Refocusing on sustainable development in 2022

By Yoo Yeon-chul

In 2022, it is expected that discussion of sustainable development and other global frameworks for protecting the environment will be revitalized. The United Nations is initiating a series of celebrated conferences, as this year marks the 30th anniversary of the U.N. Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in 1992 in Rio de Janeiro.

Also known as the "Rio Earth Summit," this conference outlined how sustainable development should proceed in the world. In this context, it is instructive to look at the brief history of the concept of sustainable development as an overarching paradigm in the first place.

In 1972, at the U.N. Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm, the challenge of maintaining sustainability in the context of economic development was first brought to the global forefront.

In 1987, the concept of sustainable development was clearly articulated in the report, "Our Common Future," of the World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED), chaired by former Prime Minister of Norway, Dr. Gao Harlem Brundtland. This report, better known as the "Brundtland Report," gave a clear definition of sustainable development: development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

In 1992, this intergenerational concept of sustainable development was widely adopted in the Rio Earth Summit and became the fundamental basis of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) later on.

Over time, the definition of sustainable development evolved to have a more practical approach at the U.N. World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in Johannesburg in 2002. It focused on a holistic approach linking three areas: economic development, social inclusion and environmental sustainability.

In 2012, this three-part vision of sustainable development was emphasized again in the report, "The Future We Want," adopted on the 20th anniversary of the Rio Earth Summit.

These discussions all paved ways for a new set of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the U.N. in 2015. The SDGs are 17 goals based on 169 targets as a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that by 2030, all people will enjoy peace and prosperity. The SDGs are the new targets that followed the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which were set from 2000 to 2015.

The SDGs have specific targets to be achieved for "Peace and Prosperity for People and the Planet" over the next 15 years. The 8th U.N. Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, described the 2030 Agenda as "universal, transformative and integrated".

The Sustainable Development Goals have three pillars. The first pillar is economic sustainability to eradicate extreme poverty. The second one is environmental sustainability to protect the environment through investment in natural capital. The third pillar is social sustainability to promote social inclusiveness through investment in human capital. These 17 SDGs are integrated in that action in one area will affect outcomes in others, and that development must balance social, economic and environmental sustainability.

Despite the efforts many countries have made in implementing the SDGs, the progress has not been sufficient and the goals are not guaranteed to be achieved by 2030, pointed out in the report of Ban Ki-moon Foundation entitled, "Redesign Our Future."

Then why is sustainable development so difficult to promote?

It can be said that the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic are delaying the achievement of the SDGs. However, the implementation of the SDGs did not met our expectations even before the current COVID-19 era.

It is viewed that policy makers as well as business leaders tend to focus on short-term economic gains without understanding the long-term benefits and social values of the SDGs. No one wants to pay the price for future generations.

Furthermore, the main stakeholder in achieving the SDGs has been largely the public sector. However, the stakeholders should be rebalanced with more active participation from the other stakeholders ― the private sector and civil society.

In this regard, the following suggestions for each stakeholder can be made, according to the Ban Ki-moon Foundation.

First, the public sector should establish a long-term vision for a paradigm shift, while realigning COVID-19 pandemic recovery with the SDGs. Moreover, integrating the SDGs into national development plans and establishing the designated authority of the SDGs are vital to achieving them.

Secondly, the private sector should widely adopt an Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) index, which will be crucial in evaluating the possible cost and impact of projects that consider the non-economic aspects of the SDGs. An ESG framework puts forward the three central dimensions of environmental, social and corporate governance to measure the sustainability performance and social influence of the company.

Lastly, civil society should take more initiative to promote social consensus, and actively monitor and evaluate the relevant activities of the other sectors, as the voices of young people and women in particular are growing. Indeed, enhancing public awareness of the SDGs will cultivate strong leadership from the government and business sector that is committed to the values of the SDGs.

Global multi-stakeholder partnerships are necessary in order to achieve our development commitments under the SDGs despite the ongoing pandemic.

Now is the time for us to do everything possible on our part to implement the SDGs. I look forward to that when we meet one day in 2030, we can say, "Mission accomplished!"

Yoo Yeon-chul (ycyoo87@gmail.com) was the ambassador for climate change at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and is now serving as vice chair of the Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). He also served as Korea's ambassador to Kuwait.