In an interview he gave to AIP, the director general of sustainable development at the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development, Dr Gustave Aboua, instructs on the concept of the Objectives for sustainable development (SDGs) .

What is Sustainable Development (SD)?

Sustainable development means having responsible production and consumption methods that respect the carrying capacity of the natural resources of planet Earth. Since our independence, we have realized that the development model that we have adopted is taking us straight towards the wall. DD advises us to use just what we need to grow and leave a legacy for our children, for the next generation. It is a marriage between economic development (having money), social development (reducing poverty, improving the living conditions of populations) and above all, respecting, protecting and conserving the environment (not destroying the ecosystem that allows us to live on earth). All these concepts must have as a common basis, good governance,

What is sustainable development based on?

There are several pillars, but five are really essential, namely, the environment, the social, the economy (economic growth), the cultural and the political (good governance). At the level of the political pillar, a country must be founded on respect for human rights and democratic pluralism (democracy). A stable diet is not necessarily a sustainable diet. Sustainability includes respect for human rights, the fight against social inequalities, the fight against corruption and also respect for the environment. We must learn from our mistakes and our successes to ensure sustainable development. Let us also underline that sustainable development is a process.

We used to talk about ecological economics, Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and now we talk about Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)… Why this evolution of concepts and what is the added value?

At the beginning, that is to say in the 1970s, we simply wanted to marry the economy with the protection of the environment, the safeguard of natural resources, what we called “eco-development”. But, the more we advanced, we realized that it was not just the environment, but that the conditions had to be created for the reduction of inequalities between the rich and the poor.

There was just an increase in the targets because there are eight MDGs; namely, to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger; ensure primary education for all; promote gender equality and empower women; reduce child mortality; improve maternal health; fight HIV / AIDS, malaria and other diseases; ensure a sustainable environment, and set up a global partnership for development. The SDGs are 17 in number; they are the eradication of poverty; the fight against hunger; access to health; access to quality education; gender equality; access to safe water and sanitation; the use of renewable energies; access to decent jobs;build resilient infrastructure; promote sustainable industrialization that benefits everyone and encourages innovation; reducing inequalities, sustainable cities and communities; responsible consumption and production; the fight against climate change; aquatic life; earthly life; justice and peace; and finally, partnerships for the achievement of objectives.

The 17 objectives were established by the Member States of the United Nations and are brought together in the Agenda 2030. This Agenda was adopted by the UN in September 2015 after two years of negotiations including governments and civil society.

In Côte d’Ivoire, for example, the SD strategy is based on promoting the middle class, which must be the engine of economic growth, so that everyone can benefit from the fruits of this growth. This is how the government’s Social Program or “PS-Gouv” was born, which is a social response. If you analyze this program well, a strong emphasis is placed on reducing inequalities in both rural and urban areas, because everyone must have access to drinking water, energy, education, etc. to health, etc.

What is the circular economy that we talk about so much?

The circular economy has always been applied, it is not a new concept. It is based on what are called the three Rs, ie, Reuse, Reduce and Upgrade. Indeed, what can be considered as “waste” is not really, but is raw material that we can use to produce other goods. A maxim of Lavoisier sums up the circular economy well: “nothing is lost, everything is transformed”.

For example, a man-made waste, such as defecation can be transformed and used in organic, organic fertilizer, called compost. Germany is very advanced in this area. Thus, the waste at the end of its cycle is recovered to make a new consumer product: it is a perpetual cycle.

Closer to us, a primary school built with bricks entirely made from plastic bag waste was inaugurated last year by Minister Kandia Camara in a sub-district of the municipality of Port-Bouët. This is recycling.

How can we apply SD in a simple way in our daily activities?

In each structure / service, it will be necessary to monitor and set up, create, sustainable development committees. The members of these committees must have the means to show their colleagues, those around them and those close to them, the right actions, that is to say “eco-friendly actions”. This consists of rationalizing energy, avoiding running taps, collecting waste that can be used as raw materials for new products, turning off air conditioners when we are away from the offices … Also, we will have to provide the means for strengthening capacity so that everyone is at the same level of information and SD practice in our different organizations / offices.

Large industries are used more to avoid pollution of the Earth.

We will go even further with the average citizen, because we will go to our regions to raise awareness also towards our children, our daughters … We have already listed 15 national languages ​​in which the 17 SDGs have been translated. These are for example, Sénoufo, Attié, Abbey, Baoulé, Gouro, Malinké, Lobi, Bété …

We are still looking for the means to be able to reach the 64 national languages, to conduct a vast awareness campaign in our languages ​​throughout the national territory. We have previously trained and sensitized the House of Kings and Traditional Chiefs. These awareness-raising messages in national languages ​​stem from this House’s proposal.

Halfway through the implementation of the various SDG agendas in Côte d’Ivoire, what is the assessment you can make?

Halfway through 2030, we are on the right track, when we are counting on the exercise of President Alassane Ouattara. In the peer review mechanism at the summit in Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) in 2020, Côte d’Ivoire and Rwanda were cited as examples. Also, let’s make sure to keep the peace, because we are a flagship country committed to the implementation of the SDGs and the fight against social inequalities. There are even ministerial departments devoted to good governance, solidarity and the fight against poverty, SD, the fight against corruption… These are concrete acts of political will.

What is the risk of planet Earth if the instructions of the SDGs are not respected?

We risk catastrophe, and the earth is in danger of disappearing… We are already seeing a tiny example with global warming and its consequences. The Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, used to say that “we have only one planet”. Scientists carry out experiments on the planet “Mars” but always come back because we cannot live there. Let us make sure to preserve our planet which is the only one where we can live at ease. Let’s preserve it so that future generations can meet their needs with healthy ecosystems.

Partnership is also very important. Usually Africa has the raw materials and developed countries have the expertise. In this case, we must establish win-win partnerships. The poor must also be actors in global development.

Source: Agence Ivoirienne de Presse