Today is the 3rd anniversary of the adoption of the 2030 Agenda and the Global Day of Action to #Act4SDGs.

SDG Watch Europe, and a coalition of civil society organisations, today launch the “Manifesto for a Sustainable Europe for its Citizens”

The manifesto outlines core demands which will put Europe on the road to meeting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The document will challenge the new political leadership of the EU and the candidates in the European Elections 2019 – as the current Commission has failed to put Sustainable Development at the core of its political priorities.

The 2030 Agenda should be the compass for all European policies – and provide a positive vision for the people of Europe for a sustainable future.

SDG Watch Europe is a broad alliance of NGOs from various sectors including development, environment, social and human rights. The aim of the coalition is to advocate for the ambitious implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

You can view the manifesto here and organisations can also add their support.

Today a public action took place to mark the launch and the anniversary in Parc Leopold. Click here to view the pictures.

Patrizia Heidegger, Director for Global Policies and Sustainability, European Environmental Bureau, said:

“Three years after the international community agreed on the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs, President Juncker still refuses to bring himself to even mention sustainability or the Global Goals. We call on the future political leaders of the EU to bring sustainable development to the heart of policy-making at the European Union and Member State level and to develop – in a participatory process with civil society – a strategy for a Sustainable Europe 2030 to become the compass for all European policies.”

Jagoda Munic, Director of Friends of the Earth Europe said:

“At the moment too much of the debate about the future of Europe is stuck in the question of ‘more or less EU?’. We need to move the conversation on to ‘what kind of Europe do we want?’. That is why civil society organisations have developed this manifesto with 12 demands for a sustainable Europe. We expect that hundreds of national and European groups will support it, and we demand that the new parliament makes a sustainable Europe a reality for all citizens.”

Ingo Ritz, Director of Global Call to Action Against Poverty (GCAP):

“Today, half a million people in over 1058 places in 131 countries all over the world are raising their voices under the banner of #ACT4SDGs, organizing and calling on world leaders to work for sustainable development for people and planet. The people demand from governments and parliaments to act. Since the European Commission hasn’t acted so far, we are addressing the European Parliament. The EU has a key responsibility – it must ensure that all its policies from trade to consumption and production support the SDGs.”

ENDS