18 October 2018
Partners Launch Good Life Goals to Encourage Personal SDG Action
Photo by IISD/ENB | Kiara Worth
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The global change agency Futerra in partnership with the 10YFP Sustainable Lifestyles and Education programme, UNEP, WBCSD and UNESCO have launched the Good Life Goals, a communication and educational tool to engage the global public in the SDGs.

The project proposes five actions that people can take to have tangible impact on each SDGs.

25 September 2018: The 10-Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns (10YFP) Sustainable Lifestyles and Education programme, along with the global change agency Futerra, the UN Environment Programme, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), and the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) have launched the Good Life Goals, which outline personal actions that anyone can take to support the SDGs. The project seeks to serve as communication and educational tool to engage the global public in the SDGs.

The Good Life Goals is a joint initiative, and the 10-YFP Sustainable Lifestyles and Education programme, co-led by the governments of Sweden and Japan, is represented in the project by the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) and the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES). Launching the goals at UN Headquarters in New York, US, on 25 September 2018, Solitaire Townsend, Co-founder of Futerra, remarked that sharing a set of clear Good Life Goals and meaningful actions for each SDG can help build confidence that everyone is important, needed, and can contribute to achieving the SDGs.

For each SDG, the Good Life Goals propose five actions that people can take to have tangible impact on the SDGs. For example, on SDG 1 (no poverty), the project outlines the five following actions to “help end poverty”: i) learn the causes of poverty at home and abroad; ii) share and donate what you can; iii) buy from companies that pay people fairly; iv) save, borrow and invest responsibly; and v) demand decent wages and opportunities for all.

On SDG 13 (climate action), the project suggests to “act on climate” by: i) learning about climate solutions; ii) calling “for more renewable energy in your country;” iii) eating more plants and cutting down on meat; iv) walking and cycling rather than driving; and v) demanding leaders to take bold action “today.” A video on the Good Life Goals provides an overview of the actions that can be taken for each of the SDGs.

A WBCSD press release notes that, from a business perspective, the Good Life Goals can provide companies with valuable insight into the ways the SDGs link to the actions, activities and lifestyles of their customers, and this understanding can help brands more effectively engage with people around the behaviors that are connected to their products and services. WBCSD also remarks that exploring the linkages between people’s day-to-day lives and the SDGs can help businesses identify innovation opportunities capable of offering better and more sustainable lifestyles. Finally, the Good Life Goals can be used by brands, NGOs and governments to engage their audiences effectively in influencing sustainable development, and can provide companies with a simple tool that they can use to enhance awareness of the SDGs among their own staff and promote a corporate culture that is aligned with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, WBCSD says. [Futerra press release] [WBCSD press release] [Good Life Goals video] [TriplePundit article]

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