Through the lens of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), over the 17 days leading up to the Australia’s national election we will be highlighting the challenge for an inclusive and sustainable Australia, what can be done to address the challenge and what BCSD Australia, as part of a global WBCSD network is doing to create impact.
On Day 17, we are looking at SDG17: Partnerships for the Goals
Australia’s commitment to the SDGs is about meeting our own national targets and our relationship with the world, playing a role in assisting other countries to meet the SDGs. In this context, the Overseas Development Assistance Program is the most relevant measurement of the Australian Government’s international aid and development commitment. According to the SDSN, the percentage of gross national income (GNI) committed to aid has fallen in each of the past four years and is currently only 0.22% of GNI - the lowest percentage since 2000. Australia is now below the OECD average and is one of the lowest OECD contributors on this measure.
Partnership within Australia is also essential to the successful implementation of the SDGs. Unity, engagement and respectful collaboration is necessary across all sectors to achieve our national targets, including partnership and collaboration between the community, governments and businesses. Australia’s historically low rates of collaboration make progress against the SDGs all the harder.
Collaboration to achieve coherence and consensus will be needed if we are to achieve Budget sustainability, reduce inequalities, develop our infrastructure, and ensure that fiscal incentives are appropriately put in place to support progress on climate change and the environment.
What is BCSD Australia doing to create impact to address these challenges?
We are working with a number of partner organisations on projects that will help to address this challenge here in Australia and around the world, including:
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