The Royal Society submitted a response to the House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee inquiry on the Sustainable Development Goals. In the response the Society argues that:
a) The SDGs and the Government’s contribution to them should not overlook the environment or the implications of population and consumption patterns for a finite planet.
- Future projected changes in climate and demography must be considered when developing policies in all areas of Government.
- Socio-economic systems and institutions must be developed which are not dependent on continued material consumption for growth.
b) The development and implementation of effective SDGs will require collaboration between both government departments and national governments.
- Resilience and sustainable growth should be considered across all Government departments in order to develop and implement policies that are effective and sustainable now and in decades to come.
- Intergovernmental coordination is required to ensure ambitious, consistent targets and indicators for the SDGs and upcoming international agreements on climate change and disaster risk reduction.
- Governments should act collectively to reduce inequality and mitigate climate change.