What are the SDGs?

• The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) or Global Goals are a collection of 17 interlinked objectives designed to serve as a "shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet now and into the future". [7]
• In 2015, all member states of the UN General Assembly adopted the 2030 Development Agenda titled "Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development". It’s also known as the 2030 Agenda.
• The SDGs were formulated by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) as part of the Post-2015 Development Agenda, which sought to create a future global development framework to succeed the Millennium Development Goals, which ended that year. [7]
• The SDGs were made more "actionable" by a UNGA resolution that identifies specific targets for each goal and provides indicators to measure progress. Most targets are to be achieved by 2030, although some have no end date. The 17 Sustainable Development Goals are associated with 169 targets and 232 indicators. [7]
• There are two types of targets - “outcome” targets and “means of achieving” targets.
• The “5 Ps” - core areas which capture the scope of the SDGs [16] :
  • People
  • Planet
  • Prosperity
  • Peace
  • Partnership

Synergies and trade offs

• The 17 SDGs are integrated—they recognize that action in one area will affect outcomes in others and that development must balance social, economic and environmental sustainability. [9]
• These wide-ranging and ambitious Goals interconnect. Goal 3 is to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages. But it is also cross-cutting, so that progress in its implementation contributes to progress towards other Goals, and action on other Goals in turn contributes to attaining Goal 3. Most of the Goals also have some direct health targets. [10]
• Due to the integrated nature of the Goals, when an action is undertaken to further one goal could have positive (synergy) or negative (trade-off) effects on other goals.
• Critics and observers have identified trade-offs between the goals, such as between ending hunger and promoting environmental sustainability. Other concerns include there being too many goals (resulting in the compounding of trade-offs), a weak emphasis on environmental sustainability, and difficulties tracking qualitative indicators. [7]
• For instance in the context of Agri-food systems, links and interactions with society, health systems, ecology and climate systems, economic and governance systems and science and innovation systems, generate synergies, externalities and trade-offs that extend beyond the system. Eradicating hunger and malnutrition will affect land, water, energy, biodiversity and climate, as food production generates greenhouse gas emissions. Promoting healthy diets will reduce overweight and obesity rates, which in turn will reduce food-related no communicable diseases and health expenses while also reducing emissions. [8]

The 17 Goals [11]

Goal 1 (No Poverty)- End poverty in all its forms everywhere

• Targets

Goal 2 (Zero Hunger)- End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture

• Targets

Goal 3 (Good Health and Well-Being)- Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages

• Targets

Goal 4 (Quality Education) - Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all

• Targets

Goal 5 (Gender Equality) - Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls

• Targets

Goal 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) - Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all

• Targets