On 25 September 2015, more than 150 world leaders committed to 17 ‘Sustainable Development Goals’ (SDGs) in order to achieve three extraordinary things in the next 15 years:

• Tackle climate change
• Reduce poverty and inequality
• Create a better quality of life for us all.

A global team effort to lobby for the Sustainable Development Goals

In 2010 we joined other civil society organisations around the world in Rio+20, a UN process that aimed to take sustainable development to the next level. The outcome of the process was the SDGs – although none of us knew that when it started.

At Bioregional we wanted to show that sustainability can be done, and just how simple it can be. We showed up to every UN meeting handing out leaflets with our brightly coloured One Planet Living principles and pictures of BedZED, our pioneering eco-village in South London.

We told the stories of the One Planet Communities and Companies. Some of our One Planet Partners like B&Q spoke at the side events we organised for governments at the UN.

Embedding Sustainable Consumption and Production

Ensuring that products and services are produced and used sustainably, and creating a truly circular economy, lies at the heart of our One Planet Living framework.

Bioregional had a formal role as UN NGO focal point for Sustainable Consumption and Production, working with international partners and governments to make sure the critical issue of sustainable consumption and production (SCP) was understood and properly recognised in the SDGs. This included writing and presenting a report to the UN on why SCP is vital (see below).

And we succeeded: one of the goals (Goal 12) is devoted to SCP, and 1 in 5 of the targets relate to it.

Implementing the Goals

The SDGs are the best plan we have for a sustainable world. Now they are agreed, we are focused on ensuring they are implemented.

For example, we are on the steering group of the UN One Planet Network’s Sustainable Buildings and Construction Multi-Stakeholder Advisory Committee. We are also members of the One Planet Network Sustainable Tourism and Procurement and Consumer Information Networks.

We also joined with others to create two new multi-stakeholder networks: UKSSD, Transform Together and Catalyst 2030.