SDG 17 - Partnerships for the Goals - Sustainable Development Goal

In 2015, leaders from 193 different countries agreed on 17 global goals they felt the world needed to achieve by 2030.  

This week, we look at SDG17, Partnerships for the Goals, which has as a main objective to strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development. 

As the UN states: “The Global Goals can only be met if we work together. International investments and support are needed to ensure innovative technological development, fair trade and market access, especially for developing countries. To build a better world, we need to be supportive, empathetic, inventive, passionate, and above all, cooperative. 

Supportive, empathetic, inventive, passionate…I can add “Kind” to this list, the list of adjectives that we should all strive to be within ourselves and in relation to other people and nature.  

How far are we from achieving SDG 17?

Unfortunately, indicators tell us we are not on target to achieve this goal. 

By the end of 2022, 37 out of the 69 poorest countries in the world are facing a debt crisis. 

Developing countries are faced with an unprecedented rise in external debt levels following the COVID-19 pandemic, record inflation, escalating interest rates, competing priorities and constrained fiscal capacity, underscoring the urgent need for debt relief and financial assistance. 

Net ODA reached $206 billion in 2022, up by 15% from the previous year. Net ODA is defined as government aid designed to promote the economic development and welfare of developing countries. Refugee aid and the war in Ukraine were the major reasons of this high increase.  

The reality is our targets to achieve this goal continue to be further from our reach with intensified conflict, misplaced people and mass migration.  

With developing countries suffering the worst effects of Climate Change, while lacking the financial resources to adapt and prepare, the vicious circle will continue plummeting their economies into further debt and distress.  

What would the world look like if SDG 17 was achieved? 

We would make significant sustainable growth as a planet whilst leaving no one behind. 

What can we do to support this goal? 

As always, we start within, changing our mindsets for a collaborative approach with other people, other communities and even other companies if you work in the private sector. 

At Fifty Shades Greener, we have never believed in competition. I often laugh when someone asks me: “Who is your biggest competitor?”. For me, even though I own a private company, there is no room for “competitors” in the world of Sustainability.  

There is so much work to be done, to get where we need to be, that spending our time “analysing” the competition seems totally contra productive. Instead, when we meet an organisation with similar values and services as ours, we propose to join forces and collaborate.  

To further our collaboration with those that have less financial access than we do, we offer free of charge access to our programmes to students from developing countries. Education can transform lives and it can become a defining factor in a person’s future. Helping individuals to empower their lives and futures through education is what makes our jobs worth it. 

After all, we must practice what we preach, and Goal 17, is definitely a worthy cause for collaboration. 

Lead with Collaboration and Purpose

Are you ready to drive meaningful partnerships and sustainable development in your organization? Our ESG Leader Programme provides the tools to integrate all 17 SDGs into your strategy, fostering collaboration and impactful change.

Join the next cohort and lead the change toward sustainability!

Thank you for reading!  

The Fifty Shades Greener Team 💚