Development

This evolving paper examines Ethical Development Goals (EDGs) that could complement the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Introduction

The EDGs are inspired by the SDGs, officially known as ‘Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development’, an intergovernmental set of aspiration Goals with 169 targets.

However, ethical considerations need to play a more central role in the implementation of the SDGs.

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To Oxford Martin School to see Ian Goldin, former Vice President of the World Bank and former economic advisor to Nelson Mandela.

Goldin believes development is the no.1 issue facing humanity - why do some societies and some individuals develop, get richer, get rights etc....while others don't? Why is GDP so pre-dominant, meaning that destructive practices (e.g. environmental harm) are counted as economic acticity - in short, "why are the bads of economies counted as goods?"

Goldin traced the trajectory of development over recent decades. Dependency theory led to uneven development which countries tried to address through import substitution, but countries are generally not very good at state-controlled production and then the oil price rises of the 1970s led to a vicious cycle of debts and bail-outs.

According to Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind, which spans the whole of human history, from the very first humans to walk the earth to the radical - and sometimes devastating - breakthroughs of the cognitive, agricultural and scientific revolutions:

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a proposed set of global targets adopted by governments that business can help achieve. There are currently 17 goals (see below) with 169 indicators to help define progress. Driven by the UN adopting an 'inclusive and transparent intergovernmental process open to all stakeholders' the SDGs launch in September 2015 at the UN Summit. They're going to replace the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) which were good, but fell short, because they were focused on poverty alleviation in the developing world, whereas the SDGs are globally applicable and integrate economic, social and environmental aspects. Expectations are high for the SDGs.