Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-l7hp2 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-22T00:15:36.294Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Assessing the SDGs from the standpoint of eco-social policy: using the SDGs subversively

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 March 2020

Gabriele Koehler
Gabriele Koehler*
Affiliation:
UNRISD Senior Research Associate, Geneva
*
*Email: [email protected]. Postal address: Habsburgerplatz 6, 80801 Munich, Germany. www.gabrielekoehler.net
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The UN 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development impresses with its ambition of transformation, and because it has succeeded in marrying economic, social and environmental goals. This article looks at two interrelated questions. It asks whether and to what extent the Agenda's goals are transformative, but finds numerous omissions and clashes. It also seeks to examine whether the Agenda refers to eco-social policy. Two schools of thought are examined. Both critical theory and sufficiency economics propose shifts in norms, policies and practice – and argue for a “hierarchy reversal”, whereby social and climate justice goals override the economic rationale. The article concludes with a case for instrumentalising the commitments of the 2030 Agenda, but complemented by a subversive approach – injecting radical thinking and action for economic, environmental and social justice. Whether this could succeed in light of political constellations is open, and requires an idealistic faith in the power of ideas.

Keywords

2030 Agenda for Sustainable Developmentsustainabilitywelfare stateeco-social policyhierarchy reversalcritical theory
Type
Articles
Information
Journal of International and Comparative Social Policy , Volume 32 , Issue 2: Special Issue: Social Policy and the Transformative Potential of the SDGs , June 2016 , pp. 149 - 164
Copyright
Copyright © 2016 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Adams, B., & Martens, J. (2015). Fit for whose purpose? Private funding and corporate influence in the United Nations. New York, NY: Global Policy Forum. Retrieved March 28, 2016, from https://www.globalpolicy.org/images/pdfs/images/pdfs/Fit_for_whose_purpose_online.pdfGoogle Scholar
Alkire, S. (2007). The missing dimensions of poverty data: An introduction, (OPHI Working Paper 00). Oxford. Retrieved from www.ophi.org.uk/working-paper-number-0Google Scholar
Beisheim, M. (2015). Die “Agenda 2030 für nachhaltige Entwicklung”. Ein Ausblick auf ihre Weiterverfolgung und Überprüfung. In Vereinte Nationen, 6, 255–260. Retrieved from http://www.dgvn.de/veroeffentlichungen/artikel/einzel/die-agenda-2030-fuer-nachhaltige-entwicklung/Google Scholar
Berg, A. (2016). Gute NGOs, böse NGOs. Amnesty journal. Issue 4/5 2016: 20 f. Berlin: Amnesty International.Google Scholar
Boltvinik, J., & Damian, A. (2016). Irrelevance of the MDGs and a real solution to poverty: Universal citizen's income. In Cimadamore, A. D., Koehler, G., & Pogge, Th. (Eds.), Poverty and the millennium development goals: A critical look forward (pp. 173–202). CROP. London: ZED Books.Google Scholar
Carson, R. (1962). Silent spring. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin.Google Scholar
Cimadamore, A. D., Koehler, G., & Pogge, Th. (2016). Poverty and the millennium development goals: A critical look forward. Introduction. In Cimadamore, A. D., Koehler, G., & Pogge, Th. (Eds.), Poverty and the millennium development goals: A critical look forward (pp. 3–25). CROP. London: ZED Books.Google Scholar
Cook, S., Smith, K., & Utting, P. (2012). Green economy or green society? Contestation and policies for a fair transition (UNRISD Occasional Paper 10). Geneva: UNRISD. Retrieved March 28, 2016, from http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0ahUKEwivmYSNkOTLAhUCpnIKHdS3ALEQFggdMAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmercury.ethz.ch%2Fserviceengine%2FFiles%2FISN%2F156013%2Fipublicationdocument_singledocument%2F63178a75-7c95-4201-bd89-162ff7b1418d%2Fen%2F10%2BCook-Smith-Utting.pdf&usg=AFQjCNEwIMy5nTE85kbLa2YPRtQ3ueV45gGoogle Scholar
Council of Europe. (1961). European social charter. Treaty 35. Retrieved from http://www.coe.int/en/web/conventions/full-list/-/conventions/treaty/035.Google Scholar
Deacon, B. (2013). Global social policy in the making. The foundations of the social protection floor. Bristol: Policy Press.Google Scholar
Deacon, B. (2014). Towards a transformative global social policy? In Kaasch, A. & Stubbs, P. (Eds.), Transformations in global and regional social policies (pp. 201–217). Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Deacon, B. (2016). Social solidarity must replace poverty eradication in the UN's post-2015 development agenda. In Cimadamore, A. D., Koehler, G., & Pogge, Th. (Eds.), Poverty and the millennium development goals: A critical look forward (pp. 203–228). CROP. London: ZED Books.Google Scholar
Deacon, B. (in press). SDGs, agenda 2030 and the prospects for transformative social policy and social development. Journal of International and Comparative Social Policy. doi:10.1080/21699763.2016.1200112.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Deacon, B., Macovei, M. C., Van Langenhove, L., & Yeates, N. (2010a). Global social governance and world-regional social policy. In Deacon, B., Macovei, M. C., Van Langenhove, L., & Yeates, N. (Eds.), World-regional social policy and global governance (pp. 213–229). London: Routledge.Google Scholar
Deacon, B., Macovei, M. C., Van Langenhove, L., & Yeates, N. (Eds.). (2010b). World-regional social policy and global governance. London: Routledge.Google Scholar
Dodds, F., Laguna-Celis, J., & Thompson, L. (2014). From Rio+20 to a new development agenda. Building a bridge to a sustainable future. London: Routledge.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Edward, P., & Sumner, A. (2015). Philanthropy, welfare capitalism or radically different global economic model: What would it take to end global poverty within a generation based on historical growth patterns? (Working Paper 413). Centre for Global Development. Retrieved from http://www.cgdev.org/publication/end-global-poverty-within-generation-historical-growthCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Enwezor, O. (2015). All the world's futures, Biennale Venice. Retrieved from http://www.labiennale.org/en/art/exhibition/enwezor/Google Scholar
Fukuda-Parr, S. (2015). The 2030 agenda and the SDGs – a course correction? Guest blog. Sheffield Political Economy Research Institute. Retrieved March 28, 2016, from speri.dept.shef.ac.uk/2015/09/30/the-2030-agenda-and-the-sdgs-a-course-correction/Google Scholar
Gabizon, S. (2016). Women's movements’ engagement in the SDGs: lessons learned from the women's major group. Gender and Development, 24(1), 99–110. OXFAM.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ghosh, J. (2015). The poverty alleviation way to development. Delhi: Frontline. Retrieved from http://www.frontline.in/columns/Jayati_Ghosh/the-poverty-alleviation-way-to-development/article7549958.eceGoogle Scholar
Gordon, D., Nandy, S., Pantazis, C., Pemberton, S., & Townsend, P. (2003). Child poverty in the developing world. Bristol: The Policy Press.Google Scholar
Gore, C. (2013). Beyond the romantic violence of the MDGs. Development, aid and human rights. In Langford, M., Sumner, A., & Yamin, A. E. (Eds.), The millennium development goals and human rights. Past, present and future (pp. 383–407). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Gough, I. (2014a). Climate change, social policy and global governance. In Kaasch, A. & Stubbs, P. (Eds.), Transformations in global and regional social policies (pp. 108–133). Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gough, I. (2014b). Welfare states and environmental states. A framework for comparative analysis. London: LSE.Google Scholar
Gough, I. (2014c, October). Climate change and the prospects for eco-social policies. Oslo lecture. Retrieved from https://blogg.hioa.no/sustainablewelfare/files/2014/10/Gough-Oslo-Lecture-October-2014.pdfGoogle Scholar
van Griethuysen, P. (2012). Bona diagnosis, bona curatio: How property economics clarifies the degrowth debate. Ecological Economics, 84(2012), 262–269.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ilkkaracan, I., Kim, K.-J., & Kaya, T. (2015). The impact of public investment in social care services on employment, gender equality, and poverty: The Turkish case. Istanbul: Istanbul Technical University Women's Study Canter.Google Scholar
ILO. (1996). Convention on homework C177. Retrieved from http://www.ilo.org/dyn/normlex/en/f?p=NORMLEXPUB:12100:0::NO::P12100_ILO_CODE:C177Google Scholar
ILO. (2011). Recommendation no. 201: Concerning decent work for domestic workers. Retrieved from http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/—ed_protect/—protrav/—travail/documents/publication/wcms_168266.pdfGoogle Scholar
ILO. (2012). Social protection floors. Recommendation 202. Retrieved March 25, 2016, from http://www.ilo.org/dyn/normlex/en/f?p=1000:12100:0::NO::P12100_INSTRUMENT_ID:3065524Google Scholar
ILO. (2014). Global employment trends. Risk of a jobless recovery? Retrieved March 24, 2016, from http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/—dgreports/—dcomm/—publ/documents/publication/wcms_233953.pdfGoogle Scholar
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. (2014). Climate change 2014. Synthesis report. Summary for policy makers. Geneva: Author. Retrieved from https://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/assessment-report/ar5/syr/AR5_SYR_FINAL_SPM.pdfGoogle Scholar
International Conference on Population and Development. (1994). Action plan (p. 17). Retrieved from http://www.unfpa.org/sites/default/files/event-pdf/PoA_en.pdf.Google Scholar
Jensen, S. L. B., Corkery, A., & Donald, K. (2015). Realizing rights through the sustainable development goals: The role of national human rights institutions (Briefing Paper). The Danish Institute for Human Rights and Center for Economic and Social Rights. Retrieved from http://www.humanrights.dk/files/media/dokumenter/udgivelser/research/nhri_briefingpaper_may2015.pdf.Google Scholar
Jolly, R., Emmerij, L., & Weiss, T. G. (2009). UN ideas that changed the world. Bloomington: Indiana University Press.Google Scholar
Kaasch, A., & Stubbs, P. (2014). Transformations in global and regional social policies. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Klein, N. (2014). This changes everything. Capitalism vs. the climate. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster.Google Scholar
Koehler, G. (2014). Some preliminary reflections on development, public policy and welfare states. In Koehler, G. & Chopra, D. (Eds.), Development and welfare policy in south Asia (pp. 9–24). London: Routledge.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Koehler, G. (2015a). Human rights, human security and gender: Stitching the pieces together. In Ozolina, Z. (Eds.), Gender and human security (pp. 43–69). Riga: Zinatne.Google Scholar
Koehler, G. (2015b). Seven decades of “development”, and now what? Journal of International Development. Special DSA Issue, 27(6), 733–751.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Koehler, G. (2016a). Looking back and looking forward: The case for a developmental welfare state. In Cimadamore, A. D., Koehler, G., & Pogge, Th. (Eds.), Poverty and the millennium development goals: A critical look forward (pp. 229–256). CROP. London: ZED Books.Google Scholar
Koehler, G. (2016b). Tapping the SDGs for progressive gender equity and equality policy? Gender and Development 24(1). OXFAM, 53–68.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Latouche, J. (2010). Sortir de la société de consommation. Arles: Actes Sud.Google Scholar
Macluran, D., & Hinton, J. (2016). How on earth? Oregon: Post Growth Publishing.Google Scholar
Marx, K. (1969/1890). Das Kapital. Kritik der politischen Ökonmie. Erster Band. Berlin: Dietz.Google Scholar
Mathiesen, K., & Harvey, F. (2015, December 8). Climate coalition breaks cover in Paris to push for binding and ambitious deal. The Guardian. Retrieved March 28, 2016, from http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/dec/08/coalition-paris-push-for-binding-ambitious-climate-change-dealGoogle Scholar
Melamed, C. (2016). SDGs week one – a progress report. Deliver 2030.org. Blog. Retrieved from http://deliver2030.org/?p=6605Google Scholar
Montes, M. (2016). The MDGs versus an enabling global environment for development: Issues for the post-2015 development agenda. In Cimadamore, A. D., Koehler, G., & Pogge, Th. (Eds.), Poverty and the millennium development goals: A critical look forward (pp. 126–156). CROP. London: ZED Books.Google Scholar
Olivet, C., & Brennan, B. (2010). Regional social policy from below. In Deacon, B., Macovei, M. C., Van Langenhove, L., & Yeates, N. (Eds.), World-regional social policy and global governance (pp. 63–81). London: Routldege.Google Scholar
OXFAM. (2015). Even it up. Time to end extreme poverty. Oxford: Author. Retrieved from https://www.oxfam.org/sites/www.oxfam.org/files/file_attachments/cr-even-it-up-extreme-inequality-291014-en.pdfGoogle Scholar
Paech, N. (2012). Liberation from excess. The road to a post-growth economy. Munich: Oekom.Google Scholar
Piketty, Th. (2014). Capital in the twenty-first century. Boston, MA: Harvard University Press.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pogge, T., & Sengupta, M. (in press). A critique of the sustainable development goals’ potential to realize human rights of all: Why being better than the MDGs is not good enough. Journal of International and Comparative Social Policy.Google Scholar
Pope Francis. (2013). Evangelii gaudium. Apostolic exhortation. Retrieved from 2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/apost_exhortations/documents/papa-francesco_esortazione-ap_20131124_evangelii-gaudium.htmlGoogle Scholar
Razavi, S. (2007). The political and social economy of care in a development context. Conceptual issues, research questions, policy options. UNRISD. Gender and Development Program Paper No. 3. Retrieved March 26, 2016, from http://www.unrisd.org/80256B3C005BCCF9/(httpAuxPages)/2DBE6A93350A7783C12573240036D5A0/$file/Razavi-paper.pdfGoogle Scholar
Rogers, D. S., & Balázs, B. (2016). The view from deprivation: Poverty, inequality and the distribution of wealth. In Cimadamore, A. D., Koehler, G., & Pogge, Th. (Eds.), Poverty and the millennium development goals: A critical look forward (pp. 45–82). CROP. London: ZED Books.Google Scholar
SAARC. (2004). Social charter of the South Asian association for regional cooperation. Islamabad. Retrieved from http://saarc-sec.org/areaofcooperation/detail.php?activity_id=7Google Scholar
Schneidewind, U., & Zahrnt, A. (2014). The politics of sufficiency. Making it easier to live the god life. Munich: Oekom.Google Scholar
Sivaraksa, S. (1994). A Buddhist vision for renewing society: Collected articles. Bangkok: Thai Inter-Religious Commission for Development.Google Scholar
Sivaraksa, S. (2009). The wisdom of sustainability: Buddhist economics for the 21st century. Bangkok: Koa Books.Google Scholar
Thailand Sustainable Development Foundation. (2015). Thailand's sustainable development. Sourcebook. Bangkok: Editions Didier Millet.Google Scholar
Transition Network. (2016). Official initiatives by number. Retrieved March 25, 2016, from http://www.transitionnetwork.org/initiatives/by-numberGoogle Scholar
UN. (2012). Rio plus 20 outcome document. UN New York. Retrieved from http://www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=A/RES/66/288&Lang=EGoogle Scholar
UN. (2013). A new global partnership: Eradicate poverty and transform economies through sustainable development. The Report of the High-Level Panel of Eminent Persons on the Post-2015 Development Agenda, New York 2013. Retrieved from http://www.post2015hlp.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/UN-Report.pdfGoogle Scholar
UN. (2014). Challenges and achievements in the implementation of the millennium development goals for women and girls. Report of the Secretary-General, UN Doc. E/CN.6/2014.3: 5.Google Scholar
UN. (2015). Transforming our world: The 2030 agenda for sustainable development. Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 25 September. A/RES/70/1.2015. Retrieved from http://www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=A/RES/70/1&Lang=EGoogle Scholar
UNDP. (2015). Work for human development. Human development report 2015. New York, NY: Author.Google Scholar
UNEP. (1972). Declaration of the United Nations conference on the HUMAN ENVIRONMENT. Retrieved from http://www.unep.org/Documents.Multilingual/Default.asp?documentid=97&articleid=1503Google Scholar
UNEP. (1992). Rio declaration on environment and development. Retrieved from http://www.unep.org/Documents.Multilingual/Default.asp?documentid=78&articleid=1163Google Scholar
UNEP. (2015). Uncovering pathways towards an inclusive green economy. A Summary for leaders. Nairobi. Retrieved from http://www.unep.org/greeneconomy/Portals/88/documents/GEI%20Highlights/IGE_NARRATIVE_SUMMARY.pdfGoogle Scholar
UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. (2015). Adoption of the Paris agreement. FCCC/CP/2015/L.9/Rev.1. Retrieved from http://unfccc.int/resource/docs/2015/cop21/eng/l09r01.pdfGoogle Scholar
UN General Assembly. (2012). Report of the independent expert on the issue of human rights obligations relating to the enjoyment of a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment, John H. Knox. Preliminary report A/HRC/22/43. Retrieved from http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/HRBodies/HRCouncil/RegularSession/Session22/A-HRC-22-43_en.pdfGoogle Scholar
UNRISD. (2010). Combating poverty and inequality. Structural change, social policy and politics. Geneva: Author. Retrieved from www.unrisd.orgGoogle Scholar
UNRISD. (2015). The sustainable development agenda. From Inspiration to Action. Katja Hujo and Gabriele Koehler. Brief 6. Retrieved from http://www.unrisd.org/b2015_6Google Scholar
Utting, P. (2015). Social and solidarity economy: Beyond the fringe? London: ZED.Google Scholar
Vandemoortele, J. (2012). Advancing the global development agenda post-2015: Some thoughts, ideas and practical suggestions. Retrieved from http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/pdf/jan_vandemoortele_Aug.pdfGoogle Scholar
Williams, F. (1989). Social policy: A critical introduction. Issues of race, gender and class. Cambridge: Polity Press.Google Scholar
Williams, F. (2011). Towards a transnational analysis of the political economy of care. In Mahon, R. & Robinson, F. (Eds.), Feminist ethics and social policy. Towards a new political economy of care (pp. 21–38). Vancouver: UBC Press.Google Scholar
Williams, F. (2014). Global social justice, ethics, and the crisis of care. In Kaasch, A. & Stubbs, P. (Eds.), Transformations in global and regional social policies (pp. 85–107). Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.CrossRefGoogle Scholar