Increasing numbers of organizations are taking up concern regarding how our planet will endure beyond the next few decades. By showing concern for sustainability, we can work to make a difference for ourselves as well as the global population.
The word sustainability is derived from the Latin “sustinere” (tenere, to hold; sus, up). Dictionaries provide more than ten meanings for sustain, the main ones being to “maintain,” “support,” or “endure.” Since the 1980s, however, sustainability has been used more in the sense of human sustainability on planet Earth. Quoting the Bruntland Commission of the United Nations on March 20, 1987: “…Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”
UN world leaders adopted Agenda 2030, a universal agenda that contains the Global Goals for Sustainable Development in September 2015. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), or Global Goals, aim to create a better world by 2030 through means of ending poverty, fighting inequality, and addressing the urgency of climate change. You can learn more about the 17 goals, both individually and as a whole, here.
The United Nations empowers all members of every community to take action, emphasizing:
“…For the goals to be met, everyone needs to do their part: governments, the private sector, civil society, and the general public. The Goals affect all 7 billion people on Earth and for them to be met, it is crucial that everyone is aware of and have knowledge of them. Only then can we take action and contribute to making the world a better place.”
We've made progress towards the Global Goals but we still have a long way to go. Whether you work to support one SDG at a time or multiple at once, your commitment to a better world can help to make a difference. Since all of the Sustainable Development Goals are interlinked, supporting one Goal will have positive impacts on the others.
So how can I contribute towards the completion of the Global Goals? There are endless ways to contribute, here are just a few ideas:
Spread the word. Share the Global Goals with others, so that more people can take action and contribute to meeting the Goals.
Join or volunteer with an organization that actively contributes towards meeting the Goals.
Take individual action. Make changes to support the Goals in your life, where you can. For example, to support Goal #13: Climate Action, you can recycle more often, ride your bike to work, or pick up trash in your community.
Be a conscious consumer. Pay attention to the companies you buy from, and the initiatives they support. Support local businesses and try to make sure what you buy is produced in fair and sustainable ways.
Use your imagination. The future depends on our ability to imagine it.
