Co-op News October 2019: Sustainable Development

CO-OPS & THE
SDGs
“The 2030 Agenda is coming to life”, said UN
Chief António Guterres on 24 September, referring
to the blueprint for a healthier planet and a more
just world, as he opened the first Sustainable
Development Goals (SDG) Summit in New York. But
he warned that, despite progress, “we must step up
our efforts. Now”.
When the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development and its 17 Sustainable Development
Goals (SDGs) was launched four years ago, co-ops
were excited. This was our arena. Our values and
principles are aligned with the aims of creating a
better world. Democracy, independence, education
and concern for communities are co-op values
which support and underpin a number of the SDGs,
from zero hunger (SDG #2) and quality education
(#4) to gender equality (#5), decent work and
economic growth (#8), reduced inequalities (#10)
and responsible consumption and production (#12).
Members of the International Cooperative
Alliance (ICA) rallied to show their solidarity and
commitment to this new global development policy,
resulting in Coops for 2030 – an online platform
for co-ops to learn about the SDGs, make pledges
to help achieve them and track their progress. And
there have been some phenomenal successes.
But September’s UN meeting came with a stark
warning. Mr Guterres said that while the progress
made on some of the agenda aims was welcome
– such as an end to extreme poverty and hunger,
a low carbon economy, peaceful and just societies,
and human rights for all – the world is set to miss
the deadline. Deadly conflicts, the climate crisis
and gender-based violence shoulder some of the
blame, he said, as should persistent inequality:
“Half the wealth around the world is held by people
who could fit around a conference table and, at
the current pace, almost 500 million people could
remain in extreme poverty by 2030.”
To tackle this, the UN chief called for global
action in areas such as conflict prevention,
development finance, and the climate crisis; local
action to make a difference in people’s lives; and
building up partnerships that include civil society,
media, the private sector, academia and others.
And he welcomed the adoption of the Summit’s
political declaration, “Gearing up for a Decade of
Action and Delivery for Sustainable Development”,
which calls for enhanced action to achieve the
Goals. Member states pledge to mobilise financing,
enhance national implementation and strengthen
institutions to achieve the objectives of the Agenda,
and leave no one behind.
How can co-ops respond to this? The agenda of the
ICA’s Global Conference, held in Rwanda this month
(13-17 October), is underpinned by discussions
around the SDGs. But as the incoming President
of the UN General Assembly, Tijjani Muhammed-
Bande, told UN delegates: “It is necessary to think
of new ways of accelerating SDGs action for those
that are still behind ... Progress is largely uneven
within and across countries and regions.” One
suggestion was to deepen partnerships, both to
“unlock the trillions of dollars needed to finance
the SDGs” and to “solve challenges”.
The declaration stated the need for “international
cooperation” and “enhancing the global
partnership”, recognising that the integrated
nature of the SDGs requires a global response.
It is this partnership work, this co-operation,
where co-operatives should be thriving. Over the
next few pages we hear about the role education
has to play this, and we speak to some of the key
voices who will be discussing the SDGs at the ICA
event. Sustainable development is still the arena
for co-ops.
But we have to do it bigger, better and faster, with
more trust and with more co-operation.
• By Rebecca Harvey
38 | OCTOBER 2019