The 193 Member States of the United Nations have agreed to 17 new sustainable development goals, that include targets for resource efficiency.
Following a two-year negotiation process, the goals are set to be adopted at a summit in September that will involve 150 world leaders.
Goal 12 aims to “Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns” and wants developed countries to lead and implement programmes for sustainable consumption and production.
By 2030, this goal wants global food waste to have been halved and to substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse.
It also calls for large and transnational companies “to adopt sustainable practices and to integrate sustainability information into their reporting cycle”.
Goal 11 wants the adverse impact of cities on the environment to be reduced by 2030, with particular attention paid to air quality and waste management.
This goal also wants, by 2020, to “substantially increase the number of cities and human settlements adopting and implementing integrated policies and plans towards inclusion, resource efficiency, mitigation and adaptation to climate change”.
