Technical Advisory Group Chair and Programme Director, Dr Trish Melton, introduces Sustainable Development Goals (SDG): Knowledge management.

 

What are the Sustainable Development Goals? (SDG)

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is a call for global action that requires the support and involvement from all countries. Developed, developing, and underdeveloped countries all have their responsibilities to perform their level best in executing the plan.

The principal aim of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, also known as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). These 17 SDGs can be further broken down into 169 associated targets, measured by using 232 different indicators.

The core value of the UN SDGs is built on the foundation of three sustainability pillars. Instead of focusing on a single sustainability aspect, together these 17 SDGs aim to focus on the balance of all three sustainability pillars. At its heart are the 17 SDGs which are an urgent call for action by all countries, developed and developing, in a global partnership.

Four of these 17 goals are selected as focus areas for this Sustainability Hub:

• SDG 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all at all ages
• SDG 6: Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
• SDG 7: Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
• SDG 12: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns

The role of the chemical engineer

For each goal, this hub is identifying specific SDG knowledge to support chemical engineers in making a difference. This knowledge is referred to as vertical and aims to give a depth of knowledge for chemical engineers to focus their support of specific SDG topics.

• SDG 6 Vertical knowledge example: sanitation in developing countries

There is also sustainability knowledge that is general to all SDGs. This knowledge is referred to as horizontal and aims to give higher-level knowledge for chemical engineers to understand their role in supporting sustainability.

• Horizontal knowledge examples: life cycle analysis, net zero, carbon footprint reduction