Professor Jeffrey Sachs, Earth Institute, Columbia University addresses OWG-5

Professor Jeffrey Sachs, Earth Institute, Columbia University addressed the Fifth Session of the Open Working Group (OWG-5 )on Sustained and inclusive economic growth, macroeconomic policy questions (including international, international financial system and external debt sustainability), infrastructure development and industrialization. He described the sustainable development goals (SDGs) as our ‘last best hope for finding the way forward’ and said that they should be “well-designed global goals that can make a powerful difference.” 

He referred specifically to the work of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), stressing that the SDGs should be limited to no more than 10 goals. 

He then went on to describe in general the topics of the 10 goals that the SDSN has identified:

1. End extreme poverty including hunger, on which he said that there appeared to be consensus
2. Achieve development within planetary boundaries, which he referred to as the economic pillar
3. Social inclusion – goals for everyone. This is a matter of concern as it is a major change from the goal as included in the SDSN Report An Action Agenda for Sustainable Development which is Achieve gender equality, social inclusion and human rights for all
4. Education for all – stressing the life cycle of education
5. Universal health coverage (UHC). This is also a change from the SDSN Report, which is Achieve health and well being at all ages. According to Sachs, UHC is “strongly endorsed by health specialists”
6. Food security and sustainable agriculture. This he referred to as an “unmet challenge”
7. Climate change and sustainable energy
8. Conservation of biodiversity and ecosystems, including fresh water
9. Resilient and sustainable cities. Sachs noted that an urban goal was important as 70% o f the world’s population will live in cities by mid-century
10. Good governance in its multiple forms eg governments, companies and major organizations – a “social license to operate”

As far as Sachs is concerned the Goals will have their power “if they can be recited by a 4^th grader in any part of the world.”

During the question and answer session that followed, there was a lively inter-change of views and certain concerns were raised, including, for example, on energy and oceans. Sachs was not asked, however, about the social inclusion goal or about a stand-alone gender goal. This is something that should be taken up in the future.