The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) was adopted at the UN Sustainable Development Summit in 2015, which one of the following agreements was not adopted in the same year related to sustainable development?

Question

Accepted Answer

The correct option is 4:
The correct option is 4: World Summit on Sustainable Development.

This summit, often referred to as the Johannesburg Summit or Rio+10, was held in Johannesburg, South Africa, from August 26 to September 4, 2002. The World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) was convened to review the progress made since the 1992 Earth Summit (Rio de Janeiro) and to revitalize global commitment to sustainable development. Its outcome produced the Johannesburg Declaration on Sustainable Development and a Plan of Implementation. Since this critical meeting took place in 2002, it was not adopted in the same year as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which were established in 2015. The WSSD framework, along with the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), laid the groundwork that eventually culminated in the 2015 adoption of the SDGs, making it a foundational agreement that predates the 2015 milestone.

The incorrect option is 1:
Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.

The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (2015-2030) was adopted at the Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction in Sendai, Japan, in March 2015. This framework is a crucial tenet of the global sustainable development agenda, establishing shared goals and priorities for preventing new and reducing existing disaster risks. It succeeded the Hyogo Framework for Action (2005-2015) and represents a key component of the 2015 international agreements, directly addressing the links between disaster resilience and sustainable development outcomes. Therefore, since it was formally adopted in 2015, it is related to sustainable development and was adopted in the same year as the SDGs.

The incorrect option is 2:
Addis Ababa Action Agenda on Financing for Development.

The Addis Ababa Action Agenda (AAAA) was the outcome document of the Third International Conference on Financing for Development, held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in July 2015. This agreement is fundamentally important as it provides the foundation for financing the ambitious 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, of which the SDGs are the core. The AAAA sets out policy actions for countries to mobilize resources, improve financial governance, and support sustainable development across economic, social, and environmental dimensions. Because the AAAA was adopted in July 2015, just months before the SDGs were formally adopted in September 2015, it was definitely an agreement adopted in the same year related to sustainable development.

The incorrect option is 3:
Paris Agreement on Climate Change.

The Paris Agreement, a landmark international treaty on climate change, was adopted by 196 Parties at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP 21) in Paris, France, in December 2015. This agreement aims to substantially reduce global greenhouse gas emissions to limit the global temperature increase in this century to well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, while pursuing efforts to limit the increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Climate action is inextricably linked to sustainable development, forming one of the core pillars of the 2030 Agenda. As its adoption occurred in December 2015, it is one of the four key international agreements related to sustainable development adopted during that pivotal year.