Sustainable Development Goals: Asia-Pacific Perspectives for the Post-2015

Development Agenda

Panel 1: Role of the SDGs in the Post-2015 Development Agenda

7 May 2012

ADB Headquarters, Manila

David S. McCauleyDavid S. McCauley

Head, Climate Change Program Head, Climate Change Program Coordination Unit, ADBCoordination Unit, ADB

OutlineOutline

•• Reflections on UNCED, Agenda 21 and Reflections on UNCED, Agenda 21 and

CSD in Rio+20 and SDGs contextCSD in Rio+20 and SDGs context

•• Question posed to the panel and how Question posed to the panel and how •• Question posed to the panel and how Question posed to the panel and how

to frame the answersto frame the answers

•• Special observations on climate changeSpecial observations on climate change

•• Essential elements of the SDGsEssential elements of the SDGs

20 Years Back: 20 Years Back: UNCED and Agenda 21 UNCED and Agenda 21

•• Preparation for Rio+20 reminiscent of period after Preparation for Rio+20 reminiscent of period after UNCED when preparing for CSD 1st SessionUNCED when preparing for CSD 1st Session

•• Had new Agenda for the 21st Century Had new Agenda for the 21st Century –– Agenda 21: Agenda 21:

•• covered everything, without integration mechanisms covered everything, without integration mechanisms

•• no established indicators (like MDGs) no established indicators (like MDGs)

•• overly complex, highly ambitious (rather vague overly complex, highly ambitious (rather vague vision), weak accountabilityvision), weak accountability

•• 2,500 activities spread over 115 program areas, mostly 2,500 activities spread over 115 program areas, mostly addressed to Governments for national level addressed to Governments for national level implementationimplementation

CSD CSD –– Attempt to Rationalize A21Attempt to Rationalize A21

•• Commission on Sustainable Commission on Sustainable Development Development -- advising ECOSOC advising ECOSOC on ways and means to ensure on ways and means to ensure better coordination & better coordination & better coordination & better coordination & complementarity of efforts [to complementarity of efforts [to promote sustainable development] promote sustainable development] among all concerned organizations among all concerned organizations at national, regional & international at national, regional & international levels.levels.

•• 1st CSD Session (June 1993) 1st CSD Session (June 1993) formed clusters of A21 topics for formed clusters of A21 topics for attentionattention

Key UNCED/A21 ConsiderationsKey UNCED/A21 Considerations

•• Lots of attention to trade, population/ Lots of attention to trade, population/ demographics, sustainable demographics, sustainable consumption, technologyconsumption, technologyconsumption, technologyconsumption, technology

•• Resource pricing plus other market Resource pricing plus other market mechanisms and green accounting mechanisms and green accounting ––mentioned by little actionmentioned by little action

•• Much attention to UN system’s role in Much attention to UN system’s role in followfollow--up up –– priorities and programs priorities and programs (beginnings of the “One UN”)(beginnings of the “One UN”)

•• New international conventions on New international conventions on climate change, biodiversity and land climate change, biodiversity and land

CSD Clusters (by A21 Chapter)CSD Clusters (by A21 Chapter)

Focused attentionFocused attention

1 1 -- Critical elements of sustainability (2Critical elements of sustainability (2--5)5)

2 2 -- Financial resources and mechanisms (33)Financial resources and mechanisms (33)2 2 -- Financial resources and mechanisms (33)Financial resources and mechanisms (33)

3 3 -- Education, science, transfer of environmentally Education, science, transfer of environmentally sound technologies, cooperation and capacitysound technologies, cooperation and capacity--building (16, 34building (16, 34--37)37)

4 4 -- DecisionDecision--making structures (8, 38making structures (8, 38--40)40)

5 5 -- Roles of major groups (23Roles of major groups (23--32)32)

MultiMulti--year attentionyear attention

6 6 -- Health, human settlements and fresh water (6, Health, human settlements and fresh water (6, 7, 18, 21)7, 18, 21)

Compare to MDGs…Compare to MDGs…

1 1 –– Eradicate extreme poverty and hungerEradicate extreme poverty and hunger

2 2 –– Achieve universal primary educationAchieve universal primary education

3 3 –– Promote gender equality and empower Promote gender equality and empower 3 3 –– Promote gender equality and empower Promote gender equality and empower womenwomen

4 4 –– Reduce child mortalityReduce child mortality

5 5 –– Improve maternal healthImprove maternal health

6 6 –– Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseasesdiseases

7 7 –– Ensure environmental sustainabilityEnsure environmental sustainability

8 8 –– Develop a global partnership for Develop a global partnership for developmentdevelopment

Some Lasting InstitutionsSome Lasting Institutions

•• Financing Financing –– focused on GEF and the new focused on GEF and the new Conventions, not the wider A21 topics, with Conventions, not the wider A21 topics, with special roles for 10 agencies: UNEP, UNDP special roles for 10 agencies: UNEP, UNDP and World Bank (later expanded to 10, and World Bank (later expanded to 10, including ADB)including ADB)

•• National SD Awareness and Attention National SD Awareness and Attention ––•• National SD Awareness and Attention National SD Awareness and Attention ––National Sustainable Development Strategies National Sustainable Development Strategies and coordination structures to oversee and coordination structures to oversee implementationimplementation

•• Reporting Reporting –– Voluntary Government Voluntary Government information on A21 implementation reported information on A21 implementation reported to CSD via ECOSOC focusing on each year’s to CSD via ECOSOC focusing on each year’s CSD clusterCSD cluster

The Basic Question:The Basic Question:

How can environmental, social and How can environmental, social and

economic targets and associated economic targets and associated

results indicators be set so as to results indicators be set so as to results indicators be set so as to results indicators be set so as to

guide the policies and programs of guide the policies and programs of

all nations in pursuit of national, all nations in pursuit of national,

regional and global sustainable regional and global sustainable

development?development?

Question to Panel: How can SDGs embody an (1) integrated approach to sustainable development,

(2) including the current MDG scope, without becoming too (3) complex and/or (4) ambitious?

1. Integration - How to fully cover and integrate the 3 elements of Sustainable Development: economic, social and environmental?

2. MDG Continuity - How to ensure continuity with the MDGs for the developing world and make

2. MDG Continuity - How to ensure continuity with the MDGs for the developing world and make these elements universal?

3. Complexity - How to establish a limited set of targets and indicators that still capture the essence of human aspirations and environmental integrity?

4. Ambition - How to ensure that these are realistic and achievable within the time frame given (and aligned with other time frames, such as UNFCCC)?

Dealing with Climate ChangeDealing with Climate Change•• Preeminent Challenge Preeminent Challenge –– if you don’t deal if you don’t deal with this, it will swamp all of the others!with this, it will swamp all of the others!

•• Mitigation Mitigation –– meeting the 2meeting the 2°°CC goal will require goal will require global economic restructuring, under the global economic restructuring, under the Durban Platform, with 2015 time frame:Durban Platform, with 2015 time frame:

•• Developed countriesDeveloped countries –– reducing current reducing current emissions rapidlyemissions rapidly

•• Developed countriesDeveloped countries –– reducing current reducing current emissions rapidlyemissions rapidly

•• Developing countriesDeveloping countries –– decoupling future decoupling future growth from high GHG emissionsgrowth from high GHG emissions

•• Adaptation/Resilience Adaptation/Resilience –– anticipating both anticipating both discrete shocks and creeping impactsdiscrete shocks and creeping impacts

•• Economic Issues in Green Growth Economic Issues in Green Growth ––dealing with the causes and consequences of dealing with the causes and consequences of climate change under the economic agendaclimate change under the economic agenda

SDGs: Some Inputs…• Economic

• Green growth

• Poverty reduction & economic inclusiveness

• Strong markets, governance and cooperation

• Environmental

• Atmosphere

• Land and Forests

• Biodiversity

• Fresh Waterand cooperation

• Social (floor?)

• Food security

• Sustainable energy

• Education

• Health

• Gender equality

• Oceans and Seas

• Toxic Substances

Yellow = strong

climate change

relevance

Thank you

dmccauley@adb.orgdmccauley@adb.org