Basics of Sustainability

Take this short quiz to find out how well you know about the basics of sustainability.
 

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Q. 1 What does 'sustainable' mean?

Answer Detail: Paragraph 27 of the report titled 'Our Common Future' issued by the World Commission on Environment and Development reads: “Humanity has the ability to make development sustainable to ensure that it meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. The concept of sustainable development does imply limits - not absolute limits but limitations imposed by the present state of technology and social organization on environmental resources and by the ability of the biosphere to absorb the effects of human activities....”
 

Q. 2 As per the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, who are the people 'left behind'?

Answer Detail: Section 1.4.1 of the Global Sustainable Development Report (2016), published by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs states “there is generally broad agreement that people (or households) who do not have access to certain rights, goods or services are “left behind”. Such sets of “must haves” and the corresponding thresholds defining deprivation are often enshrined in national law and practice. Many of them are also inscribed in international law and standards. In practice, those left behind may be different groups in different societies.”
 

Q. 3 How are Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) described in the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development?

Answer Detail: Paragraph 55 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development adopted by the Member States of the United Nations states: “The Sustainable Development Goals and targets are integrated and indivisible, global in nature and universally applicable, taking into account different national realities, capacities and levels of development and respecting national policies and priorities. Targets are defined as aspirational and global, with each government setting its own national targets guided by the global level of ambition but taking into account national circumstances. Each government will also decide how these aspirational and global targets should be incorporated in national planning processes, policies and strategies. It is important to recognize the link between sustainable development and other relevant ongoing processes in the economic, social and environmental fields.”
 

Q. 4 Do the Voluntary National Reviews of the SDGs fall exclusively in the domain of governments?

Answer Detail: The Handbook for the Preparation of the Voluntary National Review prepared by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs points out: “One of the founding principles of the 2030 Agenda is the requirement for all implementation and follow-up processes to be participatory and inclusive, including all levels and sectors of government, civil society and the private sector, members of parliament national human rights institutions, among others. This participation and consultation build wider societal ownership of the 2030 Agenda. The 2030 Agenda has a revitalized partnership for sustainable development at its core, and stakeholders are recognized as valuable partners in implementing the goals and raising public awareness. Stakeholders have been actively engaged throughout the process of design, implementation, monitoring and review of the 2030 Agenda at all levels in many countries around the world.

The participation of stakeholders promotes effective decisions, by giving groups affected by those decisions the opportunity to communicate their needs and interests and support governments in tailoring, implementing and reviewing public policies. Participation and consultation also build ownership of the 2030 Agenda, and therefore contributes to a whole-of-society approach to the implementation of the SDGs. The 2030 Agenda calls upon stakeholders to be actively engaged throughout the process of design, implementation, monitoring and review of the 2030 Agenda.”
 

Q. 5 What is the relevance of education for sustainable development?

Answer Detail: The publication titled Education for Sustainable Development: Learning Objectives launched by UNESCO affirms that Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) “..aims at developing competencies that empower individuals to reflect on their own actions, taking into account their current and future social, cultural, economic and environmental impacts, from a local and a global perspective. Individuals should also be empowered to act in complex situations in a sustainable manner, which may require them to strike out in new directions; and to participate in socio-political processes, moving their societies towards sustainable development.”