by Katrina Szetey, Reihaneh Bandari, Nick Taylor, Enayat Moallemi14 April 2020 - The Fifth Estate
Vulnerable groups in the community, especially the elderly, have more difficulty accessing necessary items (SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities). Photo by Alex Boyd on Unsplash
Our article discusses the impacts of COVID-19 on the SDGs which was published in The Fifth Estate. This is Australia’s leading online newspaper for the sustainable built environment and all the businesses, professionals, academics, government agencies, community groups, not-for-profits, individuals in Australia and globally who want to be part of the sustainability revolution.
Article Summary
Story
The Sustainable Development Goals can help us to emerge from the COVID-19 crisis as a more inclusive and sustainable society better equipped to deal with climate change.
Significance
Many people are overwhelmed by the negative aspects of COVID-19, and prior to that were trying to deal with the effects of the 2019-20 bushfire crisis, and prior to that were frustrated at inaction over climate change. This article sends a positive message that humanity can endure and there are ways that we can make things better in the future.
Highlights
Wellbeing, prosperity and the environment are inextricably linked and we must address all three for a sustainable society
COVID-19 is affecting our ability to achieve the SDGs
The behaviour change which has been forced upon us may pave the way for us to make lasting change to address the climate crisis
We can use the goals and targets of the SDGs to build a better society using a Green New Deal policy focus