The Council of Ministers has approved the General Guidelines of the Sustainable Development Strategy. This is a document in which the Government of Spain creates the roadmap for the country to comply with the 2030 agenda and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals - SDG-.
In a few months it will become law and will entail obligations for individuals, companies and institutions. What does it consist of and why is it important?
What is the objective and why is the new strategy necessary?
The Sustainable Development Goals - SDG- aim to ensure that those of us living on planet earth today can meet our own needs without compromising the needs of future generations.
Spain's new sustainable development strategy responds to the need to accelerate the implementation of SDG. The United Nations and expert groups have warned about the slowness with which governments worldwide have taken action.
What does it mean for companies?
The implementation of the SDG represents not only great challenges but also many opportunities. It strengthens their competitiveness in a globalized economy and reinforces their commitment to society and the planet in the face of an increasingly demanding society. To find out more about the benefits of aligning company objectives with the SDG please click here.
What are the eight goals of the new strategy and why is it essential?
Our 2030 agenda is made up of eight broad areas.
1. Poverty and inequality.
There can be no development with poverty. As a result of Covid-19, poverty has increased in Spain. 800,000 more people for a total of 5.1 million people living below the poverty line. This is what an Oxfam Oxfam reportwho understands the poverty index as those who live on less than 16 euros a day.
2. The climate and environmental emergency.
Put the protection of the planet at the heart of decision making.
The 2010s were the warmest decade in history and 2019 the warmest year in Europe and the second warmest globally since records have been kept.
The Spanish Meteorological Agency announced last December that the average temperature in Spain has risen by 1.7ºC. Seventy per cent of the Spanish surface is at risk of desertification, and the Mediterranean and the Canary Islands would be particularly vulnerable to rising sea levels.
3. The gap of gender inequality and discrimination.
Gender violence, wage gaps, fewer opportunities for women, work-life balance, among many other issues become a priority for the National Government.
In this analysis we expand a little more on the effects of COVID on women: how Covid19 affected women and what companies can do to mitigate the negative impact.
4. The inefficiencies of the economic system.
Transitioning towards a decarbonised economy, a fully circular economy and encouraging investment are actions foreseen in the Spanish Strategic Plan.
Especially during and after Covid19. By having to close the borders, the country has suffered a historic drop of more than 11% of its GDP by the end of 2020. So says an analytical analytical study by PWC Spain.
5. Job insecurity.
So far, the average age of emancipation in Spain is 29 years old and more than half of the contracts of those under 30 are temporary.
Spain closed 2020 with the worst youth unemployment rate in the entire European Union: four out of every 10 people under 25 years of age were unemployed, and 25% of those between 25 and 30 years of age did not have a job either, according to the Labour Force Survey (EPA) of the INE (National Statistics Institute).
To address these situations, the Government has proposed to promote economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work.
6. The crisis of public services.
The main actions are based on social services, civil rights and the National Health System.
The pandemic has brought to the attention of the political agency the need to accelerate the digitization of the Spanish healthcare system and of all public administrations in general. in general.
For example, patient care has had to be redirected to online or telematic care and monitoring, and the Minister of Health announced that work is underway to develop a Digital Health Strategy in parallel with the actions of the 2030 Agenda.
7. Global injustice, threats to human rights and democratic principles.
To achieve a peaceful, safe, just, inclusive and sustainable world for all people. To meet international commitments on migration and refugee issues. And to promote fairer trade relations.
The health, economic and social crisis provoked by Covid19 has progressively deteriorated the conditions of the migrant population in Spain. Spain is the country with the highest number of migrant entries in the EU, with 41,000 irregular entries, compared to 34,100 in Italy and 15,500 in Greece (according to figures of December 28th provided by UNHCR). With a growth in 2020 of approximately 30% compared to 2019.
8. The situation of the rural environment.
According to the Union of Professionals and Self-Employed Workers95% of the Spanish population lives in 47% of the territory, which means that in the remaining 53% lives only 5% of the population, with an average density of 9.35 inhabitants per square kilometer and a high rate of aging. A situation that, according to all specialists, will worsen in the medium/long term if measures are not taken to avoid it.
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