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What is sustainability?
According to the United Nations, sustainability is meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
The SDGS and why they are important
The sustainable development goals, also known as the global goals, are a set of 17 interconnected global goals intended to serve as a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and in the future. They were set up in 2015 by the United Nations general assembly and are intended to be achieved by 2030. Some of the goals are as follows: no poverty, zero hunger, good health and well-being, quality education, gender equality, clean water and sanitation, and affordable and clean energy.
The SDGs are important because not only do they promote equal opportunities for women, but they also emphasize environmental concerns and encourage taking climate action. Overall, they raise awareness within global parties and continue to push countries to work together to create a more equal and sustainable world.
How to contribute
Firstly, it is important to understand that our choices have a big impact on the environment. Our everyday actions impact sustainability through pollution, waste, climate change, etc Therefore we play a big role in making the environment more sustainable. One way to increase sustainability is to eat more sustainable foods. Sustainable food is food that contributes to thriving local economies, protects biodiversity, and avoids wasting natural resources. High food miles contribute to global warming because of the long duration taken to transport the food. So, people should consider picking locally sourced organic food in order to reduce their ecological footprint. In addition, food security is one of the world's main issues and 1.6 billion tonnes of food is wasted daily. We should try to reduce the amount of food we waste in our households and try to only buy what we definitely need.
Secondly, we can incorporate energy-efficient practices in our households. Things such as turning off the lights after a specific time, using renewable energy sources like wind power, and, using LED lighting as an alternative can help reduce our energy footprint.
Another way to be more sustainable is to recycle. Recycling reduces the amount of waste being transferred to landfills and helps save trees, ecosystems, and decreases the need for extraction.
Furthermore, people should consider dressing more sustainably. Buying clothes that are ethically produced or supporting environmentally friendly brands are things that go a long way and make a big difference as the fashion industry has a lot of environmental impacts.
Stakeholders also have a role to play in supporting consumers to create a more sustainable society. For example, Tesco puts a huge emphasis on providing customers with a healthy, sustainable diet to look after the planet. They do this without compromising taste and thus this encourages consumers to eat healthier and choose sustainable alternatives.
In conclusion, we can become more sustainable by simply changing little things in our lifestyles and by keeping up with the changes in the environment. A little goes a long way, so the main focus is to work together.
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