Getting back on target

David Thompson asks whether the UN’s sustainable development goals are leaving the public behind?

Two years on since the launch of the United Nations sustainable development goals (SDGs), many commentators are providing analysis of the progress thus far. But it is of great importance to ask a more basic question – does the public understand them?

Given that policymaking decisions are often born out of public pressure, the need for the public to be well informed on the subject is significant. If nations are to meet their agreed global obligations, popular understanding, if not active backing, is a must.

Yet, to the frustration of many professionals working in the sustainability sphere, there is an unfortunate disconnect between academic and corporate understanding of sustainable development. Add to that the general public’s limited grasp of the subject and it is easy to see how awareness and perceptions can vary considerably across society. While it is important to scrutinise the success of the SDGs to date, it is of equal importance to ask how effectively we are communicating to the public the very need for such goals and the reasons why we cannot fail in our pursuit to achieve them.

On 1 January 2016, when the 17 global goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development came into force, countries around the world adopted ambitious targets balancing the three dimensions of sustainable development: the economic, social and environmental. These targets aimed to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. While the SDGs are not legally binding, governments are expected to take ownership and establish national frameworks to achieve the goals by 2030.

One for all

The UN has been clear that the goals require everyone to play a part: governments, the private sector, civil society and the general public alike. The UN resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 25 September 2015, entitled ‘Transforming our World: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development’, states: “Public finance, both domestic and international, will play a vital role in providing essential services and public goods and in catalysing other sources of finance. We acknowledge the role of the diverse private sector, ranging from micro-enterprises to cooperatives to multinationals, and that of civil society organisations and philanthropic organisations in the implementation of the new agenda.”

Statements like these make a noble case and are difficult to refute, but alone do little to actually inform the public of the scale of problems we face globally. Despite their earnest ideals, the SDGs will not by themselves inspire the public support that their success hinges upon. This is not to say there is no great work being done to communicate these goals – there are many examples on both a national and international level, led by remarkable people and targeting every level of society, that are already delivering admirable and quantifiable results.

There is an abundance of research to suggest that the most effective way to communicate the SDGs is to further appeal to our ability to empathise with the situations of others. Although using empathy in public policy has its problems, communicating the human side of the goals should be an integral part of them.

"There is a disconnect between academic and corporate understanding of sustainable development"

Take, for example, goal number one: to end poverty in all its forms everywhere. Do we understand the scale of poverty, that one in five people still live on less than $1.25 a day? Are we aware of the feeling of poverty? In fact, it may be closer to home than we realise – as the UN points out, poverty is more than a lack of income or resources; it includes lack of basic services such as education, social discrimination and exclusion. Portraying what poverty means is an important part of eradicating it.

Consider goal number four: to ensure inclusive and quality education for all and promote lifelong learning. The UN recognises that major progress has been made in access to education, specifically at primary school level, but acknowledges that 103 million young people worldwide currently lack basic literacy skills. Few would dispute the importance of addressing this, and part of the SDGs’ challenge is to bring these facts to public recognition.

In discussing these issues we should be mindful of a worrying statistic: according to a 2013 survey, only 4% of people in the UK had an understanding of the millennium development goals, which preceded the SDGs. It should therefore be a high priority to focus our attention on encouraging more people to not only understand the SDGs but to support action to accomplish them.

Furthermore, with the uniformly ambitious goals and universal statements, there is a risk that messages do not resonate with some regions and countries. Where particular cultures and economies do not sit easily with sustainability strategies and beliefs, there is a larger mountain to climb.

"92% of children cared more after learning about the SDGs"

If the UK public has a poor track record of understanding in such areas of great importance, it is a fair assumption that shaping public opinion presents a distinct challenge across all 193 UN member states. Take the United Arab Emirates as an example: the country’s impressive economic growth in recent years requires strong institutional and policy support to achieve balanced and sustainable development. The UAE prime minister is quoted by the United Nations Development Programme as saying: “The UAE has achieved unprecedented economic growth over the past few years. However, these achievements have brought along enormous challenges, which make it imperative to develop an integrated strategy that meets our needs and is consistent with international practice of governance.” There is little doubt that, to some extent, he is referring to the issues covered in the 17 SDGs when he speaks of the international practice of governance.

The UAE made remarkable progress in pursuit of the millennium development goals, and, given the nation’s ambition to be a future global leader, it will no doubt achieve success in its SDG targets too. Yet, as the United Nations Development Programme notes, the UAE is under growing pressure to maintain its competitive position and achieve advanced international standards in areas such as public management, legislation, corporate governance and social welfare. These achievements take time, resources and commitment, and so there is a natural trade-off between them.

School of thought

The UAE is actively addressing this challenge by adopting and implementing targeted initiatives and programmes to inform and educate society. For example, in order to help build awareness among children, Dubai schools are taking part in a pilot project entitled ‘The World’s Largest Lesson’ – a programme delivered in partnership with UNICEF and designed to introduce the SDGs to the world’s youth and unite them in action.

Part of the ‘Project Everyone’ global initiative to share the SDGs with all 7 billion people on the planet, the initiative has support from PwC UAE. It reports that 78% of the children taking part said they now felt more confident about talking to people about SDGs outside school, and 92% of children said they cared more about social and environmental issues after learning about the SDGs.

Examples like this demonstrate how one small commitment to enacting positive change has the potential to influence a new generation of future leaders.

On a global scale, the 17 sustainable development goals and 169 targets demonstrate the scale and ambition of this new universal agenda. During the next 15 years, these will be of critical importance for humanity and the planet.

The SDGs seek to build on the millennium development goals and set out to complete what they did not achieve. They are ambitious, integrated and their agenda creates a pathway combating the most pressing challenges of our time, but we have a long way to go before the mission is accomplished. The real task is now persuading the citizens of the world that we must meet our new objectives.