Doris Leuthard on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda
Federal Councillor Doris Leuthard attended the High-Level Political Forum for Sustainable Development HLPF) at the UN in New York in mid-July. On July 17, she presented the first Swiss report on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
In her presentation, Federal Councillor Leuthard showed that Switzerland is well on track with many goals, e.g. on health, education, energy, employment, infrastructure and innovation. However, she also mentioned areas where Switzerland still needs to take action, such as dealing with non-sustainable resource consumption due to domestic consumption patterns and the production conditions for goods imported into Switzerland.
By presenting concrete measures that Switzerland has already taken, she called on the international community to further increase its commitment to curb global warming and to limit the negative effects of economic development on the environment.
On the Paris Climate Agreement
In the general debate, she called on all parties to the Paris climate agreement to make their pledged national contributions to reduce global warming below 2 degrees Celsius and thereby favor the achievement of the sustainability goals. Federal Councillor Leuthard therefore emphasized that it is important for the operationalization of the Paris Climate Agreement that a robust rule book is adopted in 2018.
The climate conference in Katowice, Poland, will play an important role in this regard. Federal Councillor Leuthard also welcomed the successful conclusion of negotiations on a "Global Compact for Migration".
Food supply chains
Federal Councillor Leuthard used her presence at the HLPF in New York to represent Switzerland at various ministerial events and to hold bilateral talks with high-level representatives of other governments and the UN. At an event organized by Switzerland and South Africa on the topic of sustainable consumption and production (SDG 12), she noted that an even greater joint effort by all local and international actors is needed to make food supply chains environmentally and socially sustainable. design.
Federal Councillor Leuthard also took part in an event organized by Sweden, which focused in particular on the question of how to deal with the issue of chemicals and waste in the medium and long term.
At other events, e.g. on addressing water scarcity (SDG 6) or the role of business in implementing the SDGs, she called for the promotion of market conditions worldwide that favor investment in sustainable development by private and institutional investors.
In addition, Federal Councillor Leuthard met ministers from Finland, Korea, Egypt and Andorra and exchanged views with Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed and other high-ranking UN representatives, including UNEP Executive Director Erik Solheim, on current political challenges at the multilateral level and, in particular, on the global and national implementation of the 2030 Agenda.
Switzerland participates in monitoring and international reporting on the implementation and measurement of the results of the 2030 Agenda. More information on national reporting can be found at here
