Sustainable Development Goals: What next?
SEPTEMBER 2015 marked a seachange in the global movement in sustainability when 193 countries collectively agreed to pursue 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), also known as the Global Goals.
These goals were more ambitious compared to the millennium development goals, covering a total of 169 specific targets, and are time-bound (up to the Year 2030) – a definite step up!
The 2019 budget announced by the new government had an allocation of RM1bil pledged towards supporting the SDGs.
This speaks volumes of the government’s level of commitment for sure. Yet, the question remains about how aligned are our ministries towards achieving the ambitious targets within the SDGs, and what’s our next move?
The SDGs, as we know it, encompasses a broad range of issues: climate change, biodiversity, gender equality, poverty, peace and prosperity, to name a few. It’s very important to understand that these issues should not be tackled in isolation, as they are interconnected in the form of a nexus. Climate change, for example, affects agricultural yields, water security, and the way that we design and build infrastructure to adapt to extreme weather patterns. What this means is that the achievement of the SDGs cannot be the sole responsibility of the Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change Ministry but would also require very active involvement from the other ministries to say the least.
How often is this happening and how much engagement has taken place between ministries to have discourses on the SDGs?
Under the previous government (now opposition), the Economic Planning Unit was tasked with overseeing and reporting on Malaysia’s progress on the SDGs, as they were back then aligned with the 11th Malaysia Plan. The SDGs were to be adopted in a number phases and different consultation groups were set up with representation from civil society organisations, the private sector and various agencies. A number of meetings took place. After GE14, however, it feels like the momentum on the SDGs has slowed, leaving a large number of consultative groups “hanging in the air”, unsure of the next steps or what will happen now?
In fact, it felt like a taboo subject for some, who choose to avoid such conversations altogether.
The fact is, hard work has been laid out with specific SDG indicators that will need to be delivered. At a policy level, of course, things are far more complicated, and a lot of work needs to be done still to “harmonise” policies, and this makes achieving the SDGs an uphill battle.
Yes, a new government has been elected and it’s important to give them space to revamp things – but it’s also important not to lose sight of and traction on the SDGs, which is a real opportunity for truly inclusive development. So, what’s next?