Policy information
Sustainable Development Goals
From Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications
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In September 2015, UN Member States adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development ("Transforming our World"). The 2030 Agenda is a plan of action for people, planet and prosperity and applies to both developed and developing countries. The focus of the 2030 Agenda is the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and their respective 169 sub-targets.
The SDGs cover ambitions such as:
- an end to poverty
- sustainable economic development
- protection of the environment
- access to health and education services
- gender equality
- peaceful societies
- decent work
Ireland played a central role in the development of the SDGs. Our then Ambassador to the UN, Mr David Donoghue, and the Kenyan Ambassador Macharia Kamau were appointed co-facilitators of the final phase of intergovernmental negotiations.
The agreement of the 2030 Agenda and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change made 2015 a landmark year in international cooperation towards a sustainable world, and the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications (DECC) plays a key role in both agendas.
The 2030 Agenda encourages countries to integrate the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into planning and policy, on both a national and international level. As a whole-of-government initiative overseen by DECC, all Ministers retain responsibility for implementing the individual SDGs relating to their Departments.
As part of our oversight role, DECC was assigned responsibility for developing the SDG National Implementation Plans. The Plans set out arrangements for interdepartmental coordination, stakeholder engagement and periodic progress reporting on all 169 targets. The first Sustainable Development Goals National Implementation Plan was published in 2018. The second Plan, which will include a progress report on the first Plan, is due to be published in 2021.
A Senior Officials’ Group (SOG) on the SDGs, including senior representatives from all government departments, provides strategic coordination and reports, as required, to Cabinet. This Group is chaired by the Department of the Taoiseach, with support from DECC. The SOG is assisted by the SDG Interdepartmental Working Group (IDWG), chaired by DECC. They are responsible for developing national policy in relation to SDGs, supporting policy coherency across the Goals, preparing Ireland’s periodic SDG reports, and organising arrangements of stakeholder engagement.
The SDG Policy Map and Matrix enhances the ability of stakeholders to track Ireland’s implementation of specific SDGs and associated targets. It also supports and enhances cross-Government engagement in implementing each of the Goals and Targets.
The SDG Policy Map is intended to remain a living document and was last updated on 13 May 2021.
The UN High-level Political Forum (HLPF) is responsible for the follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda at international level. The HLPF meets annually in the UN headquarters in New York and features inputs from national governments, intergovernmental bodies, relevant UN agencies, civil society and other stakeholders.
Countries are encouraged to review implementation of the SDGs regularly and present Voluntary National Reviews (VNR), which Ireland has committed to doing every four years. Ireland presented our first VNR at the HLPF in 2018 and we are due to present again in 2022.
The SDG Champions programme was established to raise public awareness of the SDGs through partnership and promotion. The Champions, through their organisational practices, illustrate ways in which organisations and individuals can contribute to achieving the SDGs. The initiative has been successful in raising awareness of the SDGs across different communities and groups with many of the Champions focusing on Goal specific areas.
The 2019/2020 SDG Champion organisations had their tenure extended by six months until the end of Q2 2021 in order to offset the impact COVID-19 has had on their year.
A fundamental feature of the 2030 Agenda is the inclusive and active voice stakeholders have had in the negotiation, adoption and fulfilment of the SDGs.
To facilitate this, a commitment under the first Plan was to establish a National SDG Stakeholder Forum to inform further development of the national SDG framework and to provide a mechanism for stakeholders from all sectors to discuss and workshop innovative ideas and solutions for achieving the SDGs in Ireland.
While the Forum generally holds a number of meetings each year, COVID-19 resulted in the planned SDG Forum meetings for 2020 to be deferred. It is expected that the next meeting of the SDG Stakeholder Forum will be arranged virtually.
