In Sept. 2015, 193 countries agreed to adopt a set of 17 Global Goals to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. Officially known as “Transforming our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,” the plan is spearheaded by the United Nations and builds on the Millennium Development Goals established in 2000.
The new goals are unique in that they call for action by all countries, poor, rich and middle-income to promote prosperity while protecting the planet. They recognize that ending poverty must go hand-in-hand with strategies that build economic growth and address a range of social needs including education, health, social protection, and job opportunities, while tackling climate change and environmental protection.
The Fowler Center incorporates the Global Goals into much of its programming as a lens to view ways that business can be an agent of world benefit and to help students see ways that they can make a difference in the world.
The Fowler Center team also gives workshops about the Global Goals. Please contact fowlercenter@case.edu if interested.
The 17 UN Global Goals
Goal 1: End poverty in all its forms everywhere
Reduce poverty and increase global resilience to climate change by expanding access to resources, ensuring equal economic and ownership rights, and creating sound policy for the poor and vulnerable, who will be most affected by climate change.
Goal 2: End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
End hunger by providing safe, nutritious, healthy and sustainably sourced food year round. This goal includes doubling agricultural productivity, increasing access to land and other resources, and expanding investments for the poor and vulnerable.
Goal 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
Increase global physical, mental and reproductive health and reduce preventable deaths. This goal includes reducing child mortality, epidemics, deaths from pollution and substance abuse, and increasing preventative health care and coverage.
Goal 4: Ensure inclusive and quality education for all and promote lifelong learning
Provide equal access to quality and affordable education for all to develop relevant skills for employment and achieve literacy. This goal will develop effective leaders for the future, especially those living in the most vulnerable countries.
Goal 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
Improve gender equality by eliminating gender discrimination and violence, expanding leadership opportunities, ensuring universal health access and enhancing economic opportunities for all women and children everywhere.
Goal 6: Ensure access to water and sanitation for all
Provide universal access to clean water and sanitation and reduce harmful pollutants that disrupt ecosystems and contribute to climate change. This goal protects and restores water-related ecosystems and expands sustainable water use for all.
Goal 7: Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
Ensure access to affordable, reliable, renewable and modern energy services and increase energy efficiency to minimize harmful emissions. This goal includes international cooperation, expanded research and improved infrastructure.
Goal 8: Promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment and decent work for all
Sustain economic growth and increase productivity through technological advancements, decent work for all, and jobs that promote local culture and products and sustainable tourism. This goal includes labor rights, eradication of forced labor and safer working conditions.
Goal 9: Build resilient infrastructure, promote sustainable industrialization and foster innovation
Invest in infrastructure — transport, irrigation, energy and information and communication technology — to promote sustainable economic development and human well-being. This goal includes financial services, environmentally sound technologies and expanded research.
Goal 10: Reduce inequality within and among countries
Empower developing countries by reducing inequalities and sustaining income growth. This goal addresses discriminatory laws, social protections, wage policies, international trade and markets, orderly and safe migration.
Goal 11: Make cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
Ensure adequate, safe and affordable housing, public spaces and transportation and increase resilience to disasters. This goal addresses urban slums, rural areas, regional planning, global culture and a reduction of the environmental impact of cities.
Goal 12: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
Improve human health and reduce adverse effects on the environment by promoting sustainable management of natural resources, reducing food and other solid waste, better managing of chemicals and fertilizers, and improving reporting and procurement practices.
Goal 13: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts
Combat climate change and increase environmental resilience by creating mitigation strategies, strengthening adaptive capacity, increasing climate policy, and improving education and awareness for climate action.
Goal 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources
Protect biodiversity of oceans by reducing pollution, strengthening resilience, regulating fishing, increasing protection, increasing management, minimizing ocean acidification, and conserving marine and coastal ecosystems for sustainable use.
Goal 15: Sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, halt and reverse land degradation, halt biodiversity loss
Protect the biodiversity of land ecosystems by increasing conservation, restoration and sustainable use of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems efforts; implementing management and policy to stop desertification, deforestation, and degradation of natural resources; and ending poaching and the introduction of invasive species.
Goal 16: Promote just, peaceful and inclusive societies
Ensure the success of sustainable development and non-discriminatory global governance for all by reducing all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere, ending abuse and trafficking of children, decreasing organized crime, corruption and bribery.
Goal 17: Revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development
Put these goals into action and create a global partnership by mobilizing the economy, promoting the diffusion of sustainable technologies, increasing trade, and creating sustainable policies.