Planet under Pressure

POLITICAL LESSONS
sustainability is defined by three dimensions:
climate, environment, and social.
The Commission is currently working
on a methodology for sustainabilityproofing
against these three dimensions
of projects that are supported under
InvestEU. Moreover, the Commission is
fully committed to implementing the
European Pillar of Social Rights during
our mandate, which runs until 2024.
The Pillar is our compass for action
with respect to social issues. We have
already adopted a number of proposals
to strengthen the EU’s social dimension:
from gender equality to youth employment
and re- and upskilling. All of these
will play an important role in cushioning
the negative social consequences of this
crisis, including among the young. We
must do everything to prevent another
lost generation.
Many of the sustainability successes achieved
over the last years could fall victim to the crisis.
This is problematic because now is the time to
act. We need a (new) global strategy to “Leave
no one behind.” What do you recommend doing
to support UN Secretary-General António
Guterres’ “decade of action”?
We are confronted with the need to both
restart the economy and save jobs and
livelihoods, and accelerate our progress
toward sustainability in all its dimensions.
It is perfectly possible – indeed
indispensable – to not merely rebuild,
but to build back better. I stand firmly
behind the idea of a green and inclusive
recovery, whereby we seize this opportunity
to invest in skills, projects, and
reforms for a more sustainable future.
The Green Deal and the European Pillar
of Social Rights are our guides in
doing so. We will channel funds into
activities that will help us accelerate the
twin green and digital transitions, while
leaving no one behind. Our proposals are
commensurate with this ambition. Our
recently adopted strategy for integrating
and decarbonizing energy systems and
our hydrogen strategy, which aims to
further develop and upscale this clean
energy source, are cases in point. We
can only accelerate our progress toward
the SDGs if we act decisively and immediately,
drawing on the lessons learned
from the crisis.
Do we have to redefine the scope, significance,
and priorities of the SDGs?
I believe the framework of the 2030
Agenda for Sustainable Development
with its 17 SDGs is as relevant today as
when it was adopted in 2015. It covers all
of the elements that constitute our life on
this planet and shows how all spheres of
human activity – environmental, social,
and economic – are interrelated. The
current crisis has further highlighted
that fact. What we need now – in view
of the 2030 milestone as well as our
pledge to reach climate neutrality by
2050 – is to turn our attention firmly
to implementation. We have a wealth of
information on what the concrete challenges
are and a wealth of knowledge on
how to solve them. What we need is the
political willingness to act on all levels of
governance. Since the beginning of my
mandate as Commissioner, I have been
taking concrete steps to achieve the SDGs:
This year, we have integrated them into
the European Semester and will take
this exercise further in the coming years.
All of the deliverables of this Commission
contribute to achieving the SDGs.
Every Commissioner is responsible for
implementing the SDGs in their policy
area, while we are all jointly responsible
for implementing the 2030 Agenda in
its entirety. I can assure you that we are
taking this very seriously.
The pandemic is a taste of what is to come if
we do not rethink a world where nature is not
exploited. In this regard, how can national policies
and enforcement efforts be strengthened to
address habitat and biodiversity loss?
Partnerships for goals are an important
element of SDG implementation, which
is why, under my watch, we have been
actively engaging with civil society representatives
and other external stakeholders
to exchange views and learn from
their on-the-ground experiences. The
implementation necessarily happens
at the national, regional, and local levels,
while our role is to coordinate >>
Global Goals Yearbook 2020
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