Minister Ryan launches Sustainable Development Goals Week 2022

• Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aim to 'end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity'

The Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications has launched Ireland's first annual Sustainable Development Goals Week . It runs from today (20 September) until 26 September and forms part of the wider European Sustainable Development Week (ESDW), which is taking part in 23 countries across Europe.

Sustainable Development Goals Week marks the anniversary of the day the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) were agreed. The week comprises activities to celebrate and raise awareness of these goals.

The Sustainable Development Goals are a plan of action for the people, the planet and for prosperity. The aim is to deliver a more sustainable, prosperous and peaceful future for the entire world. As the Goals belong to everyone, anyone can participate in Sustainable Development Goals Week by organising or taking part in an event.

Speaking about the launch of Sustainable Development Goals Week, the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Eamon Ryan TD, said:

"This summer of extreme weather has magnified for us again the intrinsic link between climate, food security, health, livelihoods and life chances. The Sustainable Development Goals are not just some aspirational list, they are the fundamental standards we have to meet if we are to survive and thrive as an entire globe.

"I am delighted to announce the launch of this new annual week of action for the Sustainable Development Goals and I encourage everyone to get involved - to know more about them and to understand how our actions now can shape our future. We all have a stake in how our world develops. I also look forward to publishing a new National Implementation Plan for the Sustainable Development Goals early next month."

There are many interesting and exciting initiatives and events happening across Ireland during Sustainable Development Goals Week. For further information, or to register for an event, please visit https://esdw.eu/country/ireland/. For more information on Sustainable Development Goals Week and how to take part please visit this link:www.gov.ie/sdgs.

ENDS

Notes to the Editor

Transforming Our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

On 25 September 2015, Transforming Our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was adopted at the United Nations. Ireland co-led the 2030 Agenda negotiations alongside Kenya. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which aim to 'end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity'. are an integral part of Agenda 2030.

The Sustainable Development Goals cover the three dimensions of sustainable development: economic growth, social inclusion and protection of the environment. They are universal in application and aim to address inequalities, economic growth, decent jobs, cities and human settlements, industrialization, oceans, ecosystems, energy, climate change, sustainable consumption and production, and peace and justice.

Agenda 2030 is voluntary and not legally binding, but every country has agreed to implement the Sustainable Development Goals and every country is expected to develop a national framework setting out how they will be achieved. Ireland supports the UN Secretary General's manifesto in Our Common Agenda, and his call to 'turbocharge' the Sustainable Development Goals.

Ireland's approach to the implementation of the SDGs

Ireland has adopted a whole-of-government approach to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) implementation, with overall political oversight provided through the Cabinet. The Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications has responsibility for promoting the Sustainable Development Goals, and for overseeing their coherent implementation across Government.

A new National Implementation Plan for the Sustainable Development Goals is due to be published in early October. It will set out Ireland's Sustainable Development Goals governance and implementation strategy for 2022-2024.

Two public consultation processes were held during the development of the plan. The initial one was held over the summer of 2021 and reached over 5,000 individuals. The actions developed for inclusion in the plan were developed in direct response to the input received from the consultation process. A final round of consultation was subsequently launched in May 2022 to provide an opportunity for feedback on the draft plan. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) National Stakeholder Forum was also relaunched and a meeting held on 2 June 2022 to provide an additional mechanism for input.

Sustainable Development Goals Week

Ireland's first Sustainable Development Goals Week is taking place this year on 20-26 September to promote sustainable development and to raise awareness of and engagement with the Sustainable Development Goals.

The week forms part of the wider European Sustainable Development Week (ESDW) which is an initiative to facilitate the organisation of activities that promote sustainable development and make these efforts visible on a common platform. The ESDW aims to raise awareness for the 2030 Agenda in Europe and calls upon local stakeholders to actively engage with sustainable development, in general, and the Sustainable Development Goals, in particular.

As of 20th September 2022, 4,661 events have been registered in 23 European countries. For the most up-to-date news see this link: News ESDW.