Support 3 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with me

There are 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which were adopted by the United Nations as a global “call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that by 2030 all people enjoy peace and prosperity.”

For example, we need to tackle poverty, unequal economic growth, fight climate change, develop sustainable food production systems and transport, and ensure sustainable development in all countries. 

What are the 17 SDGs?

Here’s a list of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals:

1. No poverty
2. Zero hunger
3. Good health and well-being
4. Quality education
5. Gender equality
6. Clean water and sanitation
7. Affordable and clean energy
8. Decent work and economic growth
9. Industry, innovation, and infrastructure
10. Reduced inequalities
11. Sustainable cities and communities
12. Responsible consumption and production
13. Climate action
14. Life below water
15. Life on land
16. Peace, justice and strong institutions
17. Partnerships for the goals

You can read more about each goal here.

Also, check out the Global Sustainable Development Report 2022 to see how things are progressing (or not, sadly, for the second year in a row). So, we all need to do more to make things happen.

All the above goals are important, of course. However, it’s probably more realistic to focus on a few of them at a time to bring about positive change in our lives and businesses.

My three priority goals this year (for business and leisure)

I’ve chosen to concentrate on the following Global Goals, as they are closely interlinked. I’m working from home as an ethical content writer and translator, so many of the changes I’ve made at home will directly affect my business, too.

• Goal 7: Affordable and clean energy
• Goal 12: Responsible consumption and production
• Goal 13: Climate action

What exactly are they, and how can you support them? I’ll show you below.

Goal 7: Affordable and clean energy

Many of us consume too much energy, and most of this is, sadly, not sustainable. Lowering consumption and switching to a truly greener option is a good idea.

My family and I are currently still with Ovo, which we had originally chosen as it was reasonably priced and seemed like an eco-friendly option. Sadly, it looks like that was greenwashing. We’re now planning to switch to an affordable, greener provider as soon as possible. 

Unfortunately, since the energy crisis, some 100% renewable energy providers have more than doubled their prices “to follow the market”. (Good Energy raised theirs to an eye-watering £7,373 per year, which I found shocking). 

To be fair, I have since heard good things about Good Energy’s customer service and the fact that they directly invest in renewable energy projects. However, now would be the time to lower the prices of renewable energy options to attract more customers, rather than push them away with extortionate costs, surely?

Too many people won’t be able to afford them at these rates. I’ll have to keep looking for something that’s green and doesn’t break the bank. (Any recommendations? Let me know!)  

Still, I can do many things to save energy at home and in my business.

Accomplished so far

Business website

• Running my website on 100% renewable energy via Krystal UK.
• Minimising the use of images on my WordPress website, and optimising and compressing them with Smush. 

Home / Business

• Switching off almost all my appliances at the socket when not in use and overnight (kettle, toaster, phone charger, computer, etc.) 
• Turning off all lights as soon as we leave the room. (I’ve appointed my son as chief energy officer at home to police that. He’s very strict!)
• Minimising the use of electric devices. We don’t have air conditioning or fans  – we just open windows (especially in the mornings and at night) and draw the curtains when it’s hot. We also don’t own a microwave and only tend to use the oven when we have more than one thing to cook in it. Batch cooking is a good tactic to save time and energy.

Still to do

Home

• I’m planning to buy only rechargeable batteries in the future and will look into installing solar panels on our roof.
• I’m also keen to get our loft insulated. However, we still need to find the right company to advise on this, as bad insulations can cause mould problems.

Pension

• I’m planning to write to my pension provider to ask whether any of my money is being invested in fossil fuels, and if so, whether there are greener options. If not, it’s time to opt for a more ethical pension provider if I can find a trustworthy option. 

Goal 12: Responsible consumption and production

This links to my points about energy consumption above, but it goes further than that. As a society, we consume too much. So, minimising general consumption and opting for responsible sources and production methods is key.

Accomplished so far

Clothes and Goods

• Buying second-hand clothes and goods whenever possible. I’m a big fan of local charity shops and second-hand sites like Oxfam or eBay (though I’m exploring more ethical options, too). Not only do I save money, but I also don’t invest in fast fashion.
• Shopping locally wherever possible. 
• Opting for low-waste or zero-waste options. Be conscious of packaging—the less, the better!
• Choosing reusable products whenever I can, e.g. sturdy reusable shopping bags, reusable water bottles, masks, razors, etc. I’ve also switched to soap for washing and washing-up.
• Buying fairly traded goods, where possible.

Education / Reading / Leisure

• Becoming carbon literate. I took a training course aimed at SMEs and became certified carbon literate by the Carbon Literacy Project last month. Read more about this in my previous blog post.
• Learning how to repair things via YouTube. Everyone can learn how to mend clothes or upcycle goods, for example. 
• Slowly becoming minimalist.
• Using the library and my Kobo e-reader instead of buying books or audiobooks.
• Subscribing to the Ethical Consumer Magazine to check which goods and companies really are the most ethical. With so much greenwashing around, this magazine is a godsend.
• Sharing some encouraging sustainable and frugal tips via my newsletter and social media posts.

Food

• Minimising eating out. This has been partly because we wanted to save money and avoid Covid, too. These days, we only eat out a few times a year. We’ve completely stopped having takeaways, too. Cooking from scratch is cheaper, healthier, and more sustainable. 
• Using food-sharing apps, such as Olio and Too Good To Go. Why?
   

“The UK wastes almost 10 million tonnes of food every year. Almost 2 million tonnes come from the food industry, and currently less than 1% is recycled for human consumption.”

(Source: The Felix Project)

Water

• Using water-saving devices (free from our water provider – check yours!).

Still to do

Zero Waste

• I need to become better at phasing out single-use plastic. Too many supermarket foods are still wrapped needlessly.
• I’d like to replace more household and beauty goods with zero-waste options.
• Finally, I should plant more herbs and veggies at home and not let them die in a heatwave. 🥴 (I’m not particularly green-fingered, I’m afraid.)

Goal 13: Climate action

Both the above goals directly feed into this climate action goal, so I won’t repeat the above tips. There are a few more I can recommend, though. 

Accomplished so far

Business / Leisure

• Minimising car trips and no plane trips for holidays or business purposes.
• Avoiding printing and subscribing to digital versions of magazines, if possible.

Diet

• Consuming about 50% less meat and becoming 90% dairy free. Beef (including dairy beef), pork, and lamb have a huge carbon footprint, so I’ve switched my diet to mainly plant-based foods. My family and I still eat organic chicken (occasionally), fish, and cheese at the moment.

Offsetting CO2

• Joining getoffset.io to offset my business’s carbon emissions. 

Recycling and composting

• Recycling packaging and composting food waste.

Still to do

Lots! But the above is a good starting point. 🌱

What next? 

1. Choose your own priority goals for this year.
2. Set yourself some measurable targets (e.g. reducing meat consumption by 50%, switching all or most of your dairy products to plant-based products by the end of 2022, saving for an electric car or solar panels every month, etc.)
3. Put these goals into action and keep track of your progress. An accountability partner would be useful.
4. Share your successes with your friends, family, and colleagues or clients. (Be careful of inadvertent greenwashing.)
5. As a business owner, you can join Support the Goals and follow their recommendations.

I hope this post has inspired you to explore and support the Sustainable Development Goals. Check them out online and follow them on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.