UKSSD

The Sustainable Development Goals: Solving the world’s problems in a sustainable way: Change Agents UK plays a key role.

A major network of leading companies, think tanks, charities, universities, trade unions and professional ­bodies has reached an important milestone in measuring the UK’s performance against the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Organisations including WWF-UK, Good Energy, the Open University, Gaia Education, the University of Northumbria and Change Agents UK are partners of the UK Stakeholders for Sustainable Development (UKSSD), a cross-sector network working to drive action in the implementation of the SDGs in the UK.  Change Agents UK , along with several other partners in the English Learning for Sustainability Alliance (ELSA) were commissioned by the UKSSD to carry out a detailed assessment of progress on SDG4 and other related goals.

 In summary, we welcomed the UN’s focus on SDG4, which seeks to ensure UK citizens have access to equitable and quality education through all stages of life, from early childhood, through primary and secondary schooling, to technical, vocational training and tertiary education.  Despite the high level of aspiration and the overall increase in the percentage of pupils achieving at least expected level in early learning goals, from 48.9% in 2013 to 69% in 2017  there is for instance in England, a lack of policy coherence between early learning goals and the national curriculum. SDG4 aims to increase the number of youths and adults with relevant skills for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship.  It envisions no gender disparities in education while promoting equal access to vocational training to vulnerable people. Progress on technical and vocational training especially linked to the green economy has been undervalued by successive governments discouraging employer-led opportunities. Different, educational policies such as those developed in Wales and Scotland on learning for sustainability have played a primary role in the effective implementation of Education for Sustainable Development through curriculum development and teacher training.  However, progress in England in developing learning for sustainability has been less effective, in the absence of a strong policy steer. Achieving universal literacy and numeracy target is to be celebrated in UK, ranked 15/70 overall in the OECD 2015 PISA tests of science, maths and reading. SDG 4 calls for upgraded educational facilities, availability of higher education scholarships to developing countries and a greater supply of qualified teachers.   The volume of UK official development assistance flows for scholarships has increased significantly. There are close links and synergies between SDG 4 and many of the other 16 SDGs; notably SDGs 1, 2, 5 and 13.

UKSSD completed a comprehensive stakeholder assessment of the UK’s performance against the goals which was published in July2018 and then launched in Westminster on the 3 July 2018 and later that month at the UN in New York. The report called “Measuring Up” is a wide-ranging and ­in-depth performance assessment launched during the UN High Level Political Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable Development held in New York.

 When adopting the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, Member States decided to undertake thematic reviews of progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including cross-cutting issues. In 2019, the HLPF, meeting under the auspices of  United Nations Economic and Social Council😦 ECOSOC ,9-18 July), will finalize the first cycle of thematic reviews with in-depth analysis of several  SDGs, including SDG4.This will facilitating an in-depth review of progress made on all SDGs over the course of a four-year cycle, with means of implementation, including SDG 17, reviewed annually.

UKSSD report ‘Measuring up’ shows how the UK is performing on the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for the first time. And while there’s an enormous amount to celebrate, the most vulnerable people and places in our society are increasingly being left behind.

Measuring up is the most comprehensive review of the current situation in the UK conducted to date. It tells us what is happening in the UK for people, the environment and the economy.

Out of 143 relevant targets, UKSSD found that the UK is performing well on 24% (green), with 57% where there are gaps in policy coverage or performance is not adequate (amber), and 15% where there is little or no policy in place to address the target or the performance is poor (red).

Over 100 organisations worked together to produce the report, with the production of each Goal chapter led by organisations with expertise in the subject. Their initial research was reviewed and added to by others before being captured in the final summary chapter.

UKSSD has called for leadership from the Government supported by cross-sector action from businesses, charities and people to ensure the UK achieves the SDGs as quickly as possible.

UKSSD network director Emily Auckland has said that the SDGs offer the opportunity “to create a new social contract between government and citizens, to address systemic problems in a coherent way, and to create a culture of collaboration and partnership with stakeholders in the UK”. The UKSSD report will be a crucial step in generating this partnership and helping to build momentum and support for the goals in the UK.

Measuring Up confirms that the UK will face challenges in achieving many of the goals targets. On pressing issues such as poverty and hunger reduction, safe and affordable housing and sustainable consumption and production, the gulf between the ­targets and the reality remain stark.  Measuring Up includes –wide ranging and challenging actions, if we are to meet the 2030 deadline. UKSSD and its stakeholders have done something that has never been done before, perhaps reflecting the fact that in an increasingly unpredictable world, people and most governments want faster and more visible progress. Despite being a global agenda, the implementation of the goals implies nationally adaptable, resource conserving policies and activities carefully tailored to the ­cultural uniqueness of each part of the country. Change Agents UK, has been proud to be a partner in this national process and will be seeking ways it can help support those seeking careers in the public and private sector that reflect, embed and enact the global goals.