10 February 2015: The UK Government published a response to the House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee’s (EAC) report on recommended actions and support for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In its responses, the Government explains and reiterates its position on the proposed SDGs, also addressing: natural capital accounts; climate change and the SDGs; energy subsidies; poverty and trade; air pollution; resource efficiency and the circular economy; forest indicators; biodiversity funding and support for marine protected areas (MPAs); and education and youth engagement in the SDGs.

The EAC’s December 2014 report, titled ‘Connected World: Agreeing Ambitious Sustainable Development Goals in 2015,’ examines the Government’s position in negotiations on the post-2015 development agenda, and recommends actions in support of the international sustainable development agenda. Among its recommendations, the EAC cautioned the Government against arguing for a smaller number of SDGs. In its responses, the Government states that a framework of 17 goals and 169 targets “is not implementable,” whether for the UK or developing countries, and will not drive needed action on poverty eradication or sustainable development. The Government reiterates its support for a “shorter, fully implementable list” of goals and targets, and states its intent to continue arguing for a framework that is workable and implemented by all Member States. The Government also indicates support for the six essential elements put forth by the UN Secretary-General’s synthesis report, and its suggestion that the UN system conduct a technical review of targets.

The Government response states that the Committee’s analysis of its actions and commitments to sustainable development “is overly negative.” The response stresses that the UK “wants a universal, post-2015 framework that is implementable and drives poverty eradication and sustainable development,” and that this has not been recognized by the Committee.

Responding to the EAC recommendations that the Government support a separate climate change goal in the SDGs, phase out subsidies to carbon-intensive energy sources and support a transition to a low-carbon economy, the Government emphasizes that the post-2015 framework “should compliment and support—but not duplicate—international climate negotiations.” On the International Climate Fund (ICF), the Government observes it is difficult to attribute avoided deforestation to particular interventions, and states that it is undertaking research to better understand the scope and limitations of impact indicators.

In response to the EAC’s recommendation that the Government support a wider focus on tackling inequality, including a range of inequality indicators to measure and monitor inequality and the design of programmes to simultaneously address extreme poverty and inequality, the Government states that “the best way to confront inequality in the post-2015 framework is through a sophisticated focus on measurement enabled by the ‘data revolution.'” It stresses the need to focus on the principle of leaving no one behind, and argues that no target “should be considered achieved unless it has been met by all sectors of society.” [Government Response] [IISD RS Story on EAC Report]