The Sustainable Development Goals, or SDGs for short, are a common concept for peace and prosperity for the planet and its people – now and in the future. At the heart of the SDGs are the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, which call on industrialized and developing countries to take urgent action.

The countries see themselves as part of a global partnership. Only hand in hand can we succeed in combating poverty and other deprivations, improving health and education, eliminating inequality, boosting economic growth and combating climate change by working together to protect the oceans and forests. The SDGs can also be categorized under the three central aspects of sustainability: People, Environment and Economy.

A world without poverty and hunger, but improved living conditions for disadvantaged population groups, a reduction in inequality and the promotion of human rights.

SDG 1 No poverty
End poverty in all its forms everywhere.

SDG 2 Zero hunger
End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture.

SDG 3 Good health and well-being
Ensure healthy lives for all at all ages and promote well-being.

SDG 4 Quality education
Promote inclusive, equitable and quality education and lifelong learning opportunities for all.

SDG 5 Gender equality
Gender equality and empowerment for all women and girls.

SDG 16 Peace, justice and strong institutions
Peaceful and inclusive societies, access to justice for all.

We are called upon to protect the planet so that future generations can also lead a good life in an intact environment. The sustainable use of oceans and seas, the fight against climate change, the sustainable use of natural resources and the preservation of biodiversity and ecosystems are therefore essential.

SDG 6 Clean water and sanitation
Availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.

SDG 7 Affordable and clean energy
Access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy.

SDG 13 Climate action
Immediate action to combat climate change and its impacts.

SDG 14 Life below water
Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources.

SDG 15 Life on land
Sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, protect and restore ecosystems, promote sustainable use and halt biodiversity loss.

All people worldwide should have the opportunity to participate in economic, social and technical progress. The aim must be to achieve sustainable economic growth that reaches all people equally and provides them with decent work.

SDG 8 Decent work and economic growth
Sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work.

SDG 9 Industry, innovation and infrastructure
Resilient infrastructure, inclusive and sustainable industrialisation, promote innovation.

SDG 10 Reduced inequalities
Reduce inequality – within and among countries.

SDG 11 Sustainable cities and communities
Sustainable, safe, resilient and inclusive cities and communities.

SDG 12 Responsible consumption and production patterns
Sustainable consumption and production patterns.

The Green Deal is Europe’s response to the 2030 Agenda and the defined SDGs, as climate change and environmental degradation are becoming an existential threat within Europe. The Green Deal therefore takes up the challenge of creating a transition to a resource-efficient, modern and competitive world, with the major goals of

Emissions reduction
No more net greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

Circular economy
Extending the life cycle of products, i.e. minimizing waste and reusing, repairing, refurbishing and recycling materials for as long as possible. This keeps resources in the economy for as long as possible.

Leaving no one behind
No person and no region.

The ultimate goal?
To make Europe the first climate-neutral continent.

More information about the Green Deal?
Then take a look at the European Commission:
Umsetzung des europäischen Grünen Deals (europa.eu).

The circular economy is a key issue in Germany that is increasingly coming into focus. The aim is to keep products and resources in the cycle for as long as possible in order to minimize waste and environmental pollution. To this end, materials are recycled, reused and refurbished instead of being thrown away after a single use.

Various laws and regulations have already been passed to promote the circular economy. However, implementation can be taken even further and is an important task for the future in order to increase resource efficiency and improve climate protection.

Chain? Actually more of a multi-level network of companies. Each individual link is involved in different processes of the product or service that reaches the customer.

And what is the proof all about? In Germany, there is a law on corporate due diligence in supply chains. It sounds more complicated than it is, because the core aim is for companies to take responsibility for respecting human rights in supply chains.

And this is where the circle closes again: because we quickly end up with the central aspect of sustainability. Within the supply chain, this means optimizing transport routes, extracting raw materials under conditions that are more environmentally friendly and improving working conditions.

If we break down the global measures via European goals into a German sustainability strategy, we can see three major packages of measures for implementing the SDGs:

• Measures with an impact within Germany
• German measures with a global impact
• Measures to support other countries in the form of bilateral cooperation

Concrete sustainability principles are formulated from this:

• Consistently apply sustainable development as a guiding principle in all areas and in all decisions
• Taking global responsibility
• Preserve natural resources
• Strengthen sustainable economic activity
• Maintaining and improving social cohesion in an open society
• Utilize education, science and innovation as drivers of sustainable development

The sustainable Germany we are striving for sees itself as a progressive, innovative, open and liveable country in which a high quality of life and effective environmental protection prevail. It is also a country that integrates, is inclusive and does not marginalize, but creates opportunities for equal participation for all people in all areas and at all levels. And in doing so, fulfills its responsibility in an international context. (see German Sustainability Strategy, new edition 2016)

The German Sustainable Development Strategy is clearly aligned with the 2030 Agenda so that the transformation areas are linked to the SDGs:

• The transformation area of human well-being and social justice includes SDGs 1, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, and 10.
• SDGs 7 and 13 converge in the transformation area of energy transition and climate action.
• The central transformation area of the circular economy deals with SDGs 8, 9 and 12 and aims to decouple economic growth from resource consumption. In addition, consumption and production must take place within planetary boundaries in future.
• SDGs 2, 3, 12 and 15 serve as a template for the transformation area of agricultural and food systems.
• In the transformation area of sustainable building and transport transition, there are direct references to SDGs 7, 8, 9, 11, 12 and 13.
• The extensive transformation area relating to a pollutant-free environment as the basis for health and well-being includes ecological, social and economic aspects and is reflected in SDGs 3, 6, 8, 11, 13, 14 and 15.

Of course, we didn’t come up with this ourselves, as you can read again here:

• Germany’s National Sustainable Development Strategy