ESA and the Sustainable Development Goals
Sustainable development concerns all of us. As an international organisation ESA has a responsibility to use its technology for the further development of humankind. ESA has already developed a wide range of programmes that will help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals for everyone on Earth.
Background
In 2000, 189 countries of the world came together to face the future. But this future was not very bright. Famine, drought, wars, plagues and poverty were hitting the Earth and its people hard. And these problems of the world were not just in some faraway countries but they plagued our own cities and villages. Still, it did not have to be this way. There is enough food to feed the world, there are medicines for most diseases, most natural disasters can be predicted to avoid high death tolls,...
So a plan was created, called the Millenium Development Goals, to try and achieve a better world by 2015. The progress over those 15 years has been tremendous, the amount of people suffering from extreme hunger or poverty has been cut in half, far more children are attending school than before and far fewer children are dying.
This year, in 2015, the countries have come together again to build on the many successes of the past 15 years, and go further. Their new set of goals, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), aims to end poverty and hunger by 2030. With the SDGs the connection between people and planet has been recognised and the result is 17 goals for land, oceans, waterways, climate, health, etc. For a full list of the Sustainable Development Goals please visit the UN site.
ESA's role
The table below represents some of ESA's programmes specifically related to the 2015 SDGs. For more information you can click on a programme in the table or use the links on the top right hand side of this page.
SDG topic | Keywords | ESA programme |
SDG 1: No Poverty |
Supporting banking systems International development Sustainable production of food Supporting development banks |
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SDG 2: Zero Hunger |
Sustainable agriculture Monitoring food production and security |
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SDG 3: Good Health and Well-Being |
Telemedicine Space for Health ISS research |
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SDG 4: Quality Education |
Tele-learning Tools for educators |
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SDG 5: Gender Equality |
Attracting more women to science and technology careers |
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SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation |
Recycling water Closed-loop systems Monitoring water quality |
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SDG 7: Affordable & Clean Energy |
Solar energy Energy research |
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SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth |
Regional development Job creation |
Copernicus opportunities for economic growth and regional development First ESA facility in UK, catalyst for growth |
SDG 9: Industry, Innovation & Infrastructure |
GPS Telecom satellites |
Technology transfer and business incubation |
SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities |
Supporting developing countries Providing applications and services |
Providing energy, clean water, food, education, ... (see other SDGs) |
SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities |
Living on the ISS/Concordia Urban areas Air quality Transport systems Cultural heritage |
The international space station (ISS) Concordia, antarctic research station Mapping of global air pollution |
SDG 12: Responsible consumption and production |
Recycling Closed-loop systems |
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SDG 13: Climate Action |
Research in arctic/antarctic Monitoring ice sheets Climate change initiative Desertification |
Supporting the healthcare in emergency areas SMOS: Monitoring the oceans and surface moisture ESA's climate change initiative Monitoring the atmospheric composition and climate Cryosat: monitoring the arctic/antarctic |
SDG 14: Life below Water |
SAT-AIS Sustainable fishing Soil moisture and ocean salinity (SMOS) satellite |
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SDG 15: Life on Land |
Forestry/deforestation Biodiversity Land use detection |
Burned area land use change detection |
SDG 16: Peace and Justice - Strong Institutions |
Support to identify illegal actions Support of election processes |
e-Training via satellite in support of African electoral cycles |
SDG 17: Partnerships |
Partnering with other space agencies Partnering with other companies Partnering with institutions |
ESA partners |