Why we need the UNs sustainable development goals

The author advocates for the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a successor to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). While the MDGs focused on extreme poverty and disease, the SDGs are framed as a necessary 'compass' to integrate economic prosperity, social inclusion, environmental sustainability, and good governance. The text emphasizes that the scale of the global economy is creating an unprecedented environmental crisis and calls for a short, manageable list of goals that hold all nations accountable, specifically highlighting the importance of 2015 diplomacy including COP21.

• The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) expand upon the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by maintaining the fight against extreme poverty while adding objectives for environmental sustainability and equitable economic growth, specifically targeting the mitigation of human-induced climate change.
• Sustainable development is presented as a framework based on four essential pillars: economic prosperity, social inclusion and cohesion, environmental sustainability, and good governance by both governments and multinational companies.
• The author identifies 2015 as a critical year for global diplomacy, citing three major summits: the Financing for Development summit in Addis Ababa (July), the adoption of the SDGs in New York (September), and the COP21 climate change conference in Paris (December).
• To ensure the success of the SDGs, the author recommends that the list of goals remain short (no more than 10), that all governments regardless of wealth be held accountable for implementation, and that expert groups be mobilized to address specific technical challenges such as resilient cities, universal health coverage, and low-carbon energy.

APA

Sachs, J. (2014). Why we need the UNs sustainable development goals. World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/stories/climate-action/sustainable-development-goals-jeffrey-sachs/

Chicago

Sachs, Jeffrey. Why we need the UNs sustainable development goals. World Economic Forum, 2014. https://www.weforum.org/stories/climate-action/sustainable-development-goals-jeffrey-sachs/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Sachs |first1=Jeffrey |title=Why we need the UNs sustainable development goals |publisher=World Economic Forum |date=24 September 2014 |url=https://www.weforum.org/stories/climate-action/sustainable-development-goals-jeffrey-sachs/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{sachs2014why, author = {Sachs, Jeffrey}, title = {{Why we need the UNs sustainable development goals}}, publisher = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2014}, month = sep, url = {https://www.weforum.org/stories/climate-action/sustainable-development-goals-jeffrey-sachs/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }