QUESTION 1 [100 MARKS]

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) or Global Goals are a collection of 17 interlinked global goals designed to be a “blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all” (StatsSA, 2019). The SDGs were established in 2015 by the United Nations General Assembly and are intended to be achieved by the year 2030. They are included in a General Assembly resolution called ‘The 2030 Agenda’, colloquially known as Agenda 2030.

A 2019 study by the World Economic Forum found that three out of four adults globally have some awareness of the SDGs. “We are living in a time when governments and businesses that understand the need to deliver the sustainable development goals are searching for the very same thing as many activists: a social, or multistakeholder movement capable of making systems change happen. None of them can do it alone. What we need is a worldwide movement for change, on the street, across the boardrooms, or in cabinets,” said Dominic Waughray, Managing Director and Head of the Centre for Global Public Goods (World Economic Forum, 2019).

South Africa has committed to the achievement of these goals. A national coordinating mechanism has been established to strengthen the implementation of the country’s development policies. A National Framework for Sustainable Development has been designed to prioritise the achievement of the SDGs project. Your task is to get hold of this national framework and the policy on sustainable development of the department in which you work. Read them critically and answer the following questions.

Source:

• StatsSA. (2019). Sustainable development goals (SDGs): Country report 2019. South Africa. https://www.statssa.gov.za/MDG/SDGs_Country_Report_2019_South_Africa.pdf (accessed 24 January 2024).

• World Economic Forum. (2019). Global survey shows 74% are aware of the Sustainable Development Goals. https://www.weforum.org/press/2019/09/global-survey-shows-74-are- aware-of-the-sustainable-development-goals/ (accessed 24 January 2024).

When analysing the two documents listed above, what trends do you identify in public sector growth and sustainable development? [25]

Having analysed the two documents, what do you think is the influence of politics on the economy, the environment, and on society in general? [25]

With the national framework and your department’s policy in mind, how would you describe the interrelationship between sustainable development and poverty in South Africa? [25]

Explore how global environmental issues affect the way in which sustainable development is addressed within your department. [25]

Answers to Above Questions on Sustainable Development Goals

Answer 1: On analysing the two documents above, the trend in relation to public sector growth and sustainable development seems positive. The main purpose of sustainable development goals are to achieve improvement in terms of poverty radiation, and during the protection of the planet and peace and prosperity for each and every individual on this planet. In terms of achieving improvement in these areas, the trend looks positive…