AGENDA 2030 IMPLEMENTATION
UKTuesday, 18 August 2020
The UK is committed to the delivery of the SDGs. The SDGs are fully embedded in the UK Government’s programme of work through departments’ Single Departmental Plans (SDPs) – the planned activity of each department.
On 5 July 2019, the UK Government published a report highlighting examples of how delivery of the Government’s programme supports the delivery of the SDGs. Development, sustainability and inclusivity underline much of our domestic approach to policy making and delivery.
Scotland’s National Performance Framework (NPF) is the main mechanism for implementing the Goals in Scotland. The NPF and the Goals share the same aims: encouraging transformational social, economic and environmental change to achieve increased well-being and a more peaceful and prosperous future. The NPF is underpinned by law and is intended to inform discussion, collaboration and planning of policies and services across Scotland.
Since 2015 Wales’ efforts have been shaped by the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 which puts sustainable development on a significantly stronger footing in the legislative and policy landscape in Wales. The Act enshrines Wales’s commitment to sustainable development and seeks to strengthen efforts to tackle key intergenerational challenges, such as climate change, poverty and inequalities. The Act localises the 17 Goals into domestic legislation through Wales’ own 7 sustainable development goals (well-being goals), a legally binding common purpose to work towards the 7 well-being goals, the inclusion of a culture as a fourth dimension of sustainable development, and the establishment of statutory partnerships to advance sustainable development.
Northern Ireland has incorporated the three dimensions of sustainable development; economic, social and environmental, into the Northern Ireland Civil Service (NICS) strategic plans, rather than through separate sustainability strategies. This has resulted in the principles of sustainable development being embedded in the Northern Ireland Executive’s highest- level strategy, the draft Programme for Government (PfG).
The Secretary of State for International Development in the Department for International Development (DFID) has overall leadership and policy oversight for the Goals in UK Government. The Cabinet Office is committed to supporting DFID on domestic coordination and ensures that progress on the Government's priorities, including the SDGs, is maximised.
Each UK government department has embedded the Goals in its Single Departmental Plan – an established process to focus government efforts on important issues. Each department’s Single Departmental Plan outlines how planned activity will support the delivery of the Goals. Each department also works with its partners and stakeholders to deliver these priorities.
During preparation of the UK’s Voluntary National Review, bespoke structures were also created with different departments leading on different Goal-focused chapters. More detail is set out in the Voluntary National Review.
The SDG Team in the Department for International Development: sdgs@dfid.gov.uk.