The new goals as of September 2015 are to encourage a global transition towards greater sustainability. This will embrace the fight against hunger and poverty and efforts to promote peaceful coexistence. What is new is that they will address all nations, not just developing countries, and will call on all economies to change course.

Although the international community has managed to halve poverty around the globe and improve access to both drinking water and education, there are still almost 1.3 billion people in the world who have to survive on less than 1.25 dollars a day. A whole range of other problems, including excessive resource exploitation, climate change, environmental destruction, unemployment and social inequality pose additional challenges.

This is why the United Nations has produced a set of new sustainable development goals that are to be achieved by 2030. The principle of sustainability is seen to mean the balance between economic progress, social equity and environmental protection.

New common goals

The planned post-2015 agenda brings together two international processes which have hitherto run along parallel tracks. Alongside the Millennium Development Goals adopted in 2000 there is what is known as "Agenda 21", an action programme adopted at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. Agenda 21 aims to meet the needs of today’s generation without prejudicing the opportunities of future generations through new economic, environmental and development policies. Twenty years later, the international community met once again in Rio de Janeiro ("Rio+20" or "Rio 2012"). They reaffirmed their commitment to sustainable business, and especially to the green economy. They also decided to produce a set of sustainable development goals (SDGs).

The Millennium Development Goals of 2000

In September 2000 the leaders of 189 nations met in New York and adopted the Millennium Declaration and a total of eight Millennium Development Goals. In spite of the many achievements, action is still needed.

The achievements are:

• A 28 per cent drop in poverty

• A good 10 per cent fewer people go hungry

• Better access to drinking water for 2.3 billion people

• Primary education for 90 per cent of all children

• A 45 per cent drop in maternal mortality

• Infant mortality down by almost half.

A new agenda is coming

In December 2014 the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon published a synthesis report on financing for development. It set out a framework for further negotiations. A UN working group had already submitted a proposal in July 2014. The synthesis report was based in no small way on the work of the High-level Panel of Eminent Persons on the Post-2015 Development Agenda appointed by Ban Ki-moon. Former German Federal President Horst Köhler was an active member of the Panel.

The post-2015 agenda aims to achieve comprehensive programmes on five key questions that will shape our global future. The current draft lays out 17 sustainable development goals as a key point of reference:

• End poverty in all its forms everywhere

• End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture

• Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages

• Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all

• Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls

• Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all

• Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all

• Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all

• Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation

• Reduce inequality within and among countries

• Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable

• Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns

• Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts

• Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development

• Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss

• Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels

• Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development.

Good governance, financing and impact monitoring, a multi-actor approach and a stronger review mechanism are all important aspects of sustainable development.

Securing financing for development

Sufficient finance will be needed to achieve the new development goals. This is why the Third International Conference on Financing for Development will be held in July 2015 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The outcome of the conference will be incorporated in the post-2015 agenda. It is important for the international community to send a clear political signal in Addis Ababa, for the implementation of the post-2015 agenda.

The G7 summit meeting in the Bavarian Alps at Schloss Elmau also served to pave the way for the United Nations summit at which the new development goals are to be adopted. The heads of government attending the summit made it plain that they support the planned new global agreement on sustainable development. The commitment to spend 0.7 per cent of gross national income (GNI) on official development assistance (ODA) was expressly anchored in the Leaders’ Declaration. This is an important signal for developing countries and emerging economies.

Charter for the Future and Tour for the Future

The success of the post-2015 agenda will depend in no small way on getting everybody on board in Germany too: businesses, civil society groups, the scientific and research community, and ordinary citizens. In 2014 the Federal Development Ministry launched a broad discussion process in which many groups within society, aid organisations, non-governmental organisations, the business community and politicians were involved. This outcome of this process is the Charter for the Future. The Charter, almost 60 pages in length, is entitled "ONE WORLD – Our Responsibility". It lays out recommendations for sustainable actions in a wide spectrum of areas, from politics, to business and everyday life. The Charter for the Future is now going on tour throughout Germany. With special events and interactive formats the Tour aims to bring to life the ideas laid out in the Charter. The people will be given the opportunity to contribute their own ideas and get involved in the discussion.

Climate Change Conference in Paris

At the end of November the UN Climate Change Conference will open in Paris. Climate action is crucially important for sustainable development. G7 summit participants clearly voiced their commitment to limiting global warming. The G7 states agreed to binding emission reduction targets which are to be adopted at the Paris conference. There is a will to entirely renounce the use of oil, coal and gas in the course of the 21st century.

National sustainability strategy

How does Germany intend to implement these international goals at home? The German government intends to do so within the framework of the country’s national sustainability strategy, as decided in December 2014.

Germany has had a national sustainability strategy since 2002. It is updated at four-yearly intervals and provides the main guidance for sustainability policy at national level. It lays out objectives and indicators that can be used to measure progress or to identify areas in which no progress is made. The next progress report will be published in late 2016.

What should the sustainability strategy spotlight? How should the indicators be developed? The German government intends to discuss just this with the people. There will be an opportunity to do so at conferences in Berlin, Dresden, Stuttgart, Bonn and Hamburg. The results will be incorporated in the next updated sustainability strategy and will be part of the progress report. The individual federal states and associations will also be involved.