The Colombian government is a driving force behind the idea of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It proposed the SDG approach in the run-up to the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20), which subsequently endorsed SDGs as a mainstay of the post-2015 development agenda – the global process that will build on the legacy of the Millennium Development Goals or MDGs.
Alejandra Torres, Director of International Affairs, Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development argued that SDGs had to be universal – the goals should apply to all, not just to some. Thus the focus of the MDGs on poverty reduction would remain central to SDGs, but would be complemented by targets that could incentivize action on sustainable consumption and production.

In order to measure progress and create policies that adapt to change, Torres also stressed the need for new metrics to measure and plan development. Torres went on to describe the innovative work that the Colombian government is carrying out to develop national goals for sustainable development.

Brigitte Baptiste, Executive Director of the Humboldt Institute, Colombia, talked about the role of biodiversity and ecosystem services in the SDGs. She described how rich biodiversity provides resilience in face of disasters – in Colombia, abundant fish stocks provided livelihoods and food after catastrophic floods destroyed crops.

In the panel discussion that followed, SEI’s Research Director Måns Nilsson said: “There are a few trends that make the transition from Millennium Development Goals to Sustainable Development Goals essential: the shift to a political agenda dominated by growth and jobs instead of poverty alleviation; the sustainable energy revolution; and the insight that the resilience of human communities to disasters is largely based on healthy ecosystems.”

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SEI is actively engaging in the SDG process. The Institute is providing knowledge for SDGs through the Independent Research Forum, a collaboration of research institutes from across the globe, bringing together diverse analytical skills, cultural perspectives and networks to provide credible analysis and inform decision makers. The Forum is an independent source of critical thinking, integrated analysis and awareness-raising on SDGs and elements of a post-2015 development agenda.