Sustainable Development in the UK: The UK has 17 big Sustainable Development Goals for making the world better. It has only done well on 21% of them and not doing so great on 59% because of track progress and missing plans. In 2019, the UK made a report to see how much progress it has made on these goals and the result was not satisfying. New research says the UK is the best among the G7 countries to fulfill the Sustainable Development Goals. But since 2020, it has been having problems because the country is spending less money on these goals.
In this article, we are going to discuss Sustainable Development in the UK in detail.
Sustainable Development in UK
In 2015, 193 countries in the United Nations agreed on a plan called the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This plan is like a roadmap for making the world better by 2030. It focuses on 17 goals for things like ending poverty, protecting nature, and promoting fairness.
| Goal | Goal Description |
|---|---|
| 1 | No Poverty – Making sure everyone has enough money to live well. |
| 2 | Zero Hunger – Making sure everyone has enough food to eat and stay healthy. |
| 3 | Good Health and Well-being – Making sure people are healthy and can get medical help. |
| 4 | Quality Education – Making sure everyone gets a good education. |
| 5 | Gender Equality – Making sure men and women are treated fairly and have the same chances. |
| 6 | Clean Water and Sanitation – Making sure everyone has clean drinking water and good toilets. |
| 7 | Affordable and Clean Energy – Making sure everyone can get energy without harming the environment. |
| 8 | Decent Work and Economic Growth – Making sure everyone has a good job and the economy gets better. |
| 9 | Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure – Making sure buildings and machines are made better and new ideas are used. |
| 10 | Reduced Inequalities – Making sure everyone is treated fairly, no matter who they are. |
| 11 | Sustainable Cities and Communities – Making sure cities and towns are safe and good places to live. |
| 12 | Responsible Consumption and Production – Using things wisely and making things in a good way. |
| 13 | Climate Action – Doing things to stop the Earth from getting too hot and causing problems. |
| 14 | Life Below Water – Protecting animals and plants in the sea. |
| 15 | Life on Land – Protecting animals and plants on land. |
| 16 | Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions – Making sure there is peace, fairness, and strong organizations. |
| 17 | Partnerships for the Goals – Working together with others to make good things happen. |
Sustainable Development in UK – No Poverty
Everyone should have enough money for basics like food, housing, and clothes. Jobs that pay well are crucial for people to afford what they need. It’s important to support those who are struggling financially or otherwise. Programs that assist people in tough situations are vital. We need to make the economy work for everyone, not just a select few. Fairness is important so that everyone has similar opportunities and resources. Providing education and skill-building opportunities can empower individuals and communities to improve their lives.
- Make sure everyone worldwide doesn’t have to live on very little money, like less than $1.25 a day, by 2030.
- By 2030, cut in half the number of people who are very poor, no matter what kind of poverty it is, as defined by each country.
- Create safety nets and programs for everyone, especially those who are poor or vulnerable, and make sure most of them are included by 2030.
- By 2030, make sure everyone, especially those who are poor or vulnerable, has the same rights to money, services, land, technology, and banking.
- Make people who are poor or vulnerable stronger against bad things like storms and economic problems by 2030, and reduce how much these things hurt them.
Sustainable Development in UK – Zero Hunger
Make sure everyone has enough food to eat every day. Help farmers grow more food in a way that doesn’t hurt the Earth. Make it easier for farmers to sell their food. Use food more efficiently and don’t waste it. Make sure everyone gets good nutrition, especially kids and pregnant women. Support small farmers and their families. Put more money into farming and helping rural areas. Make sure food is cheap enough for everyone, especially those who need it most.
- End hunger by 2030 and ensure everyone, especially the poor and vulnerable, can get safe, healthy food all year round.
- Get rid of all types of malnutrition by 2030, including problems like stunted growth and wasting in young children by 2025.
- Make sure small-scale farmers, especially women and indigenous groups, can earn more money and produce more food by 2030.
- Use farming methods that don’t harm the environment and can handle things like climate change and natural disasters by 2030.
- Keep different kinds of seeds and animals diverse by 2020 and share benefits fairly.
- Put more money into building things like roads in rural areas, doing research on farming, and developing new farming technology to help poorer countries grow more food.
Sustainable Development in UK – Good Health and Well-being
Everyone should have access to doctors and medicines. People need to stay clean to avoid getting sick. Exercise and eating healthy food are important for staying strong. Making sure mothers and babies get good care during pregnancy and after birth. Teaching people about diseases and how to prevent them. Helping people with mental health problems get support and care. Making sure everyone has clean water to drink and good sanitation to prevent illnesses. Providing vaccinations to protect against diseases.
- Reduce global maternal mortality ratio to less than 70 per 100,000 live births by 2030.
- End preventable deaths of newborns and children under 5 by 2030.
- Aim to reduce neonatal mortality to at least 12 per 1,000 live births.
- Aim to reduce under-5 mortality to at least 25 per 1,000 live births.
- End epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, and neglected tropical diseases by 2030.
- Combat hepatitis, water-borne diseases, and other communicable diseases by 2030.
- Reduce premature mortality from non-communicable diseases by one-third by 2030.
- Focus on prevention and treatment.
- Promote mental health and well-being.
- Strengthen prevention and treatment of substance abuse, including narcotic drug abuse and harmful alcohol use.
- Ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health-care services by 2030.
- Include family planning, information, and education.
- Integrate reproductive health into national strategies and programs.
Sustainable Development in UK – Quality Education
Making sure every child has a good school to go to. Ensuring teachers are well-trained to teach children effectively. Making education available for everyone, from children to adults. Creating safe and welcoming places for students to learn. Making sure education is available to children regardless of where they live or their background. Providing schools with books, technology, and other resources they need to teach well. Encouraging children to ask questions and explore new ideas. Teaching practical skills alongside academic subjects to prepare students for the future.
- Make sure all girls and boys finish primary and secondary school with good learning by 2030.
- Provide good care and early education for all girls and boys before primary school by 2030.
- Make sure everyone, whether they’re men or women, can afford and get good education after high school by 2030.
- Help more young people and grown-ups get the skills they need for jobs and starting businesses by 2030.
- Make sure everyone, especially those who are vulnerable like people with disabilities or indigenous groups, can go to school and get trained for jobs by 2030.
- Make sure all young people and lots of grown-ups can read and do basic math by 2030.
Sustainable Development in UK – Gender Equality
Making sure men and women have the same chances and rights. Ensuring that girls and boys get equal opportunities for education. Promoting fair treatment and pay for men and women doing the same jobs. Stopping discrimination against women and girls in all areas of life. Encouraging women’s involvement in decision-making processes. Providing access to healthcare and support for women’s reproductive rights. Combating violence and harmful practices against women and girls. Creating policies and laws that promote gender equality and women’s empowerment.
- Stop all unfair treatment of women and girls.
- Put an end to violence against women and girls, including trafficking and exploitation.
- Get rid of harmful practices like forcing children into marriage and female genital cutting.
- Acknowledge and support unpaid caregiving and promote sharing responsibilities at home.
- Make sure women can fully participate and have equal opportunities in making decisions and leading.
Sustainable Development in UK – Clean Water and Sanitation
Make sure everyone can drink clean water. Improve toilets and how we get rid of waste. Teach people why clean water and staying clean are important. Keep water sources safe from dirt and bad things.
- Give clean water and toilets to people in villages and poor city areas.
- Use new technology to clean water and waste better.
- Help communities to make their water and toilets clean. Check water often to make sure it’s safe to drink.
Sustainable Development in UK – Affordable and Clean Energy
Energy that doesn’t cost a lot for people to use. Energy made in a way that doesn’t hurt the environment. It helps everyone, no matter where they live, to have energy.
- We need to use energy carefully so we don’t run out of it. Energy from things like sunlight and wind is good for the Earth.
- Making energy sources cleaner helps to reduce dirty stuff in the air and water.
- Using energy sources like sunlight and wind power that won’t run out.
- Everyone should have the chance to use energy without hurting nature.
Sustainable Development in UK – Decent Work and Economic Growth
Everyone should have a job that pays enough for a good life. We need to make more jobs for people who want to work. Workers should be treated fairly and not be taken advantage of. Businesses should grow in a way that helps the economy and doesn’t harm nature.
- Education and training should be available so people can learn the skills they need for good jobs.
- Small businesses should be helped to grow and do well.
- We should make sure that economic growth helps everyone, not just a few people.
- Governments should make rules that help create jobs and make sure work conditions are fair.
Sustainable Development in UK – Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
Make better buildings and roads. Come up with new ideas to make things work better. Build faster and safer ways to travel. Improve internet access for everyone. Create jobs in new industries. Use technology to solve problems. Make sure everyone can use modern technology. Build things in a way that doesn’t harm the environment.
- Develop resilient infrastructure with equitable access.
- Promote inclusive industrialization, doubling industry’s share by 2030.
- Improve financial access for small enterprises in developing countries.
- Retrofit industries for sustainability by 2030.
- Enhance research and technological capabilities globally.
- Support sustainable infrastructure development in developing countries.
Sustainable Development in UK – Reduced Inequalities
Treat everyone equally, no matter who they are. Make sure everyone has the same chances to do well. Help people who are treated unfairly because of their race, gender, or where they come from. Make laws that protect people from being treated unfairly. Make sure everyone can go to school and see a doctor, no matter who they are. Make jobs for everyone, no matter how much money they have. Help people who are poor or left out to make their lives better. Encourage communities to work together and help each other, no matter what makes them different.
- Ensure that the income of the poorest 40% of the population grows faster than the national average by 2030.
- Support and include everyone, no matter their age, gender, disability, race, ethnicity, religion, or economic status.
- Decrease inequalities by getting rid of unfair laws and policies and giving everyone the same chances.
- Use money, wages, and social protection programs to make society more equal.
- Make sure that global financial markets and banks are watched closely and follow the rules.
- Give developing countries more say in global economic decisions.
- Make it easier for people to move to different places safely and in an organized way.
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FAQs – Sustainable Development in UK
What is UK doing for sustainable development?
By law, all UK aid is also required to reduce poverty and gender inequality. The Government argues the strategy’s focus on economic growth, humanitarian aid and addressing the root causes of crises such as conflict and climate change means it is “closely aligned with the SDGs”.
What is the UK approach to sustainability?
The government has committed the UK to reaching net-zero emissions by 2050 in legislation, through the Climate Change Act 2008 (2050 Target Amendment) Order 201915.
What makes the UK sustainable?
The United Kingdom was the first major economy to set a legally binding target to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions, demonstrating its commitment to address the urgent threat of climate change.
What is sustainable development UK planning?
For plan-making this means that: a) all plans should promote a sustainable pattern of development that. seeks to: meet the development needs of their area; align growth. and infrastructure; improve the environment; mitigate climate change. (including by making effective use of land in urban areas) and adapt.
Is the UK a sustainable country?
The country is proud of its commitment to leave the environment in a better state than it inherited. Sustainable agriculture is at the heart of this commitment. On SDG 2, steps are being taken across the UK to improve the sustainability of farming and food production.
Does the UK care about sustainability?
Climate change is now the second most concerning issue in the U.K. after the NHS. Sustainability is a national concern — with more interest coming from smaller cities across the U.K., with the likes of Brighton, Cambridge, and Exeter leading the way.