Environmental Progress News
December, 2017
“The language may be different but the heart is the same. We are all one. We have a responsibility to each other and the world.” ~ Akiroq Brost
– 195 Countries –
– 6,909 Languages –
– 4,200 Religions –
– 6.5 Billion People –
– 1 Mother Earth –
Whatever our differences, we all share Mother Earth
Global Warming is a threat that affects all of us. Does not matter which country you are living in, which language you speak, or what your cultural and religious beliefs are. What the future holds for our children is based on what actions we take today. We can reverse global warming, but only if we get past our differences and work together to find solutions.
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals are key to building a better world for our children to inherit. Each Goal is interrelated, cleaning our air, our water, our soil, leads to economic development, improves food supply, alleviating hunger and poverty.
With this in mind, we are celebrating the month of December with a look at Sustainable Goal #16 Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions, which plays a big part in whether we can succeed. Without unity we will get nowhere.
Goal 16 of the Sustainable Development Goals is dedicated to the promotion of peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, the provision of access to justice for all, and building effective, accountable institutions at all levels.
Targets
- Significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere
- End abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence against and torture of children
- Promote the rule of law at the national and international levels and ensure equal access to justice for all
- By 2030, significantly reduce illicit financial and arms flows, strengthen the recovery and return of stolen assets and combat all forms of organized crime
- Substantially reduce corruption and bribery in all their forms
- Develop effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels
- Ensure responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making at all levels
- Broaden and strengthen the participation of developing countries in the institutions of global governance
- By 2030, provide legal identity for all, including birth registration
- Ensure public access to information and protect fundamental freedoms, in accordance with national legislation and international agreements
- Strengthen relevant national institutions, including through international cooperation, for building capacity at all levels, in particular in developing countries, to prevent violence and combat terrorism and crime
- Promote and enforce non-discriminatory laws and policies for sustainable development
Strong Institutions
The 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals and You
These goals may seem like daunting tasks made for people in powerful positions, but in reality the true power lies in the actions of ordinary individuals. Wondering what you can do in your everyday life to help support the 17 Global Goals? The United Nations has a list full of easy ways to make an impact. A few examples are:
– Offset your carbon emissions. The website Climate Neutral Now allows you to calculate your carbon footprint, identify ways to reduce your emissions, and offset what you can’t reduce by purchasing climate credits that support offsetting projects.
– Save electricity by plugging appliances into a power strip and turning them off completely when not in use, including your computer.
– Eat less meat, poultry, and fish. More resources are used to provide meat than plants.
– Freeze fresh produce and leftovers if you don’t have the chance to eat them before they go bad. You can also do this with take-away or delivered food, if you know you will not feel like eating it the next day. You will save food and money.
– Speak up! Ask your local and national authorities to engage in initiatives that don’t harm people or the planet. You can also voice your support for the Paris Agreement and ask your country to ratify it or sign it if it hasn’t yet.
You can find the full list at: Sustainable Goals – Take Action
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