What do the UN SDGs really mean and how do they work with each other
What do the UN SDGs really mean and how do they work with each other
By SMU City Perspectives team
Published 13 August, 2024
We can't talk about how to make things better for people without taking the needs of the planet into account. And it's important to put all this in the context of the profound impact humans have had on the planet.
Michelle Lim
Associate Professor of Law, Singapore Management University
In brief
- Sustainable development refers to the needs of the people and the planet. Both must come hand in hand.
- Sustainable development can’t be viewed as individual goals, but with a multidisciplinary approach.
- While governments have a role to play in achieving the SDGs, organisations at all levels should also contribute.
"You can't cherry pick particular parts of sustainability because integration and enforcement [are vital] for implementation of sustainable development."
Note: Quoted texts have been edited for brevity.
Methodology & References
Leach, M., Reyers, B., Bai, X., Brondizio, E. S., Cook, C., Díaz, S., Espindola, G., Scobie, M., Stafford-Smith, M., & Subramanian, S. M. (2018). Equity and sustainability in the Anthropocene: a social–ecological systems perspective on their intertwined futures. Global Sustainability, 1. https://doi.org/10.1017/sus.2018.12
Lim, M. M. L., Jørgensen, P. S., & Wyborn, C. A. (2018). Reframing the sustainable development goals to achieve sustainable development in the Anthropocene; a systems approach. Ecology and Society, 23(3). https://doi.org/10.5751/es-10182-230322
Schacherer, S. (2021). Sustainable Development in EU Foreign Investment Law. Nijhoff International Investme.
Hoang, T. D. (2024). Reassessing environmental protection in international investment agreements: The case of Vietnam. Review of European Comparative & International Environmental Law, 33(2), 194–208. https://doi.org/10.1111/reel.12555