Practical Sustainability Strategies. George P. Nassos

4 is that most of the countries do not have the necessary data to track progress.

      5 Gender equality—Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.According to the United Nations, “gender equality is not only a fundamental human right, but a necessary foundation for a peaceful, prosperous, and sustainable world [3].” However, about one-fourth of the countries have not taken the step to provide the same. Though child marriages are four times higher among the poorest than the wealthiest in the world, most countries need to accelerate progress among both groups in order to reach the SDG 5 target to eliminate child marriage by 2030 [2].This goal should also refer to the increase in women's roles in the corporate world as well as in the governments.

      6 Clean water and sanitation—Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.The SDG 6 has 8 targets and 11 indicators that will be used to monitor progress toward the targets. The targets relate primarily to drinking water supply and sanitation. Safe drinking water and hygienic toilets protect people from disease and enable societies to be more productive economically.

      7 Affordable and clean energy—Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all.Targets for 2030 include access to affordable and reliable energy while increasing the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix. This would involve improving energy efficiency and enhancing international cooperation to facilitate more open access to clean energy technology and more investment in clean energy infrastructure. As of 2017, only 57% of the global population relies primarily on clean fuels and technology, falling short of the 95% target [2].

      8 Decent work and economic growth—Promote sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all.For the least developed countries, the economic target is to attain at least a 7% annual growth in gross domestic product (GDP). Achieving higher productivity will require diversification and upgraded technology along with innovation, entrepreneurship, and the growth of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). While most targets are for 2030, there is one for 2020 to reduce youth unemployment and operationalize a global strategy for youth employment.

      9 Industry, innovation, and infrastructure—Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization, and foster innovation.It has been known for much time that manufacturing is a major source of employment. In 2016, the least developed countries had less “manufacturing value added per capita.” The figure for Europe and North America amounted to US$4621, compared with about US$100 in the least developed countries [4]. The manufacturing of high products contributes 80% to total manufacturing output in industrialized economies but barely 10% in the least developed countries. SDG 9 aims to increase manufacturing jobs in the less developed countries.

      10 Reducing inequalities—Reduce income inequality within and among countries.One target is to reduce the cost of exporting goods from least developed countries. This would help increase the sales, productions, and work force in the least developed countries. Also, reducing the cost of transferring money in or out as well as mobile phone charges should be targets.

      11 Sustainable cities and communities—Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable.The target for 2030 is to ensure access to safe and affordable housing. The indicator named to measure progress toward this target is the proportion of urban population living in slums or informal settlements. The cities and communities should also be designed to include as much renewable energy as possible as well as sustainable mobility.

      12 Responsible consumption and production—Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns.The targets of SDG 12 include using eco-friendly production methods and reducing the amount of waste. By 2030, national recycling rates should increase, as measured in tons of material recycled. Further, companies should adopt sustainable practices and publish sustainability reports. Recommendations from the Global Footprint Network [5] should be incorporated in order to move Earth Overshoot Day later in the year. This is the day in the year that the world will have consumed all of the natural resources generated by the earth in that calendar year.

      13 Climate action—Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts by regulating emissions and promoting developments in renewable energy.In May 2015, a report concluded that only a very ambitious climate deal in Paris in 2015 could enable countries to reach the SDGs and targets [6]. The report also states that tackling climate change will only be possible if the SDGs are met. Further, economic development and climate change are inextricably linked, particularly around poverty, gender equality, and energy.In October 2018, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released a report [7] on the risks and benefits of limiting global warming to 1.5 °C (2.7 °F) above pre-industrial levels, along with recommended pathways for limiting temperature increases to that level. Staying within 1.5 °C, says IPCC, would require “rapid and far-reaching” transitions in land, energy, industry, buildings, transport, and cities, in short, changing almost everything.According to IPCC, staying within 1.5 °C warming would require, in effect, a radical transformation of unprecedented scale to avoid climate catastrophe. The report says that based on current forecasts, we are likely to reach the 1.5 °C threshold sometime between 2030 and 2050.One of the most comprehensive reports on mitigating climate change is Drawdown, edited by Paul Hawken and discussed in Chapter 11.

      14 Life below water—Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas, and marine resources for sustainable development.Oceans cover 71% of the earth's surface, and this results in about 97% of all the water on the Earth being saline. But these oceans are essential for making the planet livable.The oceans contain more than 200,000 identified species, and there might be thousands of species that are yet to be discovered. Oceans are the world's largest sources of protein. However, there has been a 26% increase in acidification since the industrial revolution. A full 30% of marine habitats have been destroyed, and 30% of the world's fish stocks are over-exploited [8]. Marine pollution has reached shocking levels; each minute, 15 tons of plastic are released into the oceans [9], 20% of all coral reefs have been destroyed irreversibly, and another 35% are in immediate risk of collapse [10].Individuals can help the oceans by reducing their energy consumption and their use of plastics. Nations can also take action. In Norway, for instance, citizens, working through a web page called finn.no, can earn money for picking up plastic on the beach [11]. Improving the oceans contributes to poverty reduction, as it gives low-income families a source of income and healthy food. Keeping beaches and ocean water clean in less developed countries can attract tourism, as stated in SDG 8, and reduce poverty by providing more employment.The targets include preventing and reducing marine pollution and acidification, protecting marine and coastal ecosystems, and regulating fishing. The targets also call for an increase in scientific knowledge of the oceans.

      15 Life on land—Protect, restore, and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss.This goal relates to targets for preserving biodiversity of forest, desert, and mountain eco-systems, as a percentage of total land mass. It is important to restore degraded forests and land lost to drought and flood. SDG 15 calls for more attention to preventing invasion of introduced species and more protection of endangered species.

      16 Peace, justice, and strong institutions—Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all, and build effective, accountable, and inclusive institutions at all levels.Reducing violent crime, sex trafficking, forced labor, and child abuse are clear global goals that come under SDG 16. The international community values peace and justice and calls for stronger judicial systems that will enforce laws and work toward a more peaceful and just society. One target is to see the end to sex trafficking, forced labor, and all forms of violence against and torture of children. SDG 16 also targets universal legal identity and birth registration, ensuring the right to a name and nationality, civil rights, recognition before the law, and access to justice and social services. With more than a quarter of children under five unregistered worldwide as of 2015, about one in five countries will need to accelerate progress to achieve universal birth registration by 2030 [2].

      17 Partnerships for the goals—Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development.Increasing