5.5 Solid Waste & Sustainable Development Goals

Summary

This module introduces the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and their link to solid waste management. It explains the structure of the SDGs, which consist of 17 goals, 169 targets, and over 300 indicators aimed at achieving global sustainability by 2030. The video highlights specific SDG indicators relevant to waste management and outlines the challenges in data collection and reporting, particularly for waste-related indicators. Efforts to improve methodologies and data reporting are ongoing. The module emphasizes the importance of staying informed about updates from custodian agencies for accurate SDG monitoring.

Takeaways

• 🌍 The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a global agenda set by the United Nations to address critical global challenges by 2030.
• 📊 The SDGs consist of 17 goals, 169 targets, and over 300 indicators, covering environmental, societal, and economic dimensions.
• 🌱 Solid waste management is linked to several SDGs, including goals 11, 12, and 14, with specific indicators related to urban waste collection, recycling rates, hazardous waste, and plastic debris.
• 📅 The SDGs were developed as an update to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which concluded in 2015.
• 🏙️ Indicator 11.6.1 of Goal 11 focuses on solid waste collection and disposal in urban areas.
• 🔄 Goal 12 addresses sustainable consumption and production, with indicators related to material footprints, recycling, and hazardous waste management.
• 🌊 Goal 14's Indicator 14.1.1 focuses on reducing plastic debris in coastal areas.
• 📉 Challenges exist in solid waste data collection; many countries struggle to report accurate waste statistics due to lack of clear methodologies and sparse data.
• 📊 Waste-related indicators are mostly classified as Tier 3, meaning they lack internationally established methodologies and reliable data reporting.
• 📈 Custodian agencies are actively working to improve the monitoring, reporting, and standardization of waste-related SDG indicators.

Q & A

What are the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)?

The SDGs are a collection of 17 global goals set by the United Nations to tackle the most pressing problems of this century. They cover environmental protection, society, and economy, aiming to be achieved by 2030.

How are the SDGs structured?

Each SDG consists of three levels: goals, targets, and indicators. There are 17 goals, 169 targets, and over 300 indicators that help measure progress towards each goal.

What are the three dimensions of sustainable development covered by the SDGs?

The SDGs cover three dimensions: environmental protection (biosphere), society, and the economy.

What is the deadline for achieving the SDGs?

All UN member states aim to achieve the SDGs by 2030, which is why they are also referred to as Agenda 2030.

Which SDGs are directly related to solid waste management?

At least eight indicators are related to solid waste management, with key targets under Goal 11 (urban solid waste collection and disposal), Goal 12 (material footprints, recycling rates, hazardous waste management), and Goal 14 (plastic debris in coastal areas).

Why is reporting on waste-related SDG indicators challenging?

Waste statistics are underdeveloped in many countries, with sparse data and unclear methodologies for calculating indicators. This often leads to unreliable estimates and difficulty in reporting.

What are the three tiers of SDG indicators?

Tier 1 indicators have clear concepts, internationally established methodologies, and regular data production. Tier 2 indicators also have clear concepts and established methods but lack regular data. Tier 3 indicators lack standardized methodologies, and countries do not report data.

Where do most of the waste-related SDG indicators fall?

Most waste-related SDG indicators fall under Tier 3, indicating a significant lack of standardized data and methodologies globally.

What is being done to improve reporting on waste-related SDG indicators?

Custodian agencies and organizations are working to strengthen national monitoring, develop international standards, and recommend standardized methodologies for better reporting and comparability of waste-related data across countries.

What is the difference between the SDGs and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)?

The SDGs are an updated and expanded version of the MDGs, which ended in 2015. The SDGs have a broader scope, covering more comprehensive global goals, including sustainable development, social equity, and environmental sustainability.