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THE GREEN SCENE

The 17 Sustainable Development Goals

The 17 Sustainable development goals (SDGs) were released on the 1st January 2016

by the UN, continuing the progress of the previous 8 millennium development goals put

forth in 2000. They act as a global network designed to steer humanity towards a

sustainable path; a path that encompasses economic development, social progress and

environmental protection. Each of the 17 goals has several targets which are expected

to be achieved by 2030. The question is, have you ever heard of the 17 SDGs? No,

don’t worry you’re not alone. Despite being key to achieving a sustainable future,

research has shown that globally only 33% of the population are aware of the SDGs.

October 2018

In this issue:

• The 17 SDGs

• The Enactus Edit

• Bike and Grab and Bite

• A Trio of Top Tips for a

Sustainable Self

• Audit Appreciation

• World Mental Health Day

• Act #SMART

The University of Liverpool’s Sustainability Focused Newsletter

The SDGs, from Goal 1 to Goal 17

Goal 1: No Poverty, up to 42% of the population

in Sub-Saharan Africa live below the international

poverty line (less than US$1.90 a day)

Goal 2: Zero Hunger, poor food security and

unequal distribution of resources is stunting the

growth of millions of children as a result of severe

malnutrition

Goal 3: Good Health and Wellbeing, maternal

mortality has fallen by 37% since 2000

Goal 4:Quality Education, 617 million youth

worldwide still lack basic mathematics and

literacy skills

Goal 5: Gender Equality, 49 countries still have

no laws protecting women from domestic violence

Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation, 90% of the

world’s population now has access to improved

sources of drinking water; compared to 76% in

1990

Goal 7: Affordable and Clean Energy, the

share of renewable energy consumption in final

energy consumption rose to 18.05% in 2015

Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth,

between 2000 and 2017 the global

unemployment rate decreased from 6.4% to 5.6%

Goal 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, 16% of the

global population does not have access to mobile broadband

networks

Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities, on a global scale social

protection has expanded greatly, however individuals with

disabilities are still 5 times more likely than average to incur

catastrophic health expenditures

Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, the world’s cities

occupy just 3% of the Earth’s land, but account for 60-80% of

energy consumption and 75% of CO2 emissions

Goal 12: Responsible Production and Consumption, if as

predicted the global population reaches 9.6 billion by 2050, the

equivalent of almost 3 planets could be require to sustain current

lifestyles

Goal 13: Climate Action, global emissions of CO2 have

increased by almost 50% since 1990

Goal 14: Life Below Water, 20% of the world’s coral reefs have

been destroyed and show no hope of recovery

Goal 15: Life on Land, between 2010 and 2015 the world lost 3.3

million hectares of forest area

Goal 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions, the proportion

of prisoners held in detention without sentencing has remained

steady at 31% for the past decade

Goal17: Partnership for the Goals, these partnerships must be

built on shared visions and principles that place the people and

the planet at their heart

What Actually is Sustainable Development?

The concept of sustainable development is a confusing one, one that is poorly under-

stood and often vague; but it is also a concept key to the success of society and achiev-

ing a better future for us all. So, what actually is sustainable development? Sustainable

development can be defined as “meeting the needs of the current generation without

compromising the needs of the future generation” (The Brutland Report, 1987). Unlike

traditional economic development, sustainable development considers three dimensions

all at once: social progress, economic development and environmental protection.

Championing sustainable development, are the 17 sustainable development goals;

these goals acknowledge that the solutions to combat the economic, social and environ-

mental problems the world faces are deeply intertwined, with eradicating poverty in all

its forms as a fundamental gateway for achieving sustainable development.

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A Trio of Top Tips for a Sustainable Self

1) Try shaving just 3 minutes off your shower time to

save 7.5 gallons of water

2) Reduce your central heating by just 1oC to cut your

heating bills by 10% a year and save the planet

300kg of CO2

3) 92% of an average person’s life is spent inside,

before winter arrives make a conscious effort to

spend some time outside, whether it’s an autumnal

stroll or just a quick lunch outside

The Enactus Edit

Enactus has a vision; a vision of creating a better and more

sustainable future. It is a worldwide, non-profit organisation,

that believes every individual has the ability to impact

change. They believe in investing in students, to create the

next generation of entrepreneurial and sustainability focused

innovators, to create a brighter world for us all. With over

72,000 students, from 1486 universities, located across 36

different countries Enactus can benefit the lives of 1.3 million

people each year. Advised by educators and backed by

business leaders, students apply their knowledge to solve

complex issues hindering development in communities.

Enactus projects are carried out across the globe, one

brilliant example is the establishment of a therapeutic and

entrepreneurial craft scheme to provide support for female

victims of abuse in Brazil. Here in Liverpool, the power of

Liverpool university students to positively impact the local

community.

Enactus Liverpool Tackle Sustainable Development Goal 1—No Poverty At Enactus Liverpool we have multiple social projects, all of

which tackle at least one of the sustainable development

goals. Gaia is one of our projects in which we work with

refugee women and provide English lessons and basic

business skill sessions. We then work with them to develop a

product that they make and sell with their newly acquired

business skills, providing them with an income! This tackles

sustainable development goal 1—no poverty.

Bike and Grab and Bite

Welcome week 2018 saw the

return of the ever popular and

successful Biker’s Breakfast

and Biker’s Lunch at both

Leahurst and main university

campus, and this year the

event didn’t disappoint.

October 2018

For more information visit http://enactus.org, or get in contact with Enactus Liverpool, to see how you can make the world a better place.

The team were also joined by the campus sup-

port team to offer free bike security registration

and cycling route maps. The feedback from both

staff and students for both events was amazing;

everyone is keen to have more Biker’s Breakfast

and Lunches and I’m sure it’s not just because of

the free food! We welcome the return of both the

Biker’s Breakfast and Lunch in the new year.

Over 50 students and staff attended the Bikers

Lunch at Leahurst Campus, where cyclists were

greeted with an array of healthy and delicious

lunch options including falafel salad bowls and

fresh fruit, whilst Pelton Liverpool took care of the

free and much-needed repairs and bike mainte-

nance. Meanwhile over on Guild Walk, 150 cy-

clists attended the Biker’s Breakfast, satisfying

their stomachs with spelt flour croissants, over-

night oats and plenty of fresh fruit juice. Once

again Pelton Liverpool were on hand to provide

free repairs and maintenance.

Cycling – even

just 20 miles a

week – can cut

your risk of

heart disease by

up to 50%

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1/2 of all

mental health

problems are

established by

the age of 14

Act #SMART

This September saw the new batch of first year students

welcomed to the university with a sustainability starter

pack containing a reusable coffee cup, water bottle and

tote bag. The #SMART (Save Money And Reduce Trash)

starter packs are designed to reduce the use of single

use plastic across campus, aiding the university's path to

sustainable development. One of the easiest ways to stop

the ever-growing single use plastic surge, is to switch to

refillable and reusable items.

Reusable Coffee Cups = save 15p per use

7 million disposable coffee cups are thrown away every

year, and less than 1% get recycled. Since the

introduction of the #SMART campaign over 5,000

reusable cups have been given to new students.

Something so simple as a reusable cup can greatly aid

the university’s path to sustainable development; and with

companies such as Starbucks introducing a charge for

disposable cups, using a reusable cup really is the

SMART thing to do.

Reusable Water Bottles = save 50p per use

A water bottle may cost just a mere 50p however, its not

just the economic cost, there’s an environmental cost too;

Typically one 1L water bottle releases 100g of CO2 and

requires 7 litres of water to produce.

Re-useable Tote Bags = save 5p per use

England’s plastic bag usage dropped by 85% following

the introduction of the 5p charge, however, 1.04 billion

plastic bags were still sold by the 7 main supermarkets

between 2017-2018. These bags can take 1,000 years to

break down and are responsible for the death of over 1

million sea birds annually. Luckily, the current 5p plastic

bag charge, is under consideration to rise to 10p, in an

attempt to further curb Britain's throwaway culture.

Audit Appreciation

Last year, the University of Liverpool successfully developed an Environmental

Management System (EMS) and following the completion of nearly 40 audits gained

certification to an ISO 14001:2015 standard. Despite, achieving this certification the

university’s waste management performance at the time of the audits was highlighted

as a university wide poor-performance area. Recently, over 25 follow-up audits were

completed in an attempt to assess and hopefully improve the university’s waste

management performance. The sustainability team would like to thank all staff who

participated in the audits for their cooperation and we welcome the arrival of the

external auditors this month!

October 2018

World Mental Health Day 10th October 2018

Contrary to popular belief mental health problems are

not rare; one in four adults and one in ten children

experience mental illness in their lifetime Despite, the

common nature of mental health problems, stigma and

discrimination still encircles those burdened by mental

illness. Studies have revealed that nearly 9 out of 10

people who have mental health problems have reported

suffering stigma and discrimination with the most

commonly held belief being that individuals with mental

health problems are dangerous.

Unfortunately, as well as being plagued with stigma and

discrimination, mental health also suffers from a serious

lack of funding. Whilst mental illness totals 23% of NHS

activity, only 11% of the total NHS budget is allocated to

mental health; it has long been the ‘poor relation’ of

physical ailments in terms of care. In 2017 the PM

announced a major government movement to rejuvenate

mental health services; however, it appears the NHS

mental crisis is simply deteriorating further with

thousands of nurses, therapists and psychiatrists opting

to leave the NHS mental health services . In this current

crisis it is more important than ever that you look after

your own mental health and here’s a start on how.

How to look after your own mental health

1. Try the app Headspace, recommended by the NHS,

which trains your mind to be happier and healthier

through both guided and non-guided meditation.

Other apps include Stress and Anxiety Companion

and 3 Minute Mindfullness

2. Empty your stress bucket: instead of bottling up

stresses. Empty your bucket in a helpful and healthy

way whether its by talking it out with a trusted friend,

engaging in physical activity or simply laughing

Every year 400M

tonnes of plastic

is produced,

40% of which is

single use

Do you have any stories or published academic

research linked the SDGs? Do you want to feature in

the monthly newsletter, or interested in joining the

team? Just email sbility@liverpool.ac.uk, for a

chance to feature and register your interest