The Sustainable Development Goals Policy Briefs highlight a hotspot of environmental change. The evidence provided builds on the scientific data and information hosted on the World Environment Situation Room and is complemented by stories from the regions.
Readers may find out what is happening to their changing environment and the consequences of everyday choices; and think about future directions for policy in the framework of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The Briefs provide information on the: Selected topic; Achieving the 2030 Agenda; Facts and figures; Initiatives on the ground
Oceans: Marine pollution:
The Sustainable Development Goals Policy Briefs highlight a hotspot of environmental change. The evidence provided builds on the scientific data and information hosted on the online platform Environment Live and is complemented by stories collected around the world. Readers may find out what is happening to their changing environment and the consequences of everyday choices; and think about future directions for policy in the framework of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Gender and Environment: Empowering Rural Women:
The Sustainable Development Goals Policy Briefs highlight key issues identified in the Sustainable Development Goals and show how they matter to development decision makers and practitioners. The evidence provided builds on the scientific data and information hosted on Environment Live and is complemented by stories from Regions and Countries. This Brief highlights the important link between women and men’s access to land, natural resources and biodiversity.
Global Biodiversity Loss:
Biodiversity loss is caused by a range of different pressures, from habitat loss due to agricultural expansion, pollution or desertification to invasive alien species and climate change. At the root of every issue is one common thread: the unsustainable use of land and resources.
Fresh water under threat:
Freshwater ecosystems such as lakes and rivers are primarily affected by over-extraction, dumping of waste, discharge of wastewater and climate change. These ecosystems are essential for human health, biodiversity, and the functioning of other ecosystems on land and at sea. They provide important goods and services and are necessary for the replenishment and purification of water resources. By covering the entire water cycle and addressing the sustainability of water and sanitation access by focusing on the quality, availability and management of freshwater resources, SDG 6 acknowledges these links.
Lifecycle Approaches to Waste:
Waste is generated at a massive and growing rate but is not always managed appropriately, leading to greenhouse gas emissions, pollution, and health hazards. With ongoing population growth and rapid urbanization, the optimization of waste systems is critical. Fortunately, this presents a tremendous opportunity to recover valuable resources and create employment, while mitigating these negative impacts.
Sustainable Food systems and Food security:
Food loss and waste occurs along the entire food chain. Food loss is the decrease in quantity or quality of food, while food waste refers to discarding or non-food use of food set for human consumption. Unsustainable farming, storage and distribution processes, lack of consumer awareness coupled with environmental factors such as climate change and natural disasters continue to escalate the challenges on food security.
Innovative solutions for the environmental dimension of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development:
The global environmental governance framework is not keeping pace with the rate of change that is driving environmental degradation and climate change. Innovative solutions are required to accelerate the transition towards sustainable societies and achieve the development pathway set out in Agenda 2030. Innovation is required to better monitor the state of the environment and understand the drivers, for improved data collection, sharing, and analysis to assess progress towards the SDGs.
Closing data gaps is essential to achieving the environmental dimension of the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development:
A significant lack of data has corresponded to a lack of investment toward achieving the environmental dimension of the SDGs. Currently, 68% of the environment-related SDGs do not have sufficient data at the global level to assess progress. If current trends continue, the world is on track to meet only 17% of the environment-related SDGs.
