The Youth Lab

Driving progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals

Last March, we shared an overview of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) - what they are, why they matter, and what Ireland's path to achieving these goals might look like. Since then, we’re delighted to say that THINKHOUSE has been selected by the Government of Ireland as one of 20 Sustainability Champions for 2024/2025. As a Champion, our primary focus is to drive awareness of the Sustainable Development Goals, and to encourage and collaborate with our clients, the marketing and advertising industry and our wider network to work together to address the goals. This week, in advance of SDG week and the United Nations Summit of the Future, we will be exploring the SDGs, our collective progress in achieving them and the importance of The Summit to reignite action.

WHAT ARE THE SDGs?

The UN SDGs are a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future. The 17 Goals and corresponding 169 Targets are, as David Donoghue, the then Irish Ambassador and co-chair of Negotiations in the original drafting of the goals reminded us, “The SDG framework is the only international framework that ALL 193 countries in the world have aligned on in terms of a globally uncontested agenda linked to enhanced social, environmental and social outcomes for all citizens.”

Drafted in Paris in 2015, the goals focus on the needs of people as opposed to the needs of states - with a specific commitment to ‘leave no one behind’ - and while each of the goals is specific to a key element of society, achieving any one goal isn’t something that can be done in isolation - many of the goals intersect, i.e. eliminating global poverty (SDG2) goes hand in hand with enhancing good health and wellbeing (SDG3).

A HISTORIC WEEK AHEAD - THE SUMMIT OF THE FUTURE

The United Nations is bringing together UN Member States, UN agencies, NGOs, civil society organisations (CSOs), academic institutions, the private sector, and youth under the theme, ‘Summit of the Future: Multilateral Solutions for a Better Tomorrow’. Hosted at the UN HQ in New York this Sunday and coming Monday, (22-23 September) as part of the UN General Assembly High-Level Week 2024, The Summit aims to forge a new global consensus on what our future should look like, and what we can do today to secure it. It also serves to provide

an opportunity to check in and assess whether we are delivering on our commitment to the SDGs.

UN Secretary General António Guterres has characterised the Summit of the Future as a “once-in-a-generation opportunity to reinvigorate global action, recommit to fundamental principles, and further develop the frameworks of multilateralism so they are fit for the future”. One of the key pieces of the summit will focus on the needs of future generations - people not yet born.

Keep an eye out on the UN’s YouTube here for streamings and online side events, and best wishes to Ireland’s Youth Delegates attending, Natasha Maimba and Lauren Jones Brennan. Once they’re back from the UN, we look forward to hosting them at THINKHOUSE to get the insider perspective on what went down…watch this space!

PROGRESS ON THE SDGS

Progress towards the SDGs globally is significantly off-course, with only 17% of SDG targets currently on track to be achieved, and with progress hindered by the lasting impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, escalating wars and conflicts, and the triple planetary crisis of climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss. This further reinforces the importance of the Summit of the Future.

"The upcoming Summit of the Future in September is a chance to build upon these commitments and provides us with a crucial opportunity to reinvigorate the ambitious, global action needed to rescue the goals and deliver progress for people and the planet by 2030. We need to reinvigorate the multilateral system to allow it deliver on the promises of the 2030 Agenda. Ireland will continue to work with all member states and the UN system to maximise the synergies between the 2030 Agenda and Our Common Agenda, and to accelerate progress toward achieving the SDGs."

- Ossian Smyth, Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications, with special responsibility for Communications and Circular Economy

IRELAND’S SDG CHAMPIONS:

While Ireland is performing well on certain SDGs (e.g. SDG2 and SDG3, there is still room for improvement with other SDGs e.g. affordable and clean energy (SDG 7); sustainable cities and communities (SDG 11); responsible consumption and production (SDG 12); and partnerships to achieve the goals (SDG 17). Ireland’s SDG Champions are key to driving awareness of the SDGs, advocating and promoting them, while also working to address them. For THINKHOUSE, our focus is on positively impacting SDG 12 (responsible production and consumption) and SDG 13 (climate action) - and working directly with our clients, and the marketing industry, to positively impact a multitude of SDGs (see notes section below for what we’re up to this week alone).

SDG WEEK 2024:

SDG Week celebrates and raises awareness of the Sustainable Development Goals. SDG Week forms part of the wider European Sustainable Development Week (ESDW). This year, Ireland’s third SDG Week will take place from 20-29 September, with last year’s SDG Week featuring over 196 events in Ireland and over 5000 events, it is likely that this year will be even bigger. See here for a list of all scheduled events.

For SDG Week 2024, THINKHOUSE will host an internal event sharing an update on the Summit of the Future, and as a collective, create sustainable Visions for the Future, aligning with our Good Life 2030 Ireland project. In the coming weeks, we will also host a panel discussion with our UN Youth Delegates (invite incoming).

BRAND TAKEOUTS

Embrace your Inner SDG Champion!

Moving forward on the SDGs requires a whole-of-society approach, with citizens and stakeholders supporting SDG policies and participating in their achievement. Take this week as an opportunity to reflect and explore how your brand and business can better integrate the SDGs into your activities and operations, and champion the movement towards more inclusive and equitable societies and economies.

“Visioning for the future doesn’t need to be hard. We have the SDGs as a framework with which to organise how we live, work and prosper together. As the only globally uncontested agenda that ALL 193 countries in the world have aligned on in terms of enhanced social, environmental and social outcomes for all citizens, it’s a brilliant starting point to move into the future with ambition. I’m so curious to see what comes out of this weekend’s Summit of the Future and to be further energised to not just act for people today, but for generations yet to come.”

- Claire Hyland, Head of The Youth Lab, THINKHOUSE