The Sustainable Development Goals are a collection of 17 Global Goals designed by the UN to be a blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all. The world is facing serious natural resource and environmental challenges: like Global Climate change, freshwater depletion, ocean over-fishing, deforestation, water, and air pollution, and the struggle to feed a planet of billions. India ranked 63rd in the Global Sustainability Index and is the world’s third-largest energy consumer and greenhouse gas emitter.

With a view to the environment, sustainability is about managing and protecting Earth’s natural resources, ecosystems, climate, and atmosphere so that current generations and future generations will live a decent life and millions of other species with whom we share the planet will also be benefitted.

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS

According to the UN, The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are the world’s shared plan to end severe poverty, reduce inequality, and protect the planet by 2030.

1. Eliminate Poverty
2. Erase Hunger
3. Establish Good Health and Well-Being
4. Provide Quality Education
5. Enforce Gender Equality
6. Improve Clean Water and Sanitation
7. Grow Affordable and Clean Energy
8. Create Decent Work and Economic Growth
9. Increase Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
10. Reduce Inequality
11. Mobilize Sustainable Cities and Communities
12. Influence Responsible Consumption and Production
13. Organize Climate Action
14. Develop Life below Water
15. Advance Life on Land
16. Guarantee Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions
17. Build Partnerships for the Goals

The four objectives of sustainable development are :

• Stable economic growth- The eradication of poverty and hunger to ensuring a healthy life.

• Conservation of natural resources - Achieve universal access to basic services such as water, sanitation, and sustainable energy.

• Social progress and equality - Reduce inequalities in the world, especially gender inequalities. Supporting the generation by the development of opportunities through inclusive education and decent work. Foster innovation and resilient infrastructures by creating communities and cities capable of producing and consuming sustainably.

• Environmental protection - Caring for the environment by combating climate change and protecting oceans and terrestrial ecosystems.

Importance of Sustainable Development

Environmentally sustainable economic growth is another name to the concept of Sustainable Development. The goal of which is to achieve harmony between environmental sustainability, economic sustainability, and socio-political sustainability. Sustainable development always encourages us to conserve and enhance our resources, by gradually changing the manners in which we develop and use technologies. All Countries should meet their basic needs of employment, food, energy, water, and sanitation. Everybody is rightful to a healthy, safe, and clean environment. This can be easily achieved by reducing pollution, poverty, and unemployment.

Why India needs to achieve the sustainable development goal?

India as a nation is entrepreneurial and at the apex of changes. With India being World’s youngest country its youth needs to be engaged in early and action to create and sustain a long-term momentum that can help the country see its targets through and drive Sustainable development goals action. More than 70% of the world population lives in cities. Cities already consume 80% of global material and energy supplies and produce 75% of all carbon emissions.

Role of citizens in making Earth a cleaner and better place to live in

We as citizens should unlock market businesses for innovative and sustainable products to get cost-effective energy-saving solutions. Reduce deforestation and promote afforestation and has to make our environment carbon neutral. We should restrict the use of renewable resources and substitute them with non-renewable resources. It means the rate of extraction should not exceed the rate of regeneration. We can’t have decent work and economic growth or food security without first taking care of the environment that is the land, forest, oceans. If we can achieve these 17 Sustainable Development Goals among us we will make the world a more prosperous place for all.

“No matter how complex global problems may seem, it is we ourselves who have given rise to them. They cannot be beyond our power to resolve”