Sustainable Development Parameters By The United Nations: Critical Analysis

Subhradeep Saha & Tanisha Parvin

ABSTRACT

Sustainability can be defined as a process that bridges the gulf between development and environment. The United Nations has set 17 distinct goals which are to be attained within a specific time frame that has also been set by them. Out of those 17 goals, goal number 7 is to ensure global access to affordable, modern, reliable and sustainable energy.

The United Nations has set five parameters which can allegedly jump start transition towards renewable and sustainable energy on this planet. Those five parameters are, make renewable energy technology a global public good, improve global access to components and raw materials, level the playing field for the renewable energy technology, shift energy subsidies from fossil fuels to renewable energy, and triple investment in renewables.

The authors, through the medium of this paper, aim to establish how the United Nations is facing challenges to achieve goal 7 of the 17 SDGs. However, by implementing the aforementioned parameters, the UN is also moving against the whole concept of sustainable development. The authors also aim to establish how such implementation is affecting the natural resources of the planet. The said parameters set by the UN have the potential to have adverse effects on the planet and such is discussed in this paper. The authors also aim to establish how the said parameters are against goal 12 of the 17 SDGs.

Keywords: Sustainable development, United Nations. Environment, Renewable Energy, Climate.