In this context comes the Sustainable Development Goal 4, which aims to “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all”. In line with the goal, the UN looks to provide inclusive, free, and high-quality pre-primary, primary, and secondary education to all by 2030. Similar support should be provided for technical, vocational, and tertiary education. A focus lies in eliminating discrimination and giving equal opportunity to all genders, people with disabilities, indigenous peoples, and those in vulnerable situations. With this, the hope is to increase literacy and numeracy, raise the number of people with relevant skills for employment, and promote sustainable development [4].

Some progress towards SDG 4 has been made. For example, the proportion of young students out of school fell from 26% in 2000 to 17% in 2018 [6]. This achievement is partly due to the contribution of SDG Good Practices. This refers to significant initiatives, solutions, and success stories that show positive and scalable results for people around the world [7]. One example is the Fit For School Programme, which supports stakeholders in the education sector to implement WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene) facilities and practices in schools. Taking these steps to maintain the conditions of the school and the health of the students not only improves their lives but also enhances learning outcomes.

However, progress in SDG 4 is not coming fast enough – projections estimate that education targets will not be met by 2030 [6, 8]. A major problem is that access to education is not evenly distributed among all: vulnerable groups face many more barriers to education. For example, low-income countries show lower primary school completion rates relative to middle- or high- income countries (Figure 1). In lower income countries, the difference in education completion between the rich and poor is also greater. Furthermore, women and girls, as well as people with disabilities, have higher rates of illiteracy and school-leaving, particularly in lower-income countries and disadvantaged communities [6, 8]. This situation has only gotten worse with the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2020, the spread of COVID-19 prompted school closures in more than 190 countries across the globe. This means that 90% of students (1.57 billion people!) were not in school at some point during the pandemic [6]. Some schools turned to remote learning during this time, though this option was not available to 500 million or more students [8]. In this respect, a socioeconomic division is also clear. For example, in 2019 only 18% of households in Africa had access to the internet (and 11% owned a computer). In contrast, 87% of European households had access the internet in the same year (and 78% owned a computer) [8]. Without these tools, distance learning is severely limited. Additionally, while physical absence impacts learning outcomes directly, it does go further. For many children, school is where they can have a meal, gain access to health services, and escape violence [8, 9]. Losing access to school thus has far-reaching impacts on the fundamental well-being of students, particularly those that are already disadvantaged.

However, in the end, the pandemic has simply exacerbated existing infrastructure problems, income inequality, and gender and disability issues that already hindered our ability to provide education to all. It is now time for us to step up to the plate and address both short-term and long-term barriers through the recovery process by “building back better” [10]. In this context, UNESCO has launched a multi-level response to protect the right to education by uniting actors, providing resources, and giving technical assistance [6]. UNICEF has also scaled up their support for education recovery [6, 9]. By supporting cooperation like this, learning from and implementing Good Practices, and prioritizing education for all, we can avoid worsening a generational catastrophe!

References

[1] Kim SW, Cho H, Kim LY. 2019. Socioeconomic Status and Academic Outcomes in Developing Countries: A Meta-Analysis. Review of Research in Education 89(6).

[2] International Center for Research on Women. 2005. A second look at the role education plays in women’s empowerment.

[3] Hjalmarsson R and Lochner L. 2012. The impact of education on crime: international evidence. CESifo DICE Report 2/2012.

[4] Hahn RA and Truman BI. 2015. Education Improves Public Health and Promotes Health Equity. International journal of health services: planning, administration, evaluation 45(4).

[5] SDG-Education 2030 Steering Committee Secretariat.Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4).

[6] United Nations. Sustainable Development Goals: Quality Education.

[7] UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs. 2020. SDG Good Practices: A compilation of success stories and lessons learned in SDG implementation.

[8] UN Statistics Division. 2021. SDG 4 Quality Education.

[9] UNICEF. 2021. COVID-19: Missing More Than a Classroom The impact of school closures on children’s nutrition.

[10] World Bank Group. 2020. Building back better: education systems for resilience, equity, and quality in the age of COVID-19.

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For this SDG article, I decided to write on a more personal level. I look back to when the Covid-19 spread reached pandemic level and all of us had to self-isolate. During that first lockdown I wrote my first GCE blog post. What a year! Isolation, online learning, anxiety, and unforeseeable losses… Perhaps we can all agree that this entire period – which is not over yet – has put a spotlight on health and well-being, as we tried to remain healthy amidst the pandemic, and efforts have been directed to produce vaccines.

Besides our physiological health, the awareness of our mental health became highly important. Going through these intense lockdowns, may have brought to light previously unnoticed issues, and also caused new ones – that I wish we were all spared. At the end of the day, the whole world has been experiencing the complexity of health, that goes beyond the biological matrix, and the importance of taking care of our psyche. Within this context appropriately lies the third Sustainable Development Goal, which aims to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.

The SDG 3 presents thirteen targets [1]. They cover a wide range of health issues, from maternal mortality prevention, mental health, prevention and treatment of substance abuse, reduction of illnesses and deaths caused by hazardous chemicals and pollution, to the achievement of universal health coverage. These targets are aligned with the World Health Organization’s definition of health, namely a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and a fundamental right for every human being regardless of race, religion, political belief, economic or social condition [2].

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the third SDG was making good progress. For instance, by 2017 a reduction of 41% in under-5 and neonatal mortality in 118 countries was computed. Progress was also shown in increased immunization coverage, a decrease in HIV incidence, and improvements to detect health emergencies in the 196 States Parties to the International Health Regulations (IHR), as they applied the 13 IHR’s core capacities [3].

Because of the huge efforts taken to stop the virus during the current pandemic and limiting factors, such as staff and resources, other health issues have gotten less attention lately. For example, in around 70 countries, childhood immunization programs as well as other medicine provisioning programs for HIV and TB have been interrupted, and a rise in malaria deaths by 100% is predicted. As less than half of the world’s population is provided with essential health services, all the progress accomplished might soon be reverted [4]. Since we currently live in this reality, feelings of loneliness, fear, depression, anxiety, and many others can surface. That is when we should be gentle to ourselves and reach out to someone.

Mental health is as important as physical health. In the World Health Organization (WHO) European Region, mental disorders are considered as one of the most significant public health challenges. They are leading causes of disabilities, and they affect individuals in a way that they feel unable or less able to exercise their daily lives in many aspects, including education, employment, self-care, and social life [5]. Awareness and treatment of mental health can lead to prevention of depression, substance abuse, suicide, and help people to cope and fulfill their activities. In order to aid the population, the WHO and the European Member States have been working to promote mental health services, disseminate information, and implement strategies to strengthen support for the community [5].

Each SDG has its importance, and we know that they are not isolated from another, but interconnected. In my view, the SDG 3 is indispensable to all the others, and to the entire world. Our integral health (mind and body) is what allows us to keep standing, to develop activities, ideas, technologies, to work, to improve the world’s situation, and to live fully happy lives. Our health is also linked to the planet’s health, its capacities, boundaries, and all the environmental impacts that have been adding up historically. Nevertheless, with this post, I wanted to bring to light a struggle that sometimes can be overlooked by some people, but it is a serious and more complex matter than we may perceive. How mental health is recognized and dealt with can vary by country, education, economic and social levels. Everyone should be aware, respectful and supportive. So, remember to be kind to yourself and to others, try to keep a healthy routine, connect to people, pause, breath, reflect, and reach out to professional help. You are not alone.

References:

[1] Sustainable Development Goal 3: Targets and indicators

[2] World Health Organization – Constitution

[3] SDG Indicators UN Stats Report

[4] SDG 3

[5] Health targets

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The SDG 2 consists of ending hunger, achieving food security and improved nutrition, and promoting sustainable agriculture. However, it should be noted that the SDGs impact each other – they are intertwined. For example, by eradicating poverty (SDG 1), people will have a better income to acquire food to nourish themselves (SDG 2); by ending hunger (SDG 2), health, well-being, and quality of life will be ensured (SGD 3); and by implementing more sustainable agricultural practices (SDG 2), food production and security can be accomplished while taking action against climate change (SDG 13). Therefore, when one is improved, progress is also made in others.

Affected by poverty, climate change, man-made conflicts, locust crisis, and now the COVID-19 pandemic, the hunger issue continues to worsen and is unlikely to meet the 2030 SDG deadline. However, progress to reach the SDG 2 was already slow before the pandemic, as the population that suffered from moderate or severe food insecurity rose from 23.2% in 2014 to 26.2% in 2018 [4]. In this context, 60% of people who suffer from hunger are women [5], due to gender inequalities (SDG 5), which, consequently, affect their children’s physical and mental development. In 2019, it is accounted that 21.3% of children under 5 years old are stunted, and 6.9% are affected by wasting [2], while a child dies every 10 seconds due to undernourishment [3].

At the same time, estimates show that enough food is produced to feed everyone in the planet [8]. Why then do we have this problem? While poverty limits people’s ability to buy their own food, a primary problem lies in food waste. Every year, 1/3 of the world’s food is lost or wasted [9] – to put this in perspective, this number equates to 1.3 billion tons of food that could be consumed [3]. In Latin America, the amount of food that is wasted or lost could feed 300 million people; the food wasted in Europe could feed a total of 200 million people; while in Africa, the food that is lost could feed 300 million people [10]. This lost or wasted food could feed the 800 million people that suffer from hunger and undernourishment [3].

In order to meet the food security goal, four dimensions – defined by the FAO at the World Food Summit in 1996 – should be fulfilled. These include: availability, access, utilization, and stability [7]. Availability relates to the food production and supply, stock levels, and net trade. Access incorporates the economic and social side regarding policies focused on incomes, markets, and prices. Utilization refers to the adequate nutritional and energetic intake necessary for the well-being and health of the individuals. Stability concerns the maintenance of the other three dimensions over time, on a periodic basis, enabling good nutritional status [7].

Around 9% of the world’s population suffer from hunger [6]. It could be considered the world’s biggest health problem, as millions die from hunger and undernourishment every year – in greater numbers than from malaria, tuberculosis and HIV combined [11]. Much has to be done: Restructuring food systems, improving productivity while decreasing losses and waste, ensuring accessibility, promoting social protection programmes, giving immediate aid to vulnerable populations, and supporting smallholder farmers’ ability to increase food production with more sustainable agricultural practices. On the individual level, we can limit our food waste (THINK-EAT-SAVE), donate to people in need, support local producers, and have a vision of solidarity and cooperativeness.

In light of the SDG 2, the United Nations World Food Programme developed the project Share the Meal which functions as a crowdfunding where you can donate $0.80 directly from your phone by using their app [12]. This project was launched in 2015, and the donations were able to help people that suffer from food crisis in different places of the world. Watch the video below to understand how it works and how you can help.

References:

[1] The World Counts – World Population

[2] Google COVID-19 info

[3] The World Counts – People and Poverty

[4] SDG 2

[5] Mercy Corps

[6] FAO The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World

[7] An Introduction to the Basic Concepts of Food Security

[8] World Hunger

[9] FAO – Food Loss and Food Waste

[10] UN Environment Programme

[11] United Nations – Losing 25,000 to Hunger everyday

[12] World Food Programme – Share the Meal

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Revisiting the concept of sustainability, which implies that EVERYONE’s needs should be met, makes one understand why in 2002 in the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation the first SDG was described as “the greatest global challenge and an indispensable requirement for sustainable development”. For universal sustainability, the well-being of humans, biodiversity and the planet as a whole should be ensured. Figure 1 below presents the progress that has been accomplished in regards to people living in extreme poverty. From year 1981 to 2015, there is a decline from 42.12% to 9.94% in the number of individuals living on less than $1.90 per day. At this very moment, there are still 8.4% of world’s population living in such conditions (UN, 2020), a percentage that accounts for over 700 million people.

Poverty is a complex problem that is influenced by different elements, and when taking all these other aspects into account – besides the “International Poverty Line” threshold – the situation can even worsen. According to the United Nations Human Development report on “The 2020 Global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI)”, currently, in 107 developing countries, 22% of their inhabitants live in multidimensional poverty. This means that there are 1.3 billion people in the world who are deprived from any of those three important life dimensions: health, education or standard living. The MPI is calculated based on a set of 10 indicators framed within the three aforementioned dimensions (You can check the table here). It emerges as a useful tool to monitor poverty and the progress for the achievement of the SDG1.

Another interesting tool to track the progress towards the “end of poverty in all of its forms everywhere” is the World Poverty Clock. The World Poverty Clock comprises a peer-review model with a dataset updated by November of 2020, that already considers the effects of the covid-19 pandemic on poverty. One of the highlights of this model is the free access to the tool on the website aforementioned. Anyone can do their own analysis, verify through graphs or maps which countries are on-track or off-track to meet the SDG1 by 2030 (Figure 2) and what are the numbers of individuals in poverty every year. It is also possible to make a comparison about the reality of each country, filter by gender and age, and soon there will be a geographical filter (rural and urban).

In 2030, the year when the SDGs are supposed to be met, the model presents that there will be still 565 million people living in extreme poverty. Sadly, this result is not so surprising. Prior to 2020, many countries were already off-track to achieve the SDG1 by 2030. However, the covid-19 pandemic has intensified the scarcities and hardships faced by millions across the world and has made it harder for people to try to escape poverty. As it is shown on Figure 3, after the pandemic millions of people were pushed back to poverty. More specifically, the UN statistical report (2020) estimates that the covid-19 pandemic will lead 71 million people into extreme poverty. Furthermore, covid-19 joins other ailments that often affect humans living in vulnerability, such as malaria, diarrhea and pneumonia. These are in some cases preventable, stemming from malnutrition, contaminated water and lack of hygiene and sanitation. According to the 2017 Unicef report on Child Mortality, one in thirty-six children dies in the first month due to preventable diseases in least developed countries. As we all know by now, washing our hands has a significant positive impact in our health; still, not everyone has access to clean water in this world, nor live in appropriate conditions.

Being in a place of vulnerability, individuals living in poverty are marginalized within the society and end up building their households in locations that are unsafe, making them more exposed to natural hazards. As climate change drives up the frequency of extreme events, droughts, floods, hurricanes and wildfires, it threatens people’s lives, their housing, and economic support. In developing countries, many marginalized communities live in unsteady structures, and rely on agriculture for their income and also for subsistence. It has been reported an economic loss measured up to $23.6 billions due to natural disasters; from those, 73% were in the agricultural sector and 16% in the housing sector (UN Stats, 2020). Climate change affects all social and economic sectors that structure this world’s way of living.

To end poverty in all of its forms everywhere is one goal, but it is not only related to one’s income or consumption power. Poverty is a humans’ rights issue, a health, an educational, and a climate matter. When one SDG is improved, several others are as well. It is a chain reaction! Interconnectivity is the key word to bring solution. More union between the nations, better governance and political willingness to aid and support local communities and vulnerable individuals is necessary. Enhancing economic growth in the least developing countries should be a target, as well as increasing accessibility to education, health and sanitation. As climate change and the pandemic aggravate the scenario for poverty, we should stand as one world and one people to turn these issues around, to help improve the current situation and mitigate damages. There are 17 SDGs, poverty eradication is the first – but there really is only one objective, and that is a better world to everyone from all the nations.

References:

Cuaresma, J.P. et al. (2018) – “Will the Sustainable Development Goals be fulfilled? Assessing present and future global poverty”. OpenAccess.

Max Roser and Esteban Ortiz-Ospina (2013) – “Global Extreme Poverty”. Published online at OurWorldInData.org. Retrieved from: ‘https://ourworldindata.org/extreme-poverty’

Reports:

Progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals, Report of the Secretary-General

SDG, United Nations 2020 – “Goal 1”

The 2020 Global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI)

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Session’s theme: How can SDGs be enforced not only in national, but also in local level as well?
Objective: How cities can be made more open (in terms of access), resilient and livable?

An interesting side event took place on the 13th of November at Bonn Zone (COP23, Bonn, Germany)  with the purpose of “How transport sector (mobility) can be better leveraged with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)?” under the event – Global Climate Action and SDG 11 Round Tables: Creating Green and Inclusive Transport for Liveable and Resilient Cities.

The meeting began with all the panelists sitting on their respective positions around the roundtable with respected Ms. Mary Cross, Head of Institutional Relations and Summit at the International Transport Forum (ITF), Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) serving as the moderator and thus conducting a short introductory round of all the panelists present.

Ms. Mary, after an introductory round of all the speakers, emphasized on the point:

“Transport – is not fully a part of SDGs, but to achieve the salient features and ambitions of the SDG 11 i.e. “Sustainable Cities and Communities” – ‘transport sector’ plays a pivotal role in achieving it.”

She also drew attention of the mass towards the target 11.2 of the SDG 11 which goes as:

“By 2030, there should access to safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable transport systems for all, improving road safety, notably by expanding public transport, with special attention to the needs of those in vulnerable situations, women, children, persons with disabilities and older persons.”

A series of panelists thereafter with the session’s theme and objective presented their talks as follows:

Najib Boulif (Morocco’s Secretary of State in charge of Transport)
Mr. Najib said that Morocco is one of the first countries to ratify Paris Agreement at COP 21. The principal themes for framework in Morocco are as follows:

• Urban Planning (Transport important in that)
• Reduction in the need to travel
• Sustainable Urban Transport (Electrification of vehicles)

Jean-Pierce Loubinoux, Director General, International Union of Railways (UIC)
Mr. Jean stated that in the context of achieving SDG 11 in urban settings, Railways in near future will cut 60% of its greenhouse gases (GHGs) emissions and energy usage. He also pointed out to the stunning fact that railways contribute to only 2% of total GHGs emissions worldwide. According to International Energy Agency (IEA) and the International Union of Railways (UIC), the railway companies in operation globally generate less than 1% of total CO₂ emissions (IEA, 2011a; UIC, 2011b). He said that according to IEA and OECD the energy consumption in Railways is the lowest of all urbanized motorized transport.

He then focused on the “Optimized complementary mode of mobility” i.e. no competition anymore elsewhere and urged on the need to find actions and ways to make this happen. He said that upon achieveing it, the return would be 5 times better than the investment. He further added on how to improve the efficiency in transport sector – is the key!

Lucila Capelli, Senior Advisor, Ministry of Transport, Argentina
Ms. Lucila started with how mobility and transport is important in Argentina. She said that the SDG 11 is focused in cities, and therefore, Argentinean transportation plan is focused in cities as in Buenos Aires (the Argentinean capital) where 15 million people live in suburbs only and thus one could easily assume about the daily commute scenario out there. The Argentinean target is to reduce potent GHGs such as: CO₂, SOx, NOx and effective promotion of the Public transport system as an astounding 22 million people commute everyday in Buenos Aires. She said that in 2018, the pilot programs for Busses and Taxis will be conducted for low emission targets and will be focused on vulnerable population.

Franz R. Drees-Gross, Director for Transport and ICT Global Practice, World Bank
Mr. Franz spoke to the fact that transportation sector accounts for 7-8 Gtns of global emissions. He said that the transport sector is increasing drastically, especially in developing countries. He emphasized on limiting global emissions from transport sector to 9 Gtns by 2050 and thus affirmed that it is only possible through shifting to the public transport and this must be focused strictly in developing nations. At last, he suggested avoiding daily commute in cities by creating dense cities.

Frank Muehlon, Global Head of Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure, ABB
Mr. Frank was the one-and-only panelist present with the ‘Industrial’ background in the session. He came up with the point that there needs to be a good National and Regional interconnection – i.e. a complementarity is required in transport sector.

Ms. Mary raised a question to Mr. Frank: “What type of system and partnership can be created for a sustainable transportation system?”

He humbly replied saying:

“You want to have a development which is not hyped – but is sustainable.”

He further said that in the transportation sector, the (business) partner from whom one buys the technology – is reliable – matters the most in the market place. He said that railways have been more standardized than before but electric motor vehicles nowadays are getting better standardized as never before. He further focused on the fact that the electrification of electric motor vehicles across the globe right now has regional differentiation – such as – in China, Europe and the USA due to their own differing charging technologies.

Hence, he urged on the necessity and vital significance of having a global partnership on electric motor vehicles electrification technologies in an openly manner.

Paul Simons, Deputy Executive Director, IEA
IEA is tracking decarbonization. He said that by 2030, 30% of all fleets are going to be electric. He emphasized that data, tracking, policy, and analysis is important as well. In the year 2015, only one-fourth of electric vehicles sales were recorded. He said that IEA wants cities to develop database and policy to communicate effectively.

Young Tae Kim, Secretary General, International Transport Forum (ITF)
The question on the floor for Dr. Young was that how electrification is one of the solutions to solve the existing problem of decarbonization in transport sector. He answered saying, ITF tries to go beyond the transportation sector. It should develop society.

He further said:

 “From holistic point of view, cities should have sustainable transport system like human bodies have static (city) organs and moving blood (transport).”

Dr. Young pointed on ITF’s role on modifying indexes such that ITF combines all elements to share and collect information from around the world, thus, striving to improve in the future!

Clayton Lane, CEO, Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP)
The question to Clayton from the moderator, Ms. Mary Cross, was that ‘how cities can get to SDG 11?’

He responded saying that, cities are left with hard work in near future and ITDP’s role is to connect global agenda.

E.g.: In Rio de Janaerio, Brazil, it takes on an average 2-3 hours to commute (no rapid transit) as only 23% of population has access to rapid transit BUT with the ‘government devised policy’, 90% of  population will have access to rapid transit.

In Maharashtra and Jharkhand states of India, ITDP is building and enhancing knowledge and capacity tools at state level in association with different genders. This will help 80% of population to get access to Metro trains as per matching population density with location of Metros.

Mr. Clayton concluded by saying that:

“To know how to measure and articulate is very important.”

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Too many people buy too many things, with money they have not earned, to impress people they do not like.
– Dr. Maja Göpel

Eleven GCE students participated and volunteered at the Impacts World Conference in Potsdam, Germany on the impacts of Climate Change, here their reflections on Day 3.

The talks of the last conference day at the Impacts World 2017, organized by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), were probably the most inspiring ones, encouraging the audience to engage even more in climate action – by educating the public, informing policy-makers or investigating knowledge gaps in climate impact research.

Prof. Dr. Johan Rockström from the Stockholm Resilience Centre, who invented the Planetary Boundaries Concept, informed the audience about tipping points in the Earth system and advertised for the inclusion of social, ecological and economic dimensions when trying to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Throughout the conference, many speakers have criticized the current economic system, arguing that the focus on economic growth limits the possibilities to solve global problems.

Dr. Maja Göpel, author of the book The Great Mindshift, outlined how a transformation towards a sustainable future can be achieved – one that would secure the livelihoods and the dignity of the next generations. She explained in more detail that

(…) we need the contribution of everyone for a transformation, for positive narratives, for a strong vision and for the braveness to try things humans have never done before.

If you ask yourself how a positive narrative of combating climate change could look like, think about how many co-benefits a sustainable, green future would provide. Already today, the renewable energy sector in Germany offers more jobs to people than traditional sources of energy. But the vision of such a transformation is much bigger and could also open the door towards greater happiness and more stability. Buying things we don´t need to impress people we don´t like simply doesn’t lead to greater happiness. Would it be better if we consumed less, paid attention towards more life quality, and spent more time doing things that actually make us happy?

How does it come that we know so much and act so little.
–Prof. Dr. David N. Bresch

For us students of Global Change Ecology M.Sc it is frustrating to see, how little we do in times, when climate action is so urgently needed. When we look at ourselves and our daily behavior, the one of our families and friends, of communities, companies and industries, of national and international politics, so much change is needed to reduce our carbon footprint. But the knowledge-behavior gap remains. And time really matters! Statistically everyone needs to half their emissions within a decade.

At the same time, development especially in the economic poor countries is demanded. Within Germany for instance, developments towards a more sustainable vegetarian diet are visible and low prices for renewable energy, which we already see today, will certainly help us. But this is not enough and we need to re-think our consumption, behavior and choices. With this in mind, we leave the Impacts World Conference 2017 after three inspiring days full of talks, workshops and poster sessions and are motivated to convince stakeholders from different sectors at different scales to transform our human activities in a way that we limit global warming to maximum 2°C. Because as we learned, every degree matters!

See previous Articles → Day 1 and Day 2

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