Ireland’s second national implementation plan for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has been launched by Taoiseach Micheál Martin and other members of the government, including the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, in Dublin today (Wednesday, October 5).
The United Nations (UN) adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in 2015 which incorporates 17 SDGs or global goals on key issues such as world poverty, climate action and peace and stability.
“The launch of Ireland’s second national implementation plan for the SDGs comes at a crucial time,” Taoiseach Micheál Martin said.
“The global Covid-19 pandemic slowed progress across the world towards achieving the UN’s SDGs with progress in some areas even going into reverse.
“Now is therefore the time to redouble our efforts, to achieve greater momentum, and to get things back on track.”
The Taoiseach also said that the SDGs are the agreed roadmap to a “fairer, safer world” and through the national implementation plan, Ireland was equipping the country to deliver the goals both at a global level and at home.
The new national implementation plan sets out five strategic objectives and 51 actions, with 119 individual measures, and highlights the whole-of-government approach Ireland has adopted to the implementation of the SDGs.
Also speaking at the launch of the plan, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue said each of the 17 SDGs relied on “healthier, more sustainable and equitable food systems”.
“Ireland’s innovative 10-year agri-food strategy Food Vision 2030 was developed using a food systems approach which places sustainability in all its guises at its core,” he said.
“The Food Vision 2030 implementation plan aligns its missions and goals with specific SDG targets, putting food system transformation at the centre of the agri-food sector’s commitment to help realise the SDGs by 2030.”
He added that a sustainable food sector was good for Ireland’s farmers, food producers, consumers and the environment.