The United Nations Academic Impact is informed by a commitment to support and advance ten basic principles. The ninth of these principles is:
Sustainability - A commitment to promoting sustainability through education
Test your knowledge about this UNAI principle with the UNAI Quiz!!
Scroll down to the bottom of this article to find the answers.
1. What does the term 'sustainable' mean?
a) The implementation of eco-friendly technologies.
b) A balance between meeting today's needs with those of the future.
c) The use of alternative energies.
2. Who are those 'left behind' referred to in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development?
a) The vulnerable groups.
b) The minorities.
c) Those without access to certain rights, goods and services.
3. How the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are described in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development?
a) They are Goals to be applied in certain countries.
b) They imply a mandatory and international set of development models.
c) They are universal, applicable to all countries while respecting national contexts.
4. The Voluntary National Reviews of the SDGs are a exclusive domain of governments?
a) No, they must incorporate other stakeholders.
b) Yes, they are.
c) Yes, although consultations with other actors might take place.
5. Why is the education for sustainable development relevant?
a) It enhances careers prospects.
b) It promotes better understanding about the environment.
c) It empowers individuals to reflect on their own actions.
Answers:
1. b)?Paragraph 27 of the states that Humanity has the ability to make development sustainable to ensure that it meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. The concept of sustainable development does imply limits - not absolute limits but limitations imposed by the present state of technology and social organization on environmental resources and by the ability of the biosphere to absorb the effects of human activities.
2. c)?According to the published in 2016 by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, there is generally broad agreement that people (or households) who do not have access to certain rights, goods or services are left behind. Such sets of must haves and the corresponding thresholds defining deprivation are often enshrined in national law and practice. Many of them are also inscribed in international law and standards. In practice, those left behind may be different groups in different societies.
3. c)?Paragraph 55 of the adopted by the Member States of the United Nations says: The Sustainable Development Goals?and targets are integrated and indivisible, global in nature and universally applicable, taking into account different national realities, capacities and levels of development and respecting national policies and priorities. Targets are defined as aspirational and global, with each government setting its own national targets guided by the global level of ambition but taking into account national circumstances. Each government will also decide how these aspirational and global targets should be incorporated in national planning processes, policies and strategies. It is important to recognize the link between sustainable development and other relevant ongoing processes in the economic, social and environmental fields.
4. a)?The prepared by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs points out that one of the founding principles of the 2030 Agenda is the requirement for processes to be participatory and inclusive. In practice, this means ensuring that all stakeholders, including all levels and sectors of government, civil society and the private sector, members of parliament, and national human rights institutions, are involved in the review and implementation processes. The participation of stakeholders promotes sustainable decisions, by giving groups affected by those decisions the opportunity to communicate their needs and interests.
5. c)?The publication entitled launched by UNESCO affirms that this particular type of education aims at developing competencies that empower individuals to reflect on their own actions, taking into account their current and future social, cultural, economic and environmental impacts, from a local and a global perspective. Individuals should also be empowered to act in complex situations in a sustainable manner, which may require them to strike out in new directions; and to participate in socio-political processes, moving their societies towards sustainable development.
Find more about our Global Hub on this topic?here