2030 Goals for A Sustainable Future

2030 Goals for A Sustainable Future
The world is rapidly changing, and due to this change, sustainability is no longer an option, but a necessity. As issues such as climate change, rapid depletion of resources, and environmental pollution threaten our future, finding solutions to these problems is more urgent than ever.

The United Nations’ member countries and world leaders agreed on 17 Global Goals in 2015, in order to advance on three key areas by 2030. Ending extreme poverty, fighting inequality and injustice, fighting climate change. Consisting of 17 ambitious and interlinked goals, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aim to resolve the key issues faced by people across the world today.

At this point, 2025 comes across as a critical turning point in terms of SDGs. In 2025, we start a five-year countdown in order to reach Sustainable Development Goals and enter into the 10th anniversary of the Paris Agreement regarding climate change. Both incidents are significant reminders, emphasizing the need for accelerating and expanding critical development solutions.

However, individual efforts of people are not enough by themselves; the steps to be taken by the governments and institutions play a determinant role in reaching these goals.

In this post, we will provide a comprehensive analysis of the roles and responsibilities of institutions and governments in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

What is Sustainability?
Sustainability refers to taking action to meet the needs of the present day without compromising the needs of the future generations. This concept is dealt with on three main levels: environmental, economic, and social. Environmental sustainability aims to protect natural resources, and balancing ecosystems while economic sustainability is directed at ensuring efficient utilization of sustainable resources and long-term growth. And social sustainability prioritizes ensuring social equality and welfare.
​Click here to read our post ‘What is Sustainability?’
Importance of Sustainability for Our Future
Sustainability is not only an environmentally friendly ideal, but also a necessity for our survival. Issues such as increased carbon emissions, drought, deforestation, and biological diversity loss, directly affect our quality of life. The United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) provide a global road map to resolve these issues. Achieving these goals by 2030 will be an important step in the resolution of these problems.
Why is 2025 Significant for Development Goals?
In 2025, the 10th anniversary of Sustainable Development Goals and COP21 Paris Climate Change Agreement as well as the 30th anniversary of Beijing Declaration and Women’s Rights Action Platform is being celebrated. As such, this year is significant in terms of refocusing on our efforts to leave no man behind as the key principle for achieving sustainable development, ensuring global peace and welfare as well as gender equality, using technology and innovation for the benefit of the public, and taking concrete steps to invest in the resources needed to guarantee our future.
Fighting Climate Change: Climate change is one of the biggest threats to sustainable development. Protecting the limit of 1.5°C as indicated in the Paris Climate Agreement has an important place among 2025 goals. To achieve this, we must accelerate the process of transitioning to renewable energy, reduce fossil fuel utilization, and adopt carbon zero goals. For example, the European Union aims to reduce carbon emissions by 55% by 2025. This necessitates a rise in investments in renewable energy and a swift advancement of energy efficiency initiatives.
Conservation of Natural Resources: Conservation of natural resources is one of the keystones of sustainability goals. By the year 2025, the objectives include halting deforestation and rehabilitating ecosystems. Countries such as Brazil plan to take more strict measures to prevent losses in Amazon Forests. In Türkiye, it is anticipated that campaigns for reforestation and initiatives aimed at safeguarding water resources will be implemented.
Transitioning to a Circular Economy: Circular economy refers to an economic model in which resources are reused, and wastes are minimized. The aims to achieve by 2025 include increasing recycling rates and expanding zero waste policies. Reducing plastic usage and strengthening recycling infrastructure will particularly play a critical role in this process. Some countries in Europe aim to recycle 70% of all their packaging waste.
Social Equity and Inclusiveness: Sustainability is not only an environmental matter, but also a social issue. Decreasing income inequality, increasing women’s participation in the work force, and expanding access to education are among 2025 goals. For example, the United Nations plans to reduce global poverty rate, you can check out here to learn more about this program.
Why is Individual Responsibility Inadequate?
Most of the time, individuals are encumbered with a big responsibility in the issues concerning sustainability. Consume less water, take care of recycling, save energy. However, individual efforts are not adequate for a wide scale change. The main driving force of sustainability consists of policy changes of the governments, supply chain management of big companies, and energy policies. For example, individual effort’s impact is shadowed when a textile company consumes millions of liters of water per day while a person saves water.
You can check our post titled ‘Climate Crisis and Roles of Individuals’ for detailed information about this subject.
What is the Role of Governments?
Governments’ actions to implement the laws and incentives required to achieve sustainability goals are critical in this sense. What is critical in this process is to shift national energy policies towards renewable energy resources, encourage eco-friendly transportation systems, and improve waste management systems. Türkiye has made significant progress in these sectors; however, there remains a necessity for more comprehensive energy and transportation policies.
Steps to Take to Reach SDGs
• Innovative Technologies and R&D Investments: Clean energy technologies, carbon capture systems, and smart city practices play a significant role in achieving sustainability goals. For example, using carbon capture and storage technologies, Norway managed to significantly reduce carbon emissions. Investing in this kind of technology can create a big difference in achieving global goals.
• Sustainable Cities: Smart cities have great potential in terms of energy efficiency and environmental protection. Electric vehicle charging stations, green buildings, and eco-friendly public transportation systems are among the leading sustainable city applications. For example, Amsterdam plans to completely transition to electric buses by 2025.
For more information about smart cities, you can check our blog post here.
• Financial Support and Investments: Green financing models play a critical role in implementing sustainable projects. Government incentives and international funding mechanisms facilitate investing in sustainable development projects. Funds allocated by the World Bank for green projects become prominent as an important resource to achieve SDGs.
For more information about green economy, you can check our blog post here.
Current Challenges and Solution Suggestions
Policies which focus on short-term gains undermine sustainability goals. Furthermore, economic crises and political instability make it challenging to achieve these goals. To resolve this, it is required to adopt long-term plans and enhance international cooperation.
The success of sustainability goals depends on the adoption of these goals by the public. Education, media, and non-governmental organizations have a significant role in this process. Increasing awareness among younger generations can significantly aid in the attainment of these goals.
What About the Responsibilities of Brands and Corporations?
We have entered an era where international competition is increasingly influenced by sustainability. The EU Green Deal and Paris Climate Agreement are among the international developments which necessitate a transformation in the business world. Thus, companies must promptly incorporate sustainability into their strategies to remain competitive in the global market.
Brands and big companies are obliged to meet their responsibilities in order to ensure a sustainable future. Brands, especially those in sectors that have a big impact on the environment, have to transition into more eco-friendly business models. Investing in technologies that reduce carbon emissions, adopting sustainable supply chain policies, and using recycled materials, are among the key steps that should be taken in this process. Furthermore, it is also critical for the companies to conduct public awareness campaigns and offer products and services that prioritize sustainability. Brands operating in the energy and production sectors should prioritize the reduction of environmentally harmful production processes and embrace the principles of a circular economy.
Big companies should act more responsibly in terms of reducing their environmental impacts. Achieving sustainability goals seems to be impossible as long as the private sector does not contribute to the process. Big companies should prioritize reduction of carbon footprint, transition to renewable energy resources, and sustainable supply chain practices.
What We Do at Enerjisa?
At Enerjisa, we are actively engaging in the development of a sustainable future. Increasing renewable energy resources, investing in projects that encourage energy efficiency, and pioneering the technologies that minimize carbon emissions are not only considered goals, but also responsibilities. We support individuals and corporations to reduce their carbon footprints by offering eco-friendly energy solutions. We safeguard not only the needs of the present day, but also of future generations by sustaining our efforts to implement environmentally sensitive energy policies.
The SENTRUM Project and Sustainable Tourism
Sustainable tourism is critical to protect environmental, economic and cultural resources. According to the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), tourism industry is responsible for approximately 8% of global carbon emissions. Thus, adoption of a sustainability approach in tourism ensures both mitigation of the negative impacts on the environment and a healthier development for local economies.
The SENTRUM Project is an innovative initiative that comes to the fore in this sense. With our project implemented first at Küçükköy, Ayvalık, then Birgi Village in Ödemiş, we aim to encourage a sustainable tourism approach both for protection of natural resources, and economic development of the local people. The SENTRUM Project, developed in line with the criteria of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), stands out with eco-friendly transportation solutions, infrastructures providing energy savings, and a model supporting local producers. The SENTRUM Project not only mitigates tourism’s negative impacts on the environment but also creates a more conscious tourism philosophy by raising public awareness. This kind of project plays a critical role in achieving sustainable development goals and contribute to building a more habitable world for the future generations.
A More Sustainable World
2025 is a significant milestone in our journey towards a sustainable future, and we only have five years left to achieve 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. Achieving these objectives will require not only the efforts of individuals but also the implementation of extensive policies and initiatives by governments and the business sector. Each step taken in areas, such as conservation of natural resources, fight against climate change, ensuring social equity and welfare, is critical in the journey towards building a more habitable world. Therefore, the time to act is now!