Ireland’s first
annual Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Week takes place this year from 20 – 26 September.
What is it?
Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Week is part of the wider
European Sustainable Development Week, which last year saw 5,440 activities taking place across 28 countries.
What are the goals?
There are 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (also knowns as 'the global goals', the 'UN SDGs' or the 'SDGs'). They work together and apply equally to every country. They are based on the idea that ending poverty, protecting the environment and strengthening human rights are mutually beneficial and reliant on each other for success, and cannot be achieved separately.
When did the goals come from?
The UN SDGs are part of a framework called 'Agenda 2030'. This is a framework for a sustainable future. It was adopted by all 193 United Nations Member States in September 2015.
What is the framework?
The full title of the framework is '
Transforming Our World: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development'. It is a “plan of action for people, planet and prosperity”. It aims to ensure that the Sustainable Development Goals are met for all nations, people and all segments of society and it pledges that no one will be left behind.
The framework uses a five-dimensional model of sustainable development, known as the “Five Ps”:
- People
- Planet
- Prosperity
- Peace
- Partnership.
What is 'sustainable development'?
'Sustainable development' means meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Put another way it means today's generation taking long-term responsibility for ensuring that future generations can enjoy a standard of living that is at least comparable to that of the current generation. The Sustainable Development Goals aim to balance the three dimensions of sustainable development being the
economic,
social and
environmental dimensions.
What is ESG?
'ESG' stands for 'Environmental, Social and Governance'. It refers to the three central factors in measuring the sustainability and societal impact of an investment in a company or business. There is increasing demand for companies to disclose ESG information to satisfy stakeholders.
How is Ireland progressing towards the goals?
The Irish Government monitors its progress towards achieving each of the 17 goals. It publishes progress on a
dedicated hub with data supplied by the Central Statistics Office (CSO). Progress against each goal is measured using a set of United Nations (UN) global and European Union (EU) agreed targets and indicators. There are 169 targets under the 17 goals.
What about Chartered Accountants Ireland?
You can find information on the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals in the
Chartered Accountants Ireland Sustainability Hub. We also cover progress against the goals in our Sustainability/ESG Bulletin, published every week as part of Chartered Accountants Ireland eNews.
You can find information, guidance and supports to help members understand sustainability and meet the challenges it presents in our online Sustainability Centre.