda.
“Most importantly in the coming months, countries need to figure out how they’re going to contribute to achieving these goals and set benchmarks and indicators so they can report on their efforts,” said Yolanda Kakabadse, President of WWF International. “We’re in the race and can finally see the finish line – but we need some runners at the starting line if we’re going to make this happen in 15 years.”
Every country is required to develop national indicators and programmes of implementation through individual development plans. In March, countries will crucially agree a set of indicators that will allow the UN to report annually on global progress in coming years.
“Setting these indicators means striking a delicate balance between what is manageable and what will actually demonstrate progress toward holistic goals,” explained Kakabadse. “For example, for ending hunger it might be tempting for a country to use an indicator like tons of food produced: the data is more or less available, and the statistics are easy to measure. However using only an indicator like this would undercut the linkages built into the SDGs by not tracking the health of soils, genetic diversity and water systems vital for long-term food production and issues such as labor conditions, land access and market prices that also influence food security.
“The indicator question will be challenging, but if countries can unite to solve the financial crisis, they can figure this out. The crucial part will be working together and being as transparent with data as possible,” said Kakabadse.
In the short-term, delivering on these new global goals will require a complementary climate agreement in Paris. Anything less than a strong, science-based global agreement in Paris to rapidly slash carbon emissions would deflate the buoyant spirit of this week’s development plan.
“You cannot have economic security without food and water security, but you cannot have any of these without combatting climate change,” said Kakabadse. “If 193 governments can unify around how to address dozens of the world’s most difficult and complex challenges, they should be able to show that same collaborative spirit in the Paris climate talks and put us on a path to a clean energy future.”
With strong targets to protect the ocean, freshwater and forests now agreed as part of the 2030 Agenda, targeting climate change should be a top priority in the global effort to protect people and the planet. World leaders must complete a climate deal that is equally as fair and ambitious as the development package.
“By including climate change throughout the new deal, climate action becomes a driving force behind future development,” said Samantha Smith, leader of WWF International's Global Climate and Energy Initiative. “Governments must now carry forward the momentum generated around the new sustainable development deal to the climate negotiations in Paris.”
Critical climate measures in the new sustainable development deal include calls for a substantial increase in renewable energy use and a rise in global energy efficiency. The deal also puts the responsibility on wealthy countries to provide assistance against climate-related hazards in vulnerable countries and their promise to raise $100 billion annually by 2020 to support developing countries cutting carbon emissions through the Green Climate Fund.
Sustainable development plan gives the globe a chance
World leaders unanimously approve historic deal
It’s not often that the entire globe can agree on a deal that is politically challenging and technically complex. That is what happened today when the UN unanimously approved a new sustainable development deal. The deal is our best chance to eliminate poverty, promote prosperity and protect the environment.
The world is facing urgent issues that threaten the well-being of communities and the long-term health of the environment. This historic 15-year plan is the right deal at the right time that commits all countries to ensuring food, water and energy security for generations to come.
“Game-changing government decisions that benefit both people and the environment come along very rarely and never before at this scale and level of ambition,” said Yolanda Kakabadse, President of WWF International. Today’s decision is about survival. It’s a history-making moment that could fundamentally change how we treat our planet and all of its people.”
With global issues requiring global attention, it is only fitting that the agreement – Transforming our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development – became official at a gathering of so many world leaders.
Sustainability and the environment are at the centre of the plan. With most people that live in extreme poverty relying on nature for their livelihoods, the 2030 Agenda and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals and 169 targets can help improve lives by protecting the ocean, freshwater and forests. This is a better agreement than we ever would have expected, and it gives us hope we can make the significant changes needed to help people and the planet.
“This plan is about survival and prosperity,” continued Kakabadse. “By accepting nature’s central role in supporting human well-being, the deal will ensure that people around the world will live happier, healthier, more prosperous and hopeful lives.”
In order to give the deal any chance of helping the 8.5 billion people that are expected to be living on the planet when the plan comes due in 2030, countries must now move quickly toward implementation. Leaders must show the same level of commitment to accomplishing the plan as they did toward reaching the initial agreement.
“Now world leaders must sustain this political courage at home and make the right choices, committing to a total economic, social and environmental overhaul. Today’s celebration must translate into delivery and quickly. For these goals to become a reality, decision-makers must demonstrate their intention to implement the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals is real and make their efforts transparent through careful follow-up and review,” said Kakabadse.Just as much as the sustainable development plan is meant to benefit the entire world, all countries have responsibilities to make the plan a reality. Countries from the North, South, East and West must play their part. Completion of a new global climate agreement is also necessary for the development deal to reach its goals.
Getting countries to provide the trillions of dollars in funding will be difficult, but just as important is making sure that the money is spent in smarter ways by making different choices. It is critical that money moves away from wasteful, harmful practices – like reliance on fossil fuels – and moves toward sustainable policies that help the environment and support livelihoods.WWF has worked from the beginning of the process to make certain that the plan puts the planet on the path toward truly sustainable development and that it includes the environmental elements that give it the best chance for success. WWF will work to ensure that leaders live up to their commitments while also partnering with governments, business and communities to see the job through.
“Bottom line: the world came together today and demonstrated that real solutions are both conceivable and attainable when we work as one and put politics aside. Now let’s make this happen together,” Kakabadse concluded.
