Sustainable Development Goals facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Mission statement	"A shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future"
Location	Global
Founder	United Nations
Established	2015

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are like a global to-do list for a better future. All countries that are part of the United Nations agreed to these 17 goals in 2015. They want to create a world where everyone can live in peace and have a good life. These goals also aim to protect our planet from big problems like climate change.

The SDGs show us that everything is connected. Taking care of the environment, making sure everyone is treated fairly, and having a strong economy all work together. Being sustainable, which means meeting our needs without harming future generations, is super important for these goals.

The 17 SDGs have short names that are easy to remember: No poverty (SDG 1), Zero hunger (SDG 2), Good health and well-being (SDG 3), Quality education (SDG 4), Gender equality (SDG 5), Clean water and sanitation (SDG 6), Affordable and clean energy (SDG 7), Decent work and economic growth (SDG 8), Industry, innovation and infrastructure (SDG 9), Reduced inequalities (SDG 10), Sustainable cities and communities (SDG 11), Responsible consumption and production (SDG 12), Climate action (SDG 13), Life below water (SDG 14), Life on land (SDG 15), Peace, justice, and strong institutions (SDG 16), and Partnerships for the goals (SDG 17).

These goals are a big challenge. It's unlikely that all of them will be fully met by 2030. Problems like growing inequality, climate change, and losing different kinds of plants and animals (biodiversity loss) are making it harder. The COVID-19 pandemic also made these challenges worse. It showed how connected global health, money, social issues, and the environment truly are.

Countries and organizations around the world are working to fund these goals. They are trying to get more private companies to invest in sustainable projects too. Some countries have made good progress, showing that it is possible to work together for a better future.

The 17 Sustainable Development Goals

How the Goals Work

Each of the 17 SDGs has smaller goals called targets. These targets explain what needs to be achieved. For example, SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) has targets like making sure everyone has access to safe drinking water.

To see if progress is being made, there are indicators. These are ways to measure how well a country or the world is doing on each target. For instance, an indicator for clean water might be the percentage of people who have safely managed drinking water.

The United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD) keeps track of all the official indicators. They make sure the information is up-to-date. It's important that data includes all groups of people, like children, older people, and those with disabilities.

Goal 1: No Poverty

SDG 1 wants to "End poverty in all its forms everywhere." This means making sure no one lives in extreme poverty by 2030. Extreme poverty means living on very little money each day.

To fight poverty, we need to help people get jobs and resources. Everyone should have access to basic services like healthcare and education. It's also important to support people who cannot support themselves. Helping women who are often hit hardest by poverty is also key.

Goal 2: Zero Hunger

SDG 2 aims to "End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture." This means ensuring everyone has enough healthy food to eat.

Indicators for this goal include how many people are hungry or don't have enough food. It also looks at how many children under five years old have stunted growth due to poor nutrition.

Goal 3: Good Health and Well-being

SDG 3 is about making sure "healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages." This goal focuses on keeping people healthy throughout their lives.

Important things measured for this goal are how long people live (life expectancy) and how many children and mothers die during childbirth.

Goal 4: Quality Education

SDG 4 wants to "Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all." This means everyone should get a good education, no matter who they are.

Indicators check things like how many children go to primary school and how many finish. They also look at whether schools have things like electricity, internet, and clean toilets.

Goal 5: Gender Equality

SDG 5 aims to "Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls." This means making sure women and girls have the same rights and opportunities as men and boys.

Indicators include whether there are fair laws for women. They also look at how many women are in government or local leadership roles.

Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

SDG 6 is to "Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all." This means everyone should have access to clean drinking water and safe toilets.

Important indicators are the percentage of people using safely managed drinking water and having access to safe sanitation. This also includes treating wastewater properly.

Goal 7: Affordable and Clean Energy

SDG 7 wants to "Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all." This means everyone should have access to energy that is cheap, dependable, and good for the environment.

One indicator is the percentage of people who have electricity. Other indicators look at how much energy comes from renewable sources like solar or wind power.

Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

SDG 8 aims to "Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all." This means creating good jobs and helping economies grow in a way that benefits everyone.

Indicators include how much a country's economy grows. They also look at youth unemployment rates and how many women are working compared to men.

Goal 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

SDG 9 is to "Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization, and foster innovation." This means building strong roads, bridges, and other important structures. It also means encouraging new ideas and industries.

Indicators include the number of people working in factories. They also look at how many people have access to mobile networks and the internet.

Goal 10: Reduced Inequality

SDG 10 wants to "Reduce inequality within and among countries." This means making sure there isn't a huge gap between rich and poor people. It also means treating everyone fairly, no matter their gender or if they have a disability.

Important indicators for this goal include differences in income. They also look at policies that help migrants and people who move around.

Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

SDG 11 aims to "Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable." This means making cities good places to live for everyone.

Indicators include the number of people living in slums. They also look at how many city residents can easily use public transport.

Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

SDG 12 is to "Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns." This means using resources wisely and producing less waste.

One indicator is the number of national policies that encourage sustainable ways of living. Another looks at how much money is spent on fossil fuels.

Goal 13: Climate Action

SDG 13 wants to "Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts." This means reducing harmful gases that cause climate change and using more renewable energy.

Experts like the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) study climate change. They find that taking action on climate helps with other goals too, like health and clean energy.

Goal 14: Life Below Water

SDG 14 aims to "Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development." This means protecting our oceans and the creatures that live in them.

Right now, efforts to protect oceans and small-scale fishers are not enough. Rising ocean temperatures and oxygen loss are big problems for marine life.

Goal 15: Life on Land

SDG 15 is to "Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss." This means taking care of our land, forests, and all the animals and plants that live there.

Indicators include the amount of forest area remaining. They also look at how much land is turning into desert and the risk of species going extinct.

Goal 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

SDG 16 wants to "Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels." This means making sure countries are peaceful and fair. It also means having strong, honest governments.

Indicators include how many births are officially registered. They also look at how often bribery happens.

Goal 17: Partnerships for the Goals

SDG 17 is to "Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development." This means countries need to work together to achieve all the other 16 goals.

Sharing knowledge, skills, technology, and money is very important. This goal encourages cooperation between richer and poorer countries. It also promotes working with private companies and community groups.

Public Awareness and Events

Many groups, including the UN, work hard to tell people about the SDGs. They created simple icons for each goal. They also shortened the name to "Global Goals" to make them easier to talk about.

SDG Advocates

The United Nations Secretary-General appoints special "SDG advocates." These are public figures who help raise awareness about the goals. They encourage people to work harder and faster to achieve the SDGs. For example, the Prime Ministers of Barbados and Canada are co-chairs of this group.

Global Events

Global Goals Week is an annual event in September. It's a week for people to take action, spread awareness, and check progress on the SDGs. Over 100 partners share ideas and solutions to global problems during this week. It started in 2016.

The Arctic Film Festival also supports the SDGs. It takes place every year in Svalbard, Norway.

History of the Goals

The SDGs were created to follow the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which ended in 2015. The idea for the SDGs came up in 2011. Many countries discussed what the new global goals should be.

In 2012, a big meeting called Rio+20 happened. Countries agreed on a plan called "The Future We Want." This plan included ideas about ending poverty, clean energy, water, health, and cities.

In 2013, a group was formed to choose the specific goals. They suggested 17 goals and 169 targets. On September 25, 2015, all 193 countries of the UN General Assembly officially adopted these goals. This plan is called the "2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development."

The SDGs are not legally binding, meaning countries don't have to follow them by law. But they are a guide for countries to work towards a better future.

Challenges and Progress

It's a big challenge to reach all the goals by 2030. Problems like growing inequality, climate change, and losing different kinds of plants and animals are making it harder. Some experts worry that the world's resources might not be enough to support everyone's desire for wealth and well-being.

A group of scientists said that the world is "far off track." They blame the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, conflicts, and rising prices for slowing down progress.

Impact of COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 had a huge impact on all 17 goals. It was a major crisis for people and the economy. The pandemic especially slowed down progress on health, education, clean water, reducing inequality, and global partnerships.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has helped developing countries during the pandemic. They offer financial support to reduce poverty.

Uneven Priorities

Some reports show that governments and businesses often focus more on social and economic goals. They sometimes pay less attention to environmental goals, like protecting life below water or on land. This can make it harder to achieve all the goals together.

SDG preferences in the World's five major SDG reports in 2019

SDG Topic	Rank	Average Rank	Mentions
Health	1	3.2	1814
Energy Climate Water	2	4.0	1328 1328 1784
Education	3	4.6	1351
Poverty	4	6.2	1095
Food	5	7.6	693
Economic Growth	6	8.6	387
Technology	7	8.8	855
Inequality	8	9.2	296
Gender Equality	9	10.0	338
Hunger	10	10.6	670
Justice	11	10.8	328
Governance	12	11.6	232
Decent Work	13	12.2	277
Peace	14	12.4	282
Clean Energy	15	12.6	272
Life on Land	16	14.4	250
Life below Water	17	15.0	248
Social Inclusion	18	16.4	22

Measuring Progress

There are online tools like the SDG-Tracker that show how the world is doing on each goal. This tool makes data easy to understand for everyone. It shows that we still have a long way to go.

The Global SDG Index and Dashboards Report ranks countries on their progress. It also highlights the main challenges each country faces.

The High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) is a yearly meeting. Governments and other groups meet to check global progress. They discuss how to speed up action for the SDGs.

Examples of Progress

Many countries are working hard to achieve the SDGs. Here are a few examples:

Asia and Pacific

China

The UN Secretary General has praised China's Belt and Road Initiative. He believes it can help advance the sustainable development goals.

Africa

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has helped raise awareness about the SDGs in many African countries. This includes government officials and community groups.

Europe and Middle East

The Baltic nations have created a plan called the Baltic 2030 Action Plan. This plan helps them work towards the SDGs.

Syria

Higher education in Syria, like Damascus University, has started taking steps towards sustainable development.

United Kingdom

The UK has a plan called "Agenda 2030: Delivering the Global Goals." It shows how they will work on the SDGs. A report in 2019 looked at the UK's progress. It pointed out areas where more effort and money are needed.

Challenges to the Goals

Too Many Goals?

Some experts say that having 169 targets for the SDGs is too many. They argue it makes the goals hard to manage and track. Compared to the eight Millennium Development Goals, the SDGs are much broader.

Some also worry that the SDGs might not lead to big enough changes. They say the goals might keep things mostly the same. This could mean not fully addressing problems like poverty or environmental damage.

Not Enough Focus on Environment

Critics say the SDGs don't focus enough on protecting the planet. They believe that environmental protection should be a main goal, not just a way to achieve other things.

Even though there are three environmental goals (climate, land, and oceans), some argue there isn't a big overall goal for the planet. They worry that the focus on economic growth might harm the environment.

Ethical Concerns

Some people are concerned about the ethical ideas behind the SDGs. They feel the goals are based on Western ideas of development. They worry that the SDGs might be used to support business interests instead of truly helping people and the planet.

There's also a concern that the SDGs could make it seem like progress is happening when it's not. This could hide the real problems and keep things from changing.

Hard to Measure Progress

It can be difficult to track some of the goals. Some targets are not very specific, making it hard to measure if they are being met. This makes it tough to know exactly how much progress is being made.

Trade-offs Not Addressed

Sometimes, achieving one goal might make another goal harder. For example, how can we end hunger while also protecting the environment? Or how can economies grow without harming nature? The SDGs don't always clearly explain how to handle these difficult choices.

For instance, continued economic growth might not be possible if we want to protect the environment. This is because we would need to use far fewer resources than we do now.

Funding the Goals

Cost Estimates

Achieving the SDGs requires a lot of money. For Africa alone, it's estimated that $1.3 trillion would be needed each year. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) thinks $50 billion might be needed just for climate adaptation.

Estimates for providing clean water and sanitation for everyone in the world are as high as $200 billion. Overall, some experts believe it could cost between $2.5 trillion and $5.0 trillion per year to reach all the SDGs.

Where the Money Comes From

The UN has a group that looks at how to fund development. The main sources of money include government debt, military spending, money sent home by people working abroad, and official aid to developing countries.

Some organizations believe that private companies need to invest more in sustainable projects. They think that money from charities can help encourage this shift.

However, studies show that governments haven't significantly changed their budgets to fund the SDGs. It's hard for national budgets to be easily changed.

See also

In Spanish: Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible para niños

• Sustainability
• SDG Publishers Compact