Without action on global inequality countries won’t achieve a set of UN goals that aim to end poverty and protect the planet – the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). That’s the warning from a new campaign launched today from 25 organisations from across Europe, including the European Environmental Bureau (EEB).

The European Environmental Bureau (EEB) is Europe’s largest network of environmental citizens’ organisations with around 140 organisations in more than 30 countries.

The 17 SDGS were adopted in 2015 and global leaders committed to achieving them by 2030 [1].

Patrizia Heidegger, Director of Global Policies and Sustainability at the European Environmental Bureau, said:

“We need policies and laws that aim to make our societies inclusive for women, children, different ethnic groups, and marginalised people, and for EU citizens to become agents of change in their own communities. If political leaders don’t tackle the inequalities that arise as a result of the huge environmental and social injustices facing our world then the Sustainable Development Goals will be meaningless.”

The campaign was launched [2] at the European Development Days – a special two-day conference on sustainable development hosted by the European Commission which was attended by UN Deputy-Secretary General Amina Mohammed.

The campaign is part of the Make Europe Sustainable For All project [3] which brings together NGOs that work on social issues, supporting farmers, stopping climate change, protecting the environment, defending women’s rights, young people, & gender equality, supporting fair trade, development, global justice, & workers’ rights.

ENDS

Notes to editors:

[1] While EU governments pledged to promote and implement the SDG principle of ‘Leave No One Behind’ by 2030, in all EU countries there are still stark inequalities linked to gender, poverty, tax injustice, and climate change. These inequalities hinder sustainable development, and women and girls in particular face even greater obstacles when it comes to reaching their full potential and making their voices heard.

[2] The #FightInequalities stand in the EDD global village features an interactive live game where participants can take ‘17 steps towards equality’. Depicting all of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the game walks the players through various stories about how inequality affects people’s everyday lives – in Europe and beyond. This way, players will learn more about a wide spectrum of inequalities covering all aspects of sustainable development, with a particular emphasis on inequalities faced by women & girls, on voicing the need for equal opportunities, on promoting social, economic & political inclusion and on highlighting that making SDGs happen is in the interests of all of us.

[3] The ‘Make Europe Sustainable For All’ project is funded under the European Commission’s Development education and awareness raising (DEAR) programme. It is a 3-year cross-sectoral project run by 25 partners from across 15 European countries. Its aim is to promote ambitious implementation of the SDGs by and in the EU. The project integrates gender, climate, and migration issues into 3 focused campaigns on equality, sustainable farming, and changing consumption and production patterns.