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2024 Local Elections candidates, take the pledge here:

Take pledges in SDG policy areas:

People in Ireland are experiencing a housing crisis, broken healthcare system, increasing inequalities, climate chaos, vanishing biodiversity, and a troubling expansion of exclusionary politics. And there is virtually no incentive for politicians – local Councillors included – to take a long-term and interconnected view. Decisions are made based on what will win votes in the next election, not on how they will impact on our collective future. This is a key reason why we are experiencing so many interconnected crises, and why so many people are being left behind.

But we all want to know that not only our children – but all generations to come – can look forward to a good life. We want the people we love to be healthy and safe, with access to education and decent jobs, and a secure and affordable home. We want them to always have good food to eat, clean air to breathe and water to drink. We want to know our loved ones have the same opportunities as everyone else – that they aren’t discriminated against because of their income, gender, disability, colour of their skin or any other part of their identity.

That’s what the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are all about – that political decisions take into account the needs of people today, and those of future generations too.

Governments across the world – including our Government here in Ireland and the countries of the EU – agreed to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. But we won’t meet this target unless our politicians take action for us all, now.

Achieving the SDGs requires decisions to be made with a view to how they impact on all policy areas, rather than in isolation. It requires joined-up thinking between local councils, committees and institutions. And it requires an understanding that the Goals are not just about the environment; they’re about addressing every single area of policy to ensure we can build a world where everyone enjoys a decent quality of life.

To halt the growing politics of disenchantment and exclusion, elected Councillors should stand up for justice, champion the cause of the marginalised, and forge a path towards a future where every individual – both present and future – is afforded the dignity they deserve. They must commit to putting a social protection floor under everyone’s feet, protecting workers’ rights, reorienting local finances towards meeting the human rights of all both at home and overseas, and addressing the climate crisis and vanishing biodiversity.

These elections come at a make-or-break time for humanity. The question is, will those elected to our councils in a make-or-break period contribute to a breakdown or breakthrough for a better future?

Imagine the world we’d live in if the SDGs were all achieved.

That world is possible – but only with action from those we elect to power.

You can sign our pledges in policy areas relevant to the SDGs here by clicking through to the relevant link: