ABOUT
THE SDGs
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was adopted by the United Nations in 2015 as a framework for peace and prosperity for people and the planet. The 17 Sustainable Development Goals provide concrete markers as the world works toward a better future.
HISTORY & PURPOSE.
In 2000, the United Nations unanimously adopted the Millennium Development Goals, a first-of-its-kind commitment to achieving eight goals by 2015: (1) to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger, (2) to achieve universal primary education, (3) to promote gender equality and empower women, (4) to reduce child mortality, (5) to improve maternal health, (6) to combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases, (7) to ensure environmental sustainability, and (8) to develop a global partnership for development. Though there was considerable progress toward the goals, gaps in funding, uneven progress, war, and other factors prevented the UN from achieving its goals by the 2015 target date.
In 2015, all 193 member states of the United Nations adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, an elaboration of the Millennium Development Goals that were more detailed, inclusive, and ambitious than its predecessor. The Agenda outlined 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with 169 targets that together outline a plan of action for people, planet, and prosperity to be achieved through peace and partnership.
The Agenda is ambitious, but it's doable because it's designed to bridge gaps between entities. Together, the 17 goals serve to orient nations, companies, agencies, and individuals in partnership toward a common purpose that serves all of us. As we actively seek a future on this planet free from poverty and unsustainable practices, the Sustainable Development Goals are one tool we can actually all agree on.
