324
14.5.4 Sustainable Development Goals
The establishment of IPBES coincided with the United Nation’s 2030 Agenda on
Sustainable Development (UN 2015b). Building on the Brundtland Commission
(Brundtland Commission 1987), the Rio Declaration on Environment and
Development (UN 1992) and the eight Millennium Development Goals established
in 2000 (UN 2000), the SDGs were now developed as a holistic and integrated
approach to global development. In 2016, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development comprising 17 SDGs with 169 targets was officially approved during
a UN Summit (UN 2015b). The SDGs aim to foster action integrating economic,
social and environmental issues (ICSU 2017). In particular, SDG 14 ‘Life below
water’ and SDG 15 ‘Life on land’ directly deal with biodiversity, while SDG 13
‘Climate change’ considers actions for mitigation and adaptation to a changing climate. For health, most prominently the SDG 3 ‘Good health and well-being’, seeks
to ensure healthy lives by promoting well-being for all at all ages. Here, a close link
with CBD and Ramsar will be beneficial, and the CBD already identified a good
alignment of the 2030 Agenda and the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity with many
synergies (CBD et al. 2017). Considering the many goals of the 2030 Agenda, it will
require good joint sector working to overcome trade-offs and to focus on synergies.
Implementation will also crucially depend on translation into policies and practical
management at the national and local level to deliver on the targets. Having an overarching goal of ‘One Health’ (Zinsstag et al. 2015; see also Keune et al. Chap. 15,
this volume) may strengthen the sustainable development and conservation agenda.
14.5.5 ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability
Since concerted efforts by main actors on the local level are pivotal to reach the
integration of different policy goals in the fields of biodiversity, climate and public
health on the ground, global networks are very important. As the majority of the
world’s population now lives in cities, and this trend will increase in the future,
actions taken by local and regional governments in cities, towns and regions will
have a high impact on future developments. ICLEI as a global network of local
governments for sustainability with more than 1,500 members and regional offices
announced at its World Congress in 2018 the “ICLEI Montréal Commitment and
Strategic Vision” (ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability 2018), in which
five interconnected pathways for change, highlighting the complex relationships
among urban systems, are laid out. Climate change, health and biodiversity issues
are addressed, with nature being mainstreamed throughout. In addition, one of the
pathways to transformative action is through supporting nature-based
development.
H. Korn et al.
14.5.4 Sustainable Development Goals
The establishment of IPBES coincided with the United Nation’s 2030 Agenda on
Sustainable Development (UN 2015b). Building on the Brundtland Commission
(Brundtland Commission 1987), the Rio Declaration on Environment and
Development (UN 1992) and the eight Millennium Development Goals established
in 2000 (UN 2000), the SDGs were now developed as a holistic and integrated
approach to global development. In 2016, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development comprising 17 SDGs with 169 targets was officially approved during
a UN Summit (UN 2015b). The SDGs aim to foster action integrating economic,
social and environmental issues (ICSU 2017). In particular, SDG 14 ‘Life below
water’ and SDG 15 ‘Life on land’ directly deal with biodiversity, while SDG 13
‘Climate change’ considers actions for mitigation and adaptation to a changing climate. For health, most prominently the SDG 3 ‘Good health and well-being’, seeks
to ensure healthy lives by promoting well-being for all at all ages. Here, a close link
with CBD and Ramsar will be beneficial, and the CBD already identified a good
alignment of the 2030 Agenda and the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity with many
synergies (CBD et al. 2017). Considering the many goals of the 2030 Agenda, it will
require good joint sector working to overcome trade-offs and to focus on synergies.
Implementation will also crucially depend on translation into policies and practical
management at the national and local level to deliver on the targets. Having an overarching goal of ‘One Health’ (Zinsstag et al. 2015; see also Keune et al. Chap. 15,
this volume) may strengthen the sustainable development and conservation agenda.
14.5.5 ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability
Since concerted efforts by main actors on the local level are pivotal to reach the
integration of different policy goals in the fields of biodiversity, climate and public
health on the ground, global networks are very important. As the majority of the
world’s population now lives in cities, and this trend will increase in the future,
actions taken by local and regional governments in cities, towns and regions will
have a high impact on future developments. ICLEI as a global network of local
governments for sustainability with more than 1,500 members and regional offices
announced at its World Congress in 2018 the “ICLEI Montréal Commitment and
Strategic Vision” (ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability 2018), in which
five interconnected pathways for change, highlighting the complex relationships
among urban systems, are laid out. Climate change, health and biodiversity issues
are addressed, with nature being mainstreamed throughout. In addition, one of the
pathways to transformative action is through supporting nature-based
development.
H. Korn et al.