Solutions are context specific and local knowledge and action are important. There are many pathways to sustainable development, and the SDGs give us the opportunity to connect local progress with our global ambitions.
A report from UN presented points that they believe will advance transformative progress for people and the planet. These include:
- Providing universal access to basic services like health, education, and water;
- Decoupling environmental degradation from economic growth and aligning investments with longer-term sustainability;
- Transitioning our food and nutrition systems to support good health while minimizing environmental impact;
- Reshaping the global energy system to provide universal access while transitioning to net-zero CO2 emissions; and
- Promoting people-centered and pro-poor policies and investments for livable cities.
We need big action in a short amount of time, which requires leaders to make the hard, bold choices today. The report identifies four levers to achieve this change: governance, economy and finance, individual and collective action, and science and technology. While each lever alone can contribute to progress, balancing the needs of sustainable development requires collaboration across all four.
We have the scientific knowledge to get started, but it is not being adequately harnessed and disseminated. To make the hard choices and balance trade-offs, science must guide our decisions. The SDGs should serve as a compass for sharing existing evidence and mobilizing new research efforts, including across disciplines and fields. This will entail greater capacity building and financial support.
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