Alex Mayer (S&D). – Mr President, a key principle of the SDGs is that they are universal and that all countries must do their bit, at home as well as abroad, to meet the targets, but I fear that we are failing. I brought with me a shopping list today. Tinned veg, tinned fruit, long-life milk, fruit juice and pasta sauce. That’s the current list of the top five items needed at the Luton Food Bank. The UKSSD Measuring Up report looked at the zero-hunger goal with a green, amber and red scoring system. Britain didn’t score green for a single target. It is frankly shocking that this government is content to watch one in five children in Britain live in homes that are severely food insecure, making it the worst for child hunger in all of Europe. We have had four years to think about how to address the sustainable development goals. Now it is time to act.
Julie Ward (S&D). – MrPresident, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a commitment to transform our world so that future generations can live in harmony and peace in a much more equal world without poverty and with respect for the environment. All 17 goals identify urgent matters that must be addressed and I applaud the European Ϸվ’s work to stress the legitimacy of the SDGs as a standard for our economies. Economic and sustainable development must go hand in hand and growth cannot be understood simply in terms of GDP. In particular, with regard to Goal 4, quality education, I must condemn the damage that austerity has inflicted on our education services. Quality education is the best investment a government can make and yet education is one of the sectors worst affected by austerity measures. The SDGs are now included in the EU countries’ broader economic strategies. However, the UK’s departure from the EU allows the Conservative government to ignore current EU economic policy, which calls for substantial investment in public services including education.