Secretariat – Page 19

#WhatDoYouCareAbout” Stories For a Sustainable Future: Oceans and Earth

By Mirjana, Croatia

Planet Earth is our home and features incredible biodiversity, both on land and in water. We rely on natural resources for food, energy and water, but our careless exploitation of them is causing severe damage to the world’s ecosystem, in the form of deforestation, floods, desertification and global warming. It is crucial to reverse these negative effects, and we must act quickly by promoting education, innovation and common efforts towards a sustainable and respectful use of our natural resources. Failing that, not only the planet, but also our economy and everyday life will be increasingly affected.

Croatia, the land of a thousand islands, is the third richest country in Europe in terms of natural water resources, and it boasts a well-preserved ecological environment, with hundreds of native plant and animal species. National and nature parks cover a total surface area of 5,151 km², corresponding to 9.1% of the country. A total of 11 nature parks, 8 national parks and 2 strict nature reserves are protected natural areas, showing that Croatia is a country of exceptional and diverse natural beauty. In 2017, Croatia was faced with coastal fires and floods that seriously impacted Croatian tourism and the country’s economy. These natural disasters were caused by the inefficient and unsustainable maintenance of river flows, forest areas, and sea coasts.

“Collective action on climate change is required. People need to act and react, and drive changes themselves”.

According to future projections, Croatia is threatened by dramatic climate changes. By 2070, the air temperature could rise by 2.2 degrees Celsius, and sea levels could rise by 40 centimeters. There will be more natural disasters like hail, storms, high winds, and even tornados. Climate change will also lead to shifts in the tourist season. Due to warmer summer months, the season will not be so enjoyable. The worse climate will also significantly affect agriculture, which is considered to be an important branch of the Croatian economy. The crucial thing is that the prevention of, and adaptation to, climate change needs to happen right now. It is possible, but only with political will and efforts to integrate climate action measures into national strategies. Furthermore, collective action is required. People need to act and react, and drive changes themselves. This is achievable in many ways, but certainly, the main one is adopting an eco-friendly attitude!

Read more #WHATDOYOUCAREABOUT STORIES FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE here.

E-course “Strengthening stakeholder engagement for the implementation and review of the 2030 Agenda”

By UN DESA – UNITAR

UN DESA – UNITAR are delighted to announce that another edition of UN DESA – UNITAR e-course, “Strengthening stakeholder engagement for the implementation and review of the 2030 Agenda ” has been launched!

This massive open online course (MOOC) is designed to strengthen the capacities of government representatives and stakeholders to engage in an effective and meaningful way with major groups and other stakeholders in the implementation and review of progress towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Participants can follow the course at their own pace free of charge and earn a UN certificate upon meeting certification requirements. The course will take place from 20 January till 1 May.

WHAT IS THIS COURSE ABOUT?

Understanding the need for stakeholder engagement in the 2030 Agenda at the national level
Learning about approaches and tools for strengthening stakeholder engagement for the SDGs
Designing successful strategies for stakeholder engagement in national implementation and review processes for the 2030 Agenda

You can register for the course here: http://bit.ly/MOOCSE2020a

Glocalising the SDGs – Moving Together in the Right Direction

By Ana Ivaschiv, Assembly of European Regions (AER)

The AER Taskforce on the SDGs organised a panel debate ‘Glocalising the Sustainable Development Goals’ in the context of the AER Autumn Bureau Meeting which took place in Brussels on 5 December 2019. The debate was moderated by AER President Magnus Berntsson, who was joined by experts from the UNDP, European Parliament, Committee of the Regions, and the European Economic and Social Committee.

More than Climate Action

The discussion kicked off with a question to the audience, asking them to reflect on what first comes to mind when they hear the phrase “Sustainable Development Goals”. The words that emerged immediately were ‘Future, Social, Climate, Environment,’ and the uniformity of responses did not surprise our guests. Maria Nikolopoulou – Member of the Sustainable Development Observatory of the European Economic and Social Committee – remarked that it is quite common for people to associate the SDGs with Climate Change and Environment, however, it is important to bear in mind that the SDGs framework is based on 3 main pillars: economic, social and environmental and it is, therefore, necessary to work on all of them simultaneously, otherwise there will be an imbalance.

Global Challenges tackled at the Local Level

The word cloud of responses led the debate to explore another topic embedded in the SDGs: citizens and their future. In this context, Erik Bergkvist – a former regional politician and now a Member of the European Parliament – was in a unique position to reflect on the role of Cohesion Policy in supporting regions, municipalities, and cities to achieve the SDGs. He stressed that everything happens locally and people have to perceive that they are part of the project and they are not left behind. Concluding his remarks, he stated ‘You have a really important job to do and most of it is still undone. I am encouraged by the quotation of Oscar Wilde: “We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars”’.

Following this, Juan Carlos Lopez Cecilia,Territorial Partnership Advisor at the United Nations Development Programme, further elaborated on what it means to “localise” the goals and gave advice to regions on how best to achieve this. A multi-level and multi-actor approach is needed to localise the agenda,as it will only be possible to implement the 2030 agenda.with the full participation of local and regional authorities.

Not Reachable until 2030?

As we approach the implementation decade, it was interesting to see one of the previous responses to the first question was ‘not reachable until 2030’. Participants were, therefore, asked to define the challenges that regions are facing in their view. Political willingness and financing immediately appeared among the biggest challenges and this was subsequently confirmed by Arnoldas Abramavicius, European Committee of the Regions Rapporteur on Sustainable Development Goals. Mr. Abramavicius presented a survey launched jointly by the CoR and the OECD on the contribution of cities and regions to sustainable development. A lack of support was identified by regions as a challenge for localising SDGs and insufficient resources were also cited at the heart of the matter. It is not surprising that the survey’s findings coincided with the answers from the audience. To help European regions and cities overcome these challenges, all stakeholders have to find a long-term EU strategy for a sustainable Europe by 2030 and organisations such as AER have a large role to play in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals. Maria Nikolopoulou stressed the importance of having different voices from different levels push from the bottom to implement the SDGs.

Because regions need to be more vocal on SDGs, AER has decided to organise a profile-raising conference ‘Agenda 2030: Transforming Regions, Changing the World’ which will take place at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, Région Grand Est, in June 2020.

Rubik’s Cubes & Lens

All the panellists agreed on the importance of the regions and the necessity of taking a holistic approach to implementing the goals. Inspirational metaphors came from both Maria Nikolopoulou and Eva Hallström, a strong advocate for the SDGs within the AER network. The former linked the SDGs to a Rubik’s cube: you have many pieces connected together and you can only manage to solve it if you have a strategy; you have to move the pieces in coordination without trying to fix just one part but the cube as a whole. The latter, Eva Halström, added that we need to use the SDGs like a pair of glasses, or as a lens, through which we see and elaborate our regional development strategies.

The debate confirmed the AER member regions’ commitment to implementing the 2030 agenda and AER invites all its members to take action together and cooperate for a more sustainable Europe.

European Footprints initiative & #WhatDoYouCareAbout”Storybook

By Young Europeans

“European Footprints” is a multimedia project on the Sustainable Development Goals showing young Europeans’ viewpoints on sustainable development: what do young Europeans care about?

Mission

We strive to raise awareness among all who share European values about the footprints we leave behind and empower them to cultivate a more responsible and sustainable lifestyle – ecologically, socially and emotionally. We have 3 main pillars: Europe, Sustainability, and Stories.

We believe “European” is an attitude; not by taking a geographical or political stance, but by uniting diverse groups and striving towards common goals of stability, well-being, and community-building. We think the best way to live your life is to take only what you need, without causing any harm to your social and natural environment. We rely on storytelling as a medium to reach across borders and inspire identification with a common European cultural space.

Story

In October 2018, a group of trainees of the European Commission Blue Book traineeship started to produce a short educational video to raise awareness on the SDGs, under the mentorship of Director General of EAC, Themis Christophidou, and in collaboration with the World’s Largest Lesson – an NGO introducing the Sustainable Development Goals to school aged children.

They launched an open call to involve other participants and the outcome turned out to be unexpected: there were so many young Europeans out there caring about many different things concerning their future and sustainability. A short video simply wouldn’t have been enough to collect all their personal stories, amazing projects or grass-roots initiatives connected to the Goals. That is how the European Footprints initiative came to life.

The project covers perspectives from all 28 EU member states, involving former European Commission trainees who have come to share their stories both on camera and on paper. For example, Monika from Lithuania shares her experiences with gender equality, Diego from Spain is part of a music project striving to promote cultural inclusion, Stefanie from Austria shares her responsible nutrition choices, Giulia from Italy talks about her work as a chemical engineer, and many others.

The project’s title “European Footprints” summarizes it all: it is undeniable that we all leave some traces behind us, but we have the power to choose to leave a responsible footprint, one that takes into consideration the world we live in and one that perhaps others can follow!

THE PROJECT

The European Footprints project has rapidly grown into 2 complementary sub-projects: videos and storybook.

We have produced 3 videos, grouping the participants’ contributions into 3 main thematic clusters:

EDUCATION and WELL-BEING

NATURE CLIMATE and ENVIRONMENT

SOCIETY

The videos are available online in a dedicated Facebook page and YouTube channel.

The language of the videos is English, but subtitles are provided in 20 EU languages: English, Croatian, Czech, Italian, Spanish, German, French, Slovak, Slovene, Finnish, Swedish, Maltese, Greek, Dutch, Hungarian, Polish, Lithuanian, Romanian, Bulgarian and Irish. Our aim is to provide subtitles in all 24 EU languages and new subtitles will be directly uploaded on our YouTube channel.

The “#WhatDoYouCareAbout” storybook has been created as a teaching tool to be used in classrooms or educational workshops for students (13 – 18 yo). It combines the participants’ personal stories with additional teaching resources, such as facts and questions on sustainable development, the EU institutions and programmes.

The stories can be read all together as an introduction to sustainable development, but also function as independent examples of citizens’ initiatives.

Download the storybook HERE

WHAT’S NEXT

The European Footprints initiative started with the aim to produce a video showing young Europeans’ interest in SDGs. The project now wishes to connect young people all over Europe through the medium of personal narratives and provide them with accessible, inclusive and imaginative spaces to take their own steps towards more sustainable societies.

As of December 2019, we are sourcing funding and support in order to continue our work as a non-profit association and further develop the future basis for our project. This includes developing a visual identity, new materials (new videos, translation of the storybook into other EU languages) and a website. The latter will also function as a platform to disseminate the project’s resources.

CONTACTS

Email: european.footprints@gmail.com

Facebook: @European.Footprints

YouTube: European Footprints

New ‘Wardrobe Change’ campaign calls for radical textile industry transformation

By Emily Macintosh, EEB

More clothing is being produced, consumed, and thrown away than ever before, putting immense pressure on our planet and the industry’s 60 million-strong global workforce.

A new campaign, ‘Wardrobe Change,’ launched today by the European Environmental Bureau and 24 civil society groups from across the EU is calling for EU leaders to take urgent action to rein in the sector.

“The textile industry is one of the biggest polluters and is rife with exploitation. Our new Wardrobe Change campaign is calling for a radical transformation to how clothes are made, sold, worn – and reworn,” explained Patrizia Heidegger, Director of Global Policies and Sustainability at the EEB.

Heidegger continued: “This year, EU leaders have a chance to back an ambitious Textile Strategy based on fairness and sustainability. It’s time to move fashion away from the pursuit of ever-more economic growth which is incompatible with stopping further environmental and climate breakdown and reducing global inequalities.”

Ever shorter turnaround times mean that, globally, clothing production has doubled from 2000 to 2014, with more than 150 billion garments now produced annually, and 73% of all textiles ending up in landfill or incineration.

In December, new research from the European Environment Agency highlighted that after food, housing and transport, textiles are the fourth largest cause of environmental pressure. Textiles also cause the second highest pressure on land use and are the fifth largest contributor to carbon emissions from household consumption.

EU environment ministers have called on the European Commission to come up with a strategy to move the sector away from unsustainable production and consumption patterns, and the sector was flagged as a priority in Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s flagship European Green Deal.

The Commission is also expected to put forward proposals for textiles in its New Circular Economy Action Plan, expected to be published on 4 March.

Stephane Arditi, Policy Manager for the Circular Economy at the EEB, said: “Today’s fashion system makes overconsumption far too easy which is generating huge levels of waste. But we can’t recycle our way out of the problem – products need to be used for longer and waste prevented in the first place. Just as they took action on single-use plastics, governments need to urgently take action to make options such as repairing, renting, sharing, and swapping more accessible. It’s essential to ensure better information is available about what our clothes are made of and develop design requirements for toxic-free materials that can be used again and again.”

The UN states that the textile sector is responsible for between 8 and 10% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions and it estimates that, by 2050, fashion could be responsible for a quarter of all carbon emissions.

Arditi added: “Climate action is not just about decarbonising the energy we use, it’s also about changing how we produce and consume in the first place by rethinking how we make, use, and reuse products – and that includes textiles.”

In 2019, Sweden made headlines by cancelling fashion week, and from Buy Nothing Day to Second Hand September to Extinction Rebellion, people all over the world stood up for slower fashion.

But the year tragically ended with a fire in a New Delhi garment factory killing 40 workers.

Patrizia Heidegger said: “Those on the frontline of the textile industry’s waste and pollution are the millions of unrepresented workers who make the clothes sold around the world. Given that 193 governments have committed to achieving responsible consumption and production globally as part of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), all companies must be required to take steps to prevent and mitigate human rights abuses and environmental destruction along their supply chains.”

In 2020, the organisations behind the Wardrobe Change campaign will carry out a host of awareness raising and advocacy activities across the EU. Information about the Wardrobe Change campaign activities will be updated here.

For more information, please contact emily.macintosh@eeb.org and follow the hashtag #WardrobeChange

“Third-place” Inauguration from the perspective of the SDGs

By Association 4D

From 2-8 December 2019, Commitment Week took place in Paris for the second consecutive year. This week dedicated to citizen engagement allowed 700,000 volunteers and 70,000 Parisian associations to present their actions.

During this event, 4D inaugurated on 3 December a “Third-place” from the perspective of the SDG’s in Paris. This third place is a project of the CAF (“Caisse d’Allocation Familiale” or Family allowance fund) and will be in place at 50 Rue du Dr Finlay, 75015 Paris.

Interested in the SDGs, the CAF works with 4D to engage and coordinate civil society organizations in the animation of this third place. We are convinced that the SDGs can be a guiding tool to help citizens and CSOs work together and innovate. This locale will be a meeting place. The SDGs could be a way to animate their exchanges and mutual projects.

Why a “Third place” from the perspective of the SDGs?

Individuals can take many actions, such as eating local, seasonal food, buying second-hand objects, or favoring walking, cycling, public transport and train, and more. They contribute to our well-being, but they also allow us to write narratives for a desirable future. And these actions must go even further on all fronts: public policies, companies, media, etc. Therefore, using the SDGs like a universal language promotes sharing and spreads actions that respect the environment, favor a fair economy, and leave no one behind. This “Third-place” will be the place to merge initiatives and to emphasize the SDGs integration in launched projects.

You can find our article of the event on our website: association4d.org.

SDG Forum 2019: Quo vadis Austria?

By Lisa Maria Weinberger, SDG Watch Austria/OEKOBUERO – Alliance of the Environmental Movement

On 29 November 2019, leading representatives of the political and private sector, academia and civil society came together at the 2nd Austrian SDG Forum 2019 to discuss the progress of the national implementation of the 2030 Agenda. The event was hosted by the civil society platform SDG Watch Austria. With more than 230 participants, the event demonstrated a strong commitment to local and global challenges, and clearly called for more consistent political action to reach the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.

Joint responsibility for a sustainable future

Thomas Alge, Director of OEKOBUERO – Alliance of the Environmental Movement and member of SDG Watch Austria’s Steering Committee, pointed out key global issues targeted by the 2030 Agenda and how Austria should use the opportunity offered by the 2030 Agenda framework to tackle these: “The climate crisis, the extinction of species, global poverty and social inequalities are highly connected. The new government has to address these challenges as soon as possible and make the 2030 Agenda a top priority. This is a possibility to ensure policy coherence in the future.”

In her opening speech, Federal Minister for Sustainability and Tourism Maria Patek also stressed the importance of cooperation across different sectors: “The implementation of the SDGs is a joint responsibility towards future generations.”

Keynotes: SDG action from different perspectives

Despite a lack of political leadership regarding the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, there are a number of highly active and well-organized stakeholders in Austria. One of them is the Alliance of Sustainable Universities, an informal network of 16 universities, who developed a project called UniNEtZ (“Universities and Sustainable Development Goals”). Their chairman, Franz Fehr, presented the project at the SDG Forum 2019. At its centre is the development of options to support the government in implementing the 2030 Agenda. The proposed options would be based on the SDGs and would take into account possible synergies as well as trade-offs.

Another important keynote was delivered by Sami Pirkkala from the General Secretariat on Sustainable Development of Finland. Finland has served as a good practice example in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for years and has created favourable conditions for an effective and ambitious implementation of the 2030 Agenda. These include the establishment of a Development Policy Committee at the highest political level, an extensive gap analysis in 2016, passing a national implementation plan in 2017, including the parliament through annual reports and including young people, establishing a civil society panel comprised of 500 citizens, and a follow-up and review system as well as passing an SDG-compatible national budget in 2018.

Panel Discussion: Agenda 2030 – Quo Vadis Austria?

The political panel discussion circulated around questions such as “What do we want Austria to look like in 10 to 20 years?” and made it clear that time is running out to achieve the SDGs by 2030. One key factor, which was raised multiple times, is that Austria lacks a strong vision and tangible, future-orientated policies and measures in many fields. While one of the panellists argued that existing structures work well and should be adapted to the changing circumstances, other panellists and civil society representatives in the audience pointed to decision maker’s inconsistent action and an exaggerated focus on the upcoming VNR report. In this context, politics was identified as a crucial factor for shaping the country’s path to a sustainable and good future for all. One panellist summed up the current dilemma: “As long as environmental pollution is free of charge and economic growth the premise for political action, Austria is far from having a consistent plan for the future.”

Panellists:

Anja Appel (SDG Watch Austria/Coordination Office of the Austrian Bishops’ Conference)

Michael Bernhard (Member of Parliament, NEOS – The new Austria and Liberal Forum)

Ambassador Sylvia Meier-Kajbic (Austrian Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs)

Judith Schwenter (City council, Graz)

Thomas Weninger (General Secretary, Austrian Association of Cities and Towns)

Workshops on cross-cutting issues

In the afternoon, four parallel workshops on sustainable agriculture, inclusive education, rural areas, and sustainable resources shed light onto several aspects of the SDGs and created an open space for discussions and ideas. The workshops were organized by SDG Watch Austria members: Coordination Office of the Austrian Bishop’s Conference (KOO), WUS Austria, OIKODROM, and Repanet.

Links and further information

Objectives, positions and activities of SDG Watch Austria

Photos: SDG Forum 2019

Presentation by Franz Fehr, UniNEtZ (German)

Presentation by Sami Pirkkala, General Secretariat on Sustainable Development, Prime Minister’s Office, Finland (English)

Contact: Lisa Weinberger

ÖKOBÜRO – Alliance of the Environmental Movement

SDG Watch Austria, info@sdgwatch.at, sdgwatch.at

New guidance document presents towns and cities with 15 pathways to localise the SDGs

By ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability

ICLEI, alongside the City of Aalborg and the Basque Country, recently launched a new publication, which presents towns and cities with 15 pathways they can use to localise the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The publication, which was launched at the European Committee of the Regions during the 2019 Transformative Action Award ceremony, provides local governments with inspiring and replicable examples of how the 15 pathways of the Basque Declaration can be used to implement the SDGs at the local level.

In the publication, the pathways of the Basque Declaration are illustrated with stories taken from the Transformative Action database of the Sustainable Cities Platform. Each of these stories are former applications to the Transformative Action Award 2017-2019 and have been reviewed by a jury of experts, which includes representatives from the European Committee of the Regions, the European Investment Bank, UNESCO Etxea, the City of Aalborg (Denmark) and ICLEI Europe.

The purpose of these stories is to provide local governments and other local stakeholders with inspiration for action, rather than the formulation of yet another action plan. The examples also give insight into how to implement the goals using an integrated approach across sectors and departments.

For each story, the most relevant pathway and SDGs are indicated, based on an independent assessment by ICLEI Europe. They show the diversity of approaches across topics, geographical locations and local cultures.

Speaking about the launch of the publication, ICLEI Europe Regional Director, Wolfgang Teubner said: “The need for transformation towards sustainability has never been as urgent. We need a technological, socio-economic and socio-cultural transformation of our societies in order to limit catastrophic environmental consequences and ensure a decent quality of life for all. This publication shows the ability and potential of the local level to act, whilst contributing to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals on a global level.”

For more information and to download the publication, click here.

ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability, founded in 1990 as the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives, is the world’s leading network of local and regional governments committed to sustainable development. ICLEI believes that local action drives global change and the leadership of local and regional governments can make a major difference in addressing complex environmental, economic and social challenges.

Being part of our global network ensures that through joint action, peer learning, and strong partnerships between civil society, business leaders and all levels of government we can accelerate local sustainable development and make real change on the ground.

Since 1992 the ICLEI European Secretariat has been closely working with ICLEI network cities in Europe, North Africa, the Middle East and West Asia, other European networks, the European Commission, the Committee of the Regions, and many others. The ICLEI European Secretariat works with its over 80 in-house sustainability and communications professionals from its offices in Freiburg (DE), Berlin (DE) and Brussels (BE).

Congratulations! Here are the 2019 Gender Just Climate Solutions award winners

By WECF

We are proudly announcing this year’s annual winners of the Gender Just Climate Solutions Awards.

Launched by the Women and Gender Constituency in 2015, the Award honours the fundamental contribution of gender equality and women’s organisations in the fight against climate chaos and demonstrates the necessity to integrate gender equality in all climate policies. Gender just climate solutions are already happening, transforming communities all around the world. Each year we select three winners and launch a publication showcasing outstanding projects.

The 2019 awards winners are:

Technical solutions winner – UNIVERS-SEL: Ancestral know-how and innovative technologies help women producers of salt and rice preserve the mangroves

This project improves the lives of women and communities in the mangroves of Guinea-Bissau, through sustainable use of space, energy and natural resources. 2000 family farms, 75% of which are managed by women, have adopted sustainable salt collection and rice production methods, with solar energy and reduced water consumption. Thanks to the sharing of ancestral know-how and innovative techniques and capacity-building activities, women producers contribute to structure and develop the salt and rice value chain in the mangroves. 1500 women and 500 men have gained in autonomy through increased revenues and their integration into the local economy, while adapting to the impacts of climate change.

Non-technical solutions winner – ENDA COLOMBIA: Women waste pickers and community organisations of Bogota building a sustainable and inclusive city

Started in 2012, this initiative shows the way for gender-responsive urban policies, addressing the challenges of solid waste management in the poor suburbs of the capital of Bogota. 26 women waste pickers have accessed a decent job and are recycling over 30 tons of paper and 12 tons of plastic annually in these suburbs. 3520 citizens are involved in participatory planning, urban gardening, cultural and artistic activities and the creation of ‘Bankomunal’ – a community savings and credit initiative for women who do not have access to formal banking. Trainings on gender inequalities and masculinities, local public policies and citizen’s participation, allows beneficiaries to exercise their democratic rights to protect their cultural heritage, contributing to the peace process in Colombia.

Transformational solutions winner – Cameroon Gender and Environment

Watch (CAMGEW): Transforming gender relations and turning to sustainable resource

use in the Kilum-Ijim Forests of Cameroon

CAMGEW engages local and ethnic women in sustainable forest management, while enhancing their human rights and transforming patriarchal gender relations in the forest communities. Cooperating with Oku local authorities and the government of Cameroon, CAMGEW gives women the opportunity to assume leadership positions of forest institutions and stakeholder platforms. They provide a broad range of trainings to over 2000 people: environmental education for schools and adults, bee farming, agroforestry and organic farming, livestock breeding and biogas production, entrepreneurship skills with financial assistance. CAMGEW helps 800 young women fight domestic violence through counselling on their rights, business opportunities and community sensitisation to counter early marriages.

Transformational solutions mention of honour – FUNDAECO: Sexual and reproductive health and rights as a basis for conservation action

FUNDAECO breaks traditional cultural barriers to ensure the sexual reproductive health rights of adolescent girls in more than 100 Mayan and Q’echqi communities of Guatemala, as a fundament for their involvement in forest conservation. 22 health clinics, established in Protected Areas of Izabal, have provided regular care and counselling to 50,000 patients (2/3 women), significantly reducing teenage pregnancies, and strengthening women’s leadership. Support provided in maternal and infant feeding, and hygiene are linked to environmental protection activities, i.e good eating habits using natural resources, or sustainable waste management. Strategies were also implemented to prevent forced migration. A scholarship and youth leadership program contributes to end discrimination of women with formal and informal education.

About award

Each winner has received a grant of 2,000 Euros, travel support for one representative to attend COP25, mentorship from the members of the Women and Gender Constituency (WGC), and opportunity to participate in a skills training workshop held by CTCN. Being the 5th year running, this year we had 140 applicants, from 60 countries, 3 winners.

Continued collaboration

The Climate Technology Centre & Network (CTCN) is inviting the winners from 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016 and 2015 to a workshop on up-scaling gender just climate solutions, sharing of climate technology and finance. This is a continuation of our capacity-building cooperation initiated at COP23 and builds on south-south and technology knowledge sharing. It is a closed event but journalists are invited to come and interview the winners.

Publication showcasing the outstanding projects

Download the publication in English, Spanish and French.

Women Engage for a Common Future (WECF) – We are a nonprofit network dedicated to a gender just and healthy planet for all. Our international network consists of over 150 women’s and civil society organisations implementing projects in 50 countries. We believe that a sustainable future and environment needs holistic solutions reflecting the lives of people on the ground. We believe in feminist solutions based on our partners’ visions and needs. That is why we work on transformative gender equality and women’s human rights in interconnection with climate justice, sustainable energy & chemicals, less toxic waste, safe water & sanitation for all.

2019 Europe Sustainable Development Report

By SDSN and IEEP

The 2019 Europe Sustainable Development Report is the first independent quantitative report on the progress of the European Union and its member states towards Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The report was prepared by teams of independent experts at the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) and the Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP).

As the new European Commission prepares the European Green Deal, the 2019 Europe Sustainable Development Report comes at a crucial time, shedding light on the key economic, social and environmental sustainability challenges faced by the member states and the European Union as a whole in their progress towards SDGs.

The report finds that:

While European countries lead globally on the SDGs, none are on track to achieve the Goals by 2030.
Countries closest to achieving the SDGs include Denmark, Sweden and Finland, whereas Bulgaria, Romania and Cyprus rank last among 28 countries assessed.
The EU and its member states face the greatest challenges on goals related to climate, biodiversity, and circular economy, as well as achieving the convergence in living standards, both within each country as well as across countries and regions.
The EU generates large, negative spillovers that impede other countries’ ability to achieve the SDGs. The largest negative impacts are caused by unsustainable demand for agricultural, forest, and fishery products.

The report outlines six transformations that together can achieve all 17 SDGs and applies them to the European Union. It offers practical recommendations for how the EU and its member states can achieve the SDGs with a focus on three broad areas: internal priorities, diplomacy and development cooperation, and tackling negative international spillovers.

The good news is that the necessary instruments already exist to achieve the SDGs throughout the EU. The new Commission should therefore focus on aligning existing instruments and mechanisms (including budget, investment strategies, regulatory governance, monitoring frameworks) with the SDGs.

Key recommendations include:

The European Green Deal can be the cornerstone for implementing the SDGs in the EU. It must include an EU-wide strategy to (i) fully decarbonise the energy system by 2050; (ii) strengthen the circular economy and achieve greater efficiencies in resource use and far lower waste; and (iii) promote sustainable land-use and food systems by 2050.
The EU needs to increase public and private investments in sustainable infrastructure, including power and transport. This in turn will require greater financial resources for the EU.
Europe needs to increase investments in education, job skills, and innovation, with a focus on STEM education at all levels and R&D for sustainable technologies.
The EU needs to put SDGs at the centre of its diplomacy and development cooperation.
The EU needs to strengthen policy coherence and address negative international spillovers that undermine other countries’ ability to achieve the SDGs.

SDG Index and Dashboards: the methodology

The 2019 Europe Sustainable Development Report details progress by EU and its member states on their achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Based on a methodology that measures distance to target, the report estimates how fast each country – and the European Union as a whole – have been progressing towards each of the Goals and determines whether the current pace of progress will be sufficient to achieve them by 2030. In so doing, the European Sustainable Development Report complements the EU’s official Eurostat report by being able to show how far each country is from achieving SDGs. The report builds on the methodology developed by the SDSN and Bertelsmann Stiftung to track countries’ performance on the SDGs since 2016.

The findings of this independent report are consistent with major related publications:

The 2019 Eurostat report, which concludes that Europe was falling behind in terms of climate action and industry, innovation and infrastructure, while progress was moderate or mixed on responsible consumption and production, life on land, reduced inequalities, affordable and clean energy, zero hunger and gender equality.
The 2019 GDSR report of the United Nations, which warns against negative long- term trends for targets, including inequality in income, absolute material footprint and DMC, global GHG emissions compared with Paris targets, continued deterioration of coastal waters, overfishing, biodiversity loss, wildlife poaching and trafficking and for which progress is too slow for SDGs to be met globally (e.g. social protection for all, ending malnutrition, maintaining genetic diversity, investment in agriculture).
The 2018 EEA monitoring report on the 7th European Environmental Action Plan (EAP), which concludes that 23 out of 30 targets of the 7th EAP were unlikely to be achieved by 2020, including the reduction of food sector’s environmental impact and halting of biodiversity loss.