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The COVID-19 pandemic has fractured the normality of society. However, an opportunity that may rise from the ashes of this pandemic is a reset to surpass the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals – writes Kevin Butler, a Brussels based public affairs specialist.
Kevin Butler, a Brussels based public affairs specialist.
In 2015, the United Nations set out an interlinked collection of 17 goals as a “blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all.” September 2020 is the fifth anniversary of their adoption. With just under ten years left to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, world leaders at an SDG Summit in 2019 called for a Decade of Action and delivery for sustainable development. They pledged to mobilize financing, enhance national implementation and strengthen institutions to achieve the Goals by the target date of 2030, leaving no one behind. Despite recent progress towards the Goals, the pandemic has shifted this momentum.
Impact of COVID-19 on the SDGs
The United Nations predicts the COVID-19 pandemic will send an estimated 71 million people into extreme poverty, the first rise in global poverty since 1998. Underemployment and unemployment means some 1.6 billion already vulnerable workers in the informal economy (half the global workforce) may be significantly affected, with their incomes estimated to have fallen by 60 per cent in the first month of the crisis alone.
Women and children are also among those bearing the heaviest brunt of the pandemic’s effects. Decreased health and vaccination services along with limited access to diet and nutrition services have the potential to cause hundreds of thousands of additional under-five deaths and tens of thousands of additional maternal deaths across the world in 2020. Many countries have also seen a surge in reports of domestic violence against women and children.
School closures have kept 90% of students worldwide (1.57 billion) out of school and caused over 370 million children to miss out on school meals they depend on. Lack of access to computers and the internet at home means remote learning is out of reach for many people. As more families fall into extreme poverty, children in poor and disadvantaged communities are at much greater risk of child labour, child marriage and child trafficking. Research shows that the global gains in reducing child labour are likely to be reversed for the first time in 20 years.
An opportunity to reset
No matter how powerful the impact of COVID-19 is, we have an opportunity to hit the reset button. Once we are able to rebuild, we must ensure the success of our economy will also reflect societal well-being within each country. We have a unique window of opportunity to shape the recovery. New foundations must be built for our economic and social systems – one that ensures equality for all. Undoubtedly, the level of ambition and cooperation are key metrics in delivering these political objectives. However, we have seen in the past couple of months that radical change can happen overnight.
Organisations and governments have adapted during the crisis, working from home, engaging in virtual conferences and a wide list of the traditional norms for society have simply ceased to exist. Additionally, populations have also adapted in order to stop the spread of the virus.
Notable figures have called for wide ranging changes to the normal that we were once used to fro many years. A few weeks ago, UN Messenger of Peace Malala Yousafzai pleaded to world leaders that “things should not return to the way they were”, insisting on action rather than words. Achim Steiner, former executive director at UNEP recently stated that “the pandemic is a clear warning. Recovery from the crisis cannot be driven by a zero-sum game of economy versus environment, or health versus economy” He called this a “once in a generation chance to set things straight”.
The influence of the SDGs on Europe
The triple effect of the pandemic as seen above, will, in the short term, work against the goals of the UN SDGs. However, it is clear now that the SDGs are resilience indicators for the future.
The Von der Leyen Commission is geared towards a Green and Digital Union since the beginning of her term. The leading figure under the Commission President is Frans Timmermans, Executive Vice President for the EU Green Deal which is one of the six core pillars of the Von der Leyen Commission. In recent months, the European Commission has been building back towards a Green and Digital recovery. A key part of this recovery is the implementation of the principle known as ‘repair and prepare for the next generation.’
Despite the positive communications and policies over the past number of months, more action is needed. Certain countries are building wellbeing indicators into their budgets. The Finnish Presidency in 2019 pushed for more action at an EU level through their Economy of Wellbeing Council conclusions and the Italian government run simulations on budget policies to see if a number of societal indicators would be improved.
Last chance for change
Actions speak louder than words. The pandemic has created enormous short term difficulties for our society. Despite the challenges, we must rebuild. The inequalities of the pre-pandemic world cannot be repeated. Over the past number of months in particular, we have seen how wide the gap is between rich and poor. The European Commission has acted in response to the pandemic but a stronger Europe in the world is needed to successfully realize the UN SDGs.
Civil society leaders and organizations have called for a “super year of activism” to accelerate progress on SDG’s, urging world leaders to increase efforts to reach everyone by supporting local action and innovation and unlocking more financing for sustainable development. Without change, the activism of Fridays for Future and other local level action will increase and intensify throughout the world. This action has the ability to change the current political system with a Green Wave 2.0.
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