From Stockholm to New York: A Timeline

The path to the SDGs was paved over decades of global diplomacy:

1. Stockholm Conference (1972): The first global conference on the environment, leading to the creation of the UNEP.
2. The Earth Summit (Rio, 1992): Produced the "Rio Declaration" and "Agenda 21," introducing the concept of sustainable development into international law.
3. Millennium Development Goals (MDGs, 2000-2015): Eight goals aimed at halving extreme poverty. While successful in some areas (like reducing malaria and improving water access), the MDGs were criticized for ignoring environmental sustainability and focusing only on developing nations.
4. Rio+20 (2012): Where the "The Future We Want" document was signed, officially launching the process to create the SDGs as a successor to the MDGs.

Why the SDGs are a "System Upgrade"

The SDGs represent a significant evolution from the MDGs in three key ways:

• Universality: MDGs were for poor countries to achieve with help from the rich. SDGs apply to every country, as even the wealthiest nations have issues with inequality and carbon emissions.
• Inclusivity: The SDGs were created through the "World We Want" campaign—the largest consultation in UN history, involving millions of citizens, not just diplomats.
• Complexity: They acknowledge that we cannot fix poverty without fixing climate change, and we cannot fix climate change without fixing economic inequality.

The Importance of a Common Framework

Without the SDGs, every company and country would have its own definition of "success." The SDGs provide a universal scorecard. This allows global investors to compare the impact of different projects and allows citizens to hold their governments accountable using the same set of 169 specific targets.