INTRODUCTION TO

S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y

LECTURE 4
 GL O BAL PRO BL E MS T H AT
RE QUI RE
G L OB AL  S OL UT IO NS !  

• The Sustainable Development Goals are

the blueprint to achieve a better and more
sustainable future for all. They address the
global challenges we face, including those
related to poverty, inequality, climate,
environmental degradation, prosperity,
and peace and justice. The Goals
interconnect and in order to leave no one
behind, it is important that we achieve
each Goal and target by 2030.   

• Achieving these goals in essence will

create a world where all people can live
productive, vibrant and peaceful lives
on a healthy planet.

This Photo by Unknown author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND.

FROM MILLENNIUM
DEVELOPMENT GOALS TO
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
GOALS

• Launched in 2015 the MDG's provided an

important framework for the development
and significant  progress in a number
areas. However, the progress achieved
through MDG's has been uneven
particularly in the case of Africa and other
least developed countries.  

• The SDG's therefore builds on the

Millennium Development Goals and  seeks
to complete what they did not achieve
particularly in reaching the most
vulnerable. 

• The SDG's however goes beyond the scope

of MDG's by adding in a number of
new economic, social and environmental
objectives along with the promise of
THE 5P'S OF SDG'S 

The areas of critical importance under the Sustainable

Development Goals can be broadly categorized as: 

1. People 
2. Planet 
3. Prosperity 
4. Peace 
5. Partnerships
S U S TA I N A B L E
DEVELOPMENT GOALS

• The Sustainable Development Goals in

simple terms is a plan of action for
people, planet, prosperity and universal
peace 

• All countries under the United

Nations and all stakeholders within it are
focused on working collaboratively to
implement the SDG's  

• The SDG's broadly consists of 17

goals and 169 targets. These goals and
targets are set to stimulate action for 15
years with the hope of achieving
Universal Sustainability. 
SDG 1 – NO POVERTY
The first Sustainable Development Goal aims to “End poverty
in all its forms everywhere”  

Target 1.1
• By 2030, eradicate extreme poverty for all people everywhere,
currently measured as people living on less than $1.25 a day 

Target 1.2
• By 2030, reduce at least by half the proportion of men, women
and children of all ages living in poverty in all its dimensions
according to national definitions 

Target 1.3
• Implement nationally appropriate social protection systems
and measures for all, including floors, and by 2030 achieve
substantial coverage of the poor and the vulnerable
ACHIEVING SDG 1 – NO POVERTY
Priority actions on poverty eradication include: 

• Improving access to sustainable livelihoods, entrepreneurial

opportunities and productive resources 

•  Providing universal access to basic social services 

• Progressively developing social protection systems to support those

who cannot support themselves 

• Empowering people living in poverty and their organizations 

• Addressing the disproportionate impact of poverty on women 

• Working with interested donors and recipients to allocate increased

shares 
SDG 2 – ZERO HUNGER

It was estimated that nearly 690 million people in

the world were hungry in 2019 and about 2 billion
people – were affected by moderate or severe food
insecurity 

Target 2.1
• By 2030, end hunger and ensure access by all
people, in particular the poor and people in
vulnerable situations, including infants, to safe,
nutritious and sufficient food all year round  

Target 2.2
• By 2030, end all forms of malnutrition,
including achieving, by 2025, the internationally
agreed targets on stunting and wasting in
children under 5 years of age, and address the
nutritional needs of adolescent girls, pregnant
and lactating women and older persons
SDG 2 – ACHIEVING ZERO
HUNGER

• Meet the immediate food needs of their vulnerable

populations  
• Eliminate the loss or wastage of food
• Create sustainable food systems from production to
consumption 
• Boost social protection programmes 
• Keep global and domestic food trade going
• Support smallholder farmers’ ability to increase
food production
S D G 3 – G O O D H E A LT H &
WELL-BEING

In 2018 an estimated 6.2 million children and

adolescents under the age of 15 years died,
mostly from preventable causes. Over 40% of all
countries have fewer than 10 medical doctors
per 10,000 people and 38 million people
globally were living with HIV in 2019.  
Target 3.1 
• By 2030, reduce the global maternal mortality
ratio to less than 70 per 100,000 live births.  

Target 3.2 
• By 2030, end preventable deaths of newborns
and children under 5 years of age, with all
countries aiming to reduce neonatal mortality
to at least as low as 12 per 1,000 live births  
S D G 3 – G O O D H E A LT H
& WELL-BEING

Target 3.3 
• By 2030, end the epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis,
malaria and neglected tropical diseases and combat
hepatitis, water-borne diseases and other communicable
diseases. 

Target 3.5 
• Strengthen the prevention and treatment of substance
abuse, including narcotic drug abuse and harmful use of
alcohol. 

Target 3.6 
• By 2020, halve the number of global deaths and injuries
from road traffic accidents
SDG 3 – ACHIEVING
G O O D H E A LT H &   W E L L -
BEING

• Achieve universal health coverage,

including financial risk protection and
access to quality essential health-care
services  

• Substantially increase health financing

and the recruitment, development,
training and retention of the health
workforce in developing countries  

• Support the research and development of

vaccines and medicines for the
communicable and non-communicable
diseases
S D G 4 – Q U A L I T Y E D U C AT I O N
More than half of children that have not enrolled in school live in
sub-Saharan Africa. The proportion of children and youth out of
primary and secondary school had and 17 per cent in 2018. 617
million youth worldwide lack basic mathematics and literacy
skills. Some 750 million adults – two thirds of them women –
remained illiterate in 2016.  
Target 4.1 
• By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable
and quality primary and secondary education 
Target 4.2 
• By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys have access to quality
early childhood development, care and preprimary education 
Target 4.3 
• By 2030, ensure equal access for all women and men to
affordable and quality technical, vocational and tertiary
education, including university
SDG 4 – ACHIEVING
Q U A L I T Y E D U C AT I O N

• Remote learning, e-learning and lifelong learning

opportunities for remote and isolated communities 

• Substantially increase the supply of qualified teachers

and the supply of scholarships for students in
developing countries 

• Increased encouragement of girls and women to study

sciences, engineering, and technology  

• The inclusion of reproductive and sexual rights

education in curricula
SDG 5 – GENDER EQUALITY
Globally, 750 million women and girls were married before the
age of 18. In 18 countries, husbands can legally prevent their
wives from working; in 39 countries, daughters and sons do not
have equal inheritance rights. The female representation in
national parliaments across worlds remain at a mere 23.7 per
cent.  
Target 5.1 
End all forms of discrimination against all women and girls
everywhere 
Target 5.2 
Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the
public and private spheres, including trafficking and sexual and
other types of exploitation 
Target 5.3 
Eliminate all harmful practices, such as child, early and forced
marriage and female genital mutilation
SDG 5 – ACHIEVING GENDER
EQUALITY
• Assure sufficient participation of women in decision-
making and governance at all levels and across all
business areas.
• Pay equal remuneration, including benefits, for work of
equal value and strive to pay a living wage to all women
and men.
• Support access to child and dependent care by providing
services, resources and information to both women and
men.
• Establish a zero-tolerance policy towards all forms of
violence at work, including verbal/ and/ or physical abuse
and prevent sexual harassment.
• Expand business relationships with women-owned
enterprises, including small businesses and women
entrepreneurs.
S D G 6 – C L E A N WA T E R
& S A N I T I Z AT I O N
3 in 10 people lack access to safely managed drinking water
services and 6 in 10 people lack access to safely managed
sanitation facilities. At least 892 million people continue to
practice open defecation. 2.4 billion people lack access to basic
sanitation services, such as toilets or latrines. Each day, nearly
1,000 children die due to preventable water and sanitation-related
diarrheal diseases. 
Target 6.1 
By 2030, achieve universal and equitable access to safe and
affordable drinking water for all
Target 6.2 
By 2030, achieve access to adequate and equitable sanitation and
hygiene for all and end open defecation 
Target 6.6 
By 2020, protect and restore water-related ecosystems, including
mountains, forests, wetlands, rivers, aquifers and lake
SDG 6 – ACHIEVING
C L E A N WAT E R   &
S A N I T I Z AT I O N

• Prioritize water efficiency across

operations by installing best practice
technologies for water conservation  
• Educating people about the importance
of water efficiency, including tying
performance bonuses or operations-
based incentives to efficient practices 
• Invest in water treatment 
• Invest in water and sanitation projects
or infrastructure in under-served
regions 
• Prohibit the use of chemicals and
materials that can be particularly
detrimental to water quality
SDG 7 – AFFORDABLE
& CLEAN ENERGY
13% of the global population still lacks access to
modern electricity. 3 billion people rely on
wood, coal, charcoal or animal waste for
cooking and heating. Energy is also  the
dominant contributor to climate change,
accounting for around 60 per cent of total global
greenhouse gas emissions. 

Target 7.1 
By 2030, ensure universal access to affordable,
reliable and modern energy services  
Target 7.2 
By 2030, increase substantially the share of
renewable energy in the global energy mix 
Target 7.3  
By 2030, double the global rate of improvement
in energy efficiency
SDG 7 – ACHIEVING
AFFORDABLE &
CLEAN ENERGY

• Commit to sourcing 100% of

operational electricity needs from
renewable sources 

• Invest in R&D related to sustainable

energy services, bringing new
technologies to the market quickly  

• Reduce the internal demand for

transport by prioritizing
telecommunications and incentivize
less energy intensive modes