A goal is an idea of the future or desired result that a person or group of people envision plan and commit to achieving. Our personal goals though different, share a common thread, to make any current situation better. Sustainable Development Goals are a perfect example of this. These are a collection of seventeen objectives designed to serve as a blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet now and into the future. The United Nations believes that once a country achieves all 17 of these goals, then it would be complete. These goals were adopted by the United Nations in 2015 as a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that by 2030 all people enjoy peace and prosperity. As aforementioned, there are 17 SDGs and all are integrated, meaning that any action in one area affects the outcomes in others. 

While these goals cover various social, economic and environmental aspects that would require us as individuals to pay attention to, a few of them cover the environment and touch on the different ways we as individuals may manage our waste. In retrospect, our hearts and intentions are in the right place, as these objectives aim to help make the world a better place. Below is a list of the SDGs:

1. No Poverty; 
2. Zero Hunger; 
3. Good Health And Well-Being; 
4. Quality Education; 
5. Gender Equality; 
6. Clean Water And Sanitation; 
7. Affordable And Clean Energy; 
8. Decent Work And Economic Growth; 
9. Industry, Innovation And Infrastructure; 
10. Reduced Inequalities; 
11. Sustainable Cities And Communities; 
12. Responsible Consumption And Production; 
13. Climate Action; 
14. Life Below Water; 
15. Life On Land; 
16. Peace, Justice, And Strong Institutions; 
17. And Partnerships For The Goals.

Over the next few weeks, we will be talking about the few goals that are directly relevant to our vision for Uganda and ourselves placing primary emphasis on the goals that are relevant to our environment. Each goal typically has 8–12 targets with each target having between one and four indicators used to measure progress toward reaching the targets. The targets are either outcome targets (circumstances to be attained) or means of implementation targets. The idea focused on by the SDGs pegs economic growth as a foundational pillar to achieving all sustainable development. Ideally, this means that environmental protection is not a priority. As NLS waste management, the environment is our number one focus as it should be to the world as a whole. We will discuss all this in-depth moving forward.

“Sustainable development is the pathway to the future we want for all. It offers a framework to generate economic growth, achieve social justice, exercise environmental stewardship and strengthen governance.”

-Ban Ki-moon