Guest blog: Sustainable development report 2021: Finland is the tops
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| Laura Kotila/PMO Finland |
The UN Sustainable Development
Solutions Network and the Bertelsmann Foundation have ranked Finland as a number
one in their international
comparison of sustainable development. Annually published Sustainable
development report and Index assesses countries’ progress on implementing the
2030 Agenda and the SDGs.
For
Finland, it is an honor to be at the top of the list this year. This has not
happened over night - it has required hard work and long-term dedication from the
whole of society. We have built common understanding, dialogue and – most importantly,
trust – among all stakeholders for almost 30 years. When Finland celebrated her
100th
anniversary, there was one word that summed up and was the theme
of the celebration: together. In Finland, cities,
municipalities, business, organizations and other actors have worked together
for years – also for implementing the 2030 Agenda. Finland has also received international recognition of its participatory
model of sustainable development, for example, this spring Finland received the Catalyst 2030 award.
The core idea of sustainable development - to ensure human well-being within planetary boundaries – is at the heart of the Nordic model. Good indication of that is the fact that the Nordic countries have positioned at the top of the list for year after year. Our social foundation, i.e. safeguarding the human well-being, is on a solid base: the report reveals that Finland has achieved - or is close to achieving - the SDGs on poverty alleviation, health, education, reducing inequality, peace and the rule of law.
However, this kind of recognition also makes us humble. We clearly
understand that we still have a way to go to reach all the SDGs. Our biggest
challenges relate to the planetary boundaries and our capability to operate
within them. We have significant challenges on climate
change, consumption and production patterns, and biodiversity. The most urgent question for us is this: how to ensure
the wellbeing of the people of world’s happiest country within the limits of
our planet’s carrying capacity?
The gap between the most successful
and the poorest performing countries should be narrowed sooner than later. In
the future, also Finland’s focus should be more and more on supporting the countries
at the bottom of the index. For example, the level of
funding for development cooperation needs to be increased, especially for the least
developed countries. ODA is one indicator in the report’s
Spillover Score section. Spillovers show that each country's actions can have positive or negative effects on other
countries' abilities to achieve the SDGs. Report examines
countries’ spillovers by addressing international trade, cross-border air and
water pollution, international economic and financial flows, and peace keeping
and security. It is important to make spillovers visible and
more widely known. We cannot promote our own national sustainable development
at the expense of other countries.
The Finnish National Commission on Sustainable Development is currently preparing a national roadmap for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. The 2030 Agenda roadmap is a plan for the Finnish society as a whole to achieve all the SDGs by 2030. The path to achieving all targets will be constructed by focusing on six areas of transformation, where systemic changes need to take place (for example the food system, energy system, the use of land and forests to strengthen biodiversity and carbon neutrality, economy that promotes well-being, work and sustainable consumption).
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