Sustainable Development Goals
4 September 2014
The Environmental Audit Committee has examined the development of the Sustainable Development Goals through our previous reports on Preparations on Rio+20 (in October 2011) and Outcomes of Rio+20 (in June 2013).
- Publication: Outcomes of the UN Rio+20 Earth Summit
- Publication: Preparations for the Rio+20 summit
- Correspondence: Letter from DfID Secretary of State on Sustainable Development Goals and Post-2015 Development Framework, 16 December 2013
- Inquiry: Sustainable Development Goals
- Environmental Audit Committee
In 2015, the UN will agree a new universal set of Development Goals, which will combine the conclusions of Rio+20 and the Post-2015 Development Agenda to replace the Millennium Development Goals. These Sustainable Development Goals aim to be universal, encompassing poverty and sustainable development, and equally applicable to developed as well as developing countries. The UK will be negotiating the final Goals through the EU as part of the UN process.
The Environmental Audit Committee will take evidence from the DFID Secretary of State in October and potentially from others subsequently. We intend to examine how the new Goals will contribute to sustainable development, both in the UK and globally.
The Committee welcome submissions to inform our scrutiny of the UK Government’s position and approach. We are interested in:
- The Government’s aims and ambitions for the Goals, particularly relating to sustainable development. For example, are inter-generational issues adequately covered by the Goals?
- Co-ordination between government departments in agreeing the Goals, and the potential impact on implementation of policies and programmes
- How the Goals will influence DFID’s aid programmes, and how the UK’s other international policies and programmes will help the Goals to be delivered.
- The accountability and reporting arrangements for the UK setting targets and indicators for the Goals, and how performance will be reported.
Submitting written evidence
We welcome further submissions and responses and observations about the evidence we have received by 12 November 2014 to inform our scrutiny of the UK Government’s position and approach.