Activities of Grace O'SULLIVAN related to 2023/2010(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
Implementation and delivery of the Sustainable Development Goals (debate)
Amendments (45)
Amendment 60 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
A a. whereas the global economy is facing multiple shocks due to, inter alia, the Covid-19 pandemic, impacts from the war in Ukraine, high inflation and weak economic growth, an unsustainable debt burden, along with the escalating climate and biodiversity emergency crisis; whereas the impact of those shocks on developing countries is aggravated by an unfair global financial system which is short-term oriented and crisis-prone, and which further exacerbates inequalities; whereas high borrowing costs for developing countries are one symptom of an inequitable international financial and monetary system;
Amendment 75 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A b (new)
Recital A b (new)
A b. whereas, according to the UN, as of November 2022, 37 out of 69 of the world’s poorest countries were either at high risk or already in debt distress; whereas the number of additional people falling into extreme poverty in those countries is estimated to be 175 million by 2030, including 89 million women and girls;
Amendment 85 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A c (new)
Recital A c (new)
A c. whereas the international system does not have the tools to effectively facilitate debt restructurings that sufficiently reduce countries’ debt burdens or to address a systemic debt crisis;
Amendment 91 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A d (new)
Recital A d (new)
A d. whereas the UN’s SDG Stimulus Plan aims to tackle the high cost of debt and rising risks of debt distress, to massively scale up affordable long-term financing for development and to expand contingency financing to countries in need;
Amendment 99 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A e (new)
Recital A e (new)
A e. whereas, in 2021, the EU's collective ODA represented 0.49% of EU Gross National Income (GNI), which remains below the agreed target of 0.7 per cent of donor country gross national income;
Amendment 104 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A f (new)
Recital A f (new)
A f. whereas the European Parliament as well the Council of the European Union and the European Council have, on repeated occasions since the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in 2015, called on the European Commission to adopt an overarching strategy to fully implement the SDGs;
Amendment 106 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A g (new)
Recital A g (new)
A g. whereas Policy Coherence for Sustainable Development (PCSD) is an approach to integrate the economic, social, and environmental dimensions of sustainable development at all stages of the policy-making cycle, in order to foster synergies across policy areas, and identify and reconcile potential trade-offs, as well as address the international spillover effects of EU policies;
Amendment 111 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A h (new)
Recital A h (new)
A h. whereas the 2019 IPBES Global Assessment provides evidence that the current negative trends in biodiversity and ecosystems will undermine progress towards 80% of assessed SDG targets relating to poverty, hunger, health, water, cities, climate, oceans and land; whereas the climate and biodiversity crises are intertwined and need to be addressed in tandem and coherently;
Amendment 119 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A i (new)
Recital A i (new)
A i. whereas the 8th Environment Action Programme requires strengthening environmentally positive incentives as well as phasing out environmentally harmful subsidies, in particular fossil fuel subsidies, at Union, national, regional and local level, without delay;
Amendment 123 #
A j. whereas ‘Right2Water’ is the first European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) to have met the requirements set out in Regulation (EU) No 211/2011 on the citizens’ initiative and to have been heard by Parliament after receiving the support of almost 1,9 million citizens;
Amendment 125 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A k (new)
Recital A k (new)
Amendment 129 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A l (new)
Recital A l (new)
A l. whereas globally 733 million people still have no access to electricity, and 2.4 billion people still cook using fuels detrimental to their health and the environment; whereas seven out of every ten buildings in the EU are energy inefficient while 11% of the EU population is affected by energy poverty, leading to possible delays in access to basic needs, care, education and healthcare, in particular for children and young people; whereas buildings represent approximately 40% of the EU's energy consumption and 36% of carbon emissions;
Amendment 132 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A m (new)
Recital A m (new)
A m. whereas, according to the NGO 'Global Witness', more than a third of the land and environmental defenders murdered worldwide between 2015 and 2019 belonged to indigenous communities, whose land and water management skills are crucial in combating the climate crisis and biodiversity loss;
Amendment 145 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Stresses its commitment to the 2030 Agenda, especially in light of the new geopolitical landscape and the ongoing climate, biodiversity and health crises; warns against further polarisation in the distribution of wealth and income, which would lead to increased inequality and poverty; highlights, against this backdrop, the importance of the SDGs, which provide a universal compass for people’s prosperity and to protect the planet; recalls that a pledge to leave no one behind lies at the heart of the 2030 Agenda and that the achievementshould be fully operationalised in the implementation of theall SDGs should benefby focusing on issues of equality all countries, people and segments of societynd non- discrimination and addressing the root causes of these issues, with particular attention being paid to those who are most marginalised and vulnerable;
Amendment 169 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Notes that the implementation process for almost all the SDGs is lagging and that two consecutive years of regression have been recorded for many indicators9[1]; reaffirms the importance of each SDG and highlights the key challenges that persist for sustainable development, particularly in relation to poverty (SDG 1), hunger (SDG 2), health (SDG 3), education (SDG 4), gender equality (SDG 5), climate change (SDG 13), oceans (SDG 14) and biodiversity (SDG 15); underlines the strategic role that SDG 10, on reducing inequality, and SDG 17 on global partnerships can play in the global implementation of the 2030 Agenda; _________________ 9[1] UN Sustainable Development Report 2022, ‘From Crisis to Sustainable Development: the SDGs as Roadmap to 2030 and Beyond’: https://resources.unsdsn.org/2022- sustainable-development-report.
Amendment 213 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Regrets the fact that the Commission has still not presented a comprehensive strategy for achieving the 2030 Agenda given that there are only seven years left to achieve the SDGs and, hence, urgent implementation is required through the definition of specific, quantitative, measurable and time-bound targets and indicators;
Amendment 240 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Stresses Parliament’s important role in promotingthe important role of the European Parliament , national parliaments and regional and local authorities in the SDGs’ implementation through European policies and heightening the goals’ visibility in public discourse; underlines that coordination within and between the EU institutions is essential in order to ensure the EU’s leadership and increase the effectiveness of its efforts to implement the 2030 Agenda;
Amendment 243 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8 a. Stresses that multi-level governance is one of the SDGs' core values and recalls the key role of regions and cities, with the OECD estimating that 65% of the SDGs targets cannot be reached without the coordination or involvement of local and regional authorities;
Amendment 274 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Underlines the importance of enhanced cooperation with partners in the Global South, particularly the African Union and with representatives of local and regional governments and civil society representatives, in order to implement the 2030 Agenda globally;
Amendment 284 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Stresses, in this regard, that the EU and its Member States must avoid negative spillover effects at the expense of the Global South, which occur as a result of their past economic and technological model; advocates cooperation with global partners to turn any negative spillover effects into virtuous circlereiterates in this respect the need to comply with the principle of Policy Coherence for Development and the “Do not harm” principle, with special attention paid to trade, finance, environment and climate change, food security, migration and security; advocates cooperation with global partners; calls for all EU policies to be subject to a mandatory SDG check to provide more insight on and address any negative effects and ensure that change in this area is measurable;
Amendment 288 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12 a. Expresses particular concern about the significant impact of certain mega-projects, including infrastructure projects, extractive industries projects and energy production projects, on the human rights to water and sanitation, notably for indigenous peoples and local communities; recalls that indigenous peoples and local communities play an important role for the sustainable management of natural resources and the conservation of biodiversity; asks the EU and its Member States to recognise and protect indigenous people’s rights to customary ownership and control of their lands and natural resources as set out in the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People and ILO Convention No 169, and to comply with the principle of free, prior and informed consent; requests that the Member States which have not yet done so ratify ILO Convention No 169 on Indigenous and Tribal Peoples;
Amendment 316 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Points out that, in order to assess the Member States’ progress on the SDGs, the Eurostat sustainable development indicators must be improved by filling the gaps for some SDGs and; points out, however, that, since they are used to assess the SDGs at national level, they do not reflect reality on the ground; believes, therefore, that NUTS-2-level data should also be used to better measuringe policies’ impact on territories and specific vulnerable groups;
Amendment 337 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Highlights the importance of voluntary local reviews and voluntary subnationRecommends a renewed focus on localizing the SDGs, support for the implementation at all territorial rleviews as a means of further localising the SDGs and therefore advancing their implementationels, facilitating peer learning between regions and cities at global level and encouraging a greater engagement in Voluntary Local Reviews (VLRs) and Voluntary Subnational Reviews;
Amendment 361 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17 a. Recalls that ODA remains a major source of finance for the poorest countries, and continues to play a crucial role in achieving the 2030 Agenda; notes with concern that, while being the biggest global ODA provider, the EU and its Member States failed to achieve their collective commitments to provide 0.7% of GNI as ODA and 0.20% as ODA to the least developed countries by 2030; urges the EU and its Member States to meet its ODA commitments and to prioritise allocation of grants and concessional financing based on vulnerabilities;
Amendment 397 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Stresses that adequate financing for the attainment of the SDGs, especially in developing countries, requires a thorough overhaul of the global financial architecture; welcomes in this respect the UN’s SDG Stimulus package and its proposal to reform the global international financial architecture; urges the Commission and the Member States to step up their engagement and jointly work towards the necessary reforms of the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank Group and multilateral development banks in order to adjust these financial institutions’ visions and operating models with a focus on strengthening the fight against poverty and rising inequality and promoting a just and sustainable transition;
Amendment 399 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
19 a. Calls on the Commission to track inconsistencies among expenditures, which hinder the EU and third countries’ achievement of the SDGs, notably in the area of agriculture; urgently calls on Member States and the EU to identify and phase out all environmentally harmful subsidies without delay, as required by the General Union Environment Action Programme to 2030;
Amendment 410 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Amendment 416 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Stresses that more than half of the world’s poorest countries face either a debt crisis or a high risk of one; welcomeIs alarmed by the fact that LDCs were already unable to finance the implementation of the SDGs before the Covid-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine and are now even more in need of financial support; Stresses that more than half of the world’s poorest countries face either a debt crisis or a high risk of one; notes with deep concern that according to the United Nations, 25 developing countries paid more than 20 per cent of total government revenue in external debt service in 2022, while sixteen of the most debt-troubled countries today owe more than 30 percent to private creditors[1]; against this background, applauds the UN Secretary- General’s push for a global SDG stimulus package and calls for effective debt relief measures that make use of the full toolset available and include both ‘new lenders’ and private creditors; to offset challenging conditions faced by developing countries and accelerate progress towards the SDGs, including through investments in i.e. renewable energy, universal social protection, decent job creation, healthcare, quality education and sustainable food systems; and calls for effective debt relief measures that make use of the full toolset available and include both ‘new lenders’ and private creditors; reiterates its call for the creation of a multilateral debt workout mechanism, under UN auspices, to address the debt crisis in developing countries and the financing requirements of the Agenda 2030; [1] https://www.undp.org/publications/dfs- building-blocks-out-crisis-uns-sdg- stimulus-plan
Amendment 423 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)
21 a. Underlines the structural challenges of developing countries in terms of domestic resource mobilisation linked to i.e. illicit financial flows, unsustainable debt burdens, tax abuse by multinationals, etc.; calls on the EU to take the lead to clamp down on tax evasion and tax avoidance practices and to ensure a fair distribution of taxing rights while negotiating tax and investment treaties;
Amendment 430 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Recognises the importance of domestic resources being mobilised in developing countries and draws attention to the fact that this is contingent on an enabling international environment; accordingly, calls on the EU to scale up its cooperation with developing countries on tax matters to enable them to enhance mobilisation of public resources; in particular, calls on the Commission and the Member States to take the initiative and push for the establishment of a UN intergovernmental commission for international cooperation on tax matters, in order to fight illicit financial outflows and close tax havens;
Amendment 432 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)
Paragraph 22 a (new)
22 a. Recognises the role the private sector should play in sustainable finance but stresses the need to combine public and private finance towards public goals; highlights, in this context, that the private sector cannot guarantee either universal access to, nor replace public investments in, critical services such as health, education and social protection, that provide crucial long-term prospects to overcome poverty; calls on the EU and its Member States, in a context where ODA remains a scarce resource, to limit blending operations to those areas where they can add value to the local economy, but to exclude blending finance from essential public services, particularly health, education and social protection, as the monetisation of those sectors could widen already existing inequalities and jeopardise the universal access to those services; more broadly, urges the European Commission and the Member States to prioritise partnerships with LDC domestic enterprises that pursue sustainable and inclusive business models;
Amendment 444 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 b (new)
Paragraph 22 b (new)
22 b. Recalls that developing countries are historically vulnerable to external shocks owing to narrow export bases and less diversified economies; stresses, therefore, that one of the main challenges for developing countries is to climb up the global value chain through economic diversification and to shift from an a export-oriented production model towards development based on domestic and regional markets; to this end, emphasises the crucial role of multilateral fora and institutions to advance those objectives, with the view to harness resilience and to increase national or regional autonomy in the production of essential goods and services;
Amendment 448 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 c (new)
Paragraph 22 c (new)
22 c. New subtitle Sectoral Policies related to the SDGs under review at the 2023 High Level Political Forum
Amendment 449 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 d (new)
Paragraph 22 d (new)
22 d. Regrets that many cases of policy inconsistencies prevail in various EU sectoral areas, notably related to food, energy, trade and taxation policy, with particular worrying negative consequences for developing countries;
Amendment 450 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 e (new)
Paragraph 22 e (new)
Amendment 451 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 f (new)
Paragraph 22 f (new)
22 f. Highlights the potential risks of water grabbing and water pollution associated to EU foreign direct investments in large-scale land acquisitions for agriculture and extractive industries; accordingly, stresses the importance to implement PCD and a fully-fledged Human Right Impact Assessment related to any agricultural and energy investment projects financed by the European Fund for Sustainable Development; stresses equally the need to enact water-related mandatory due diligence and reporting standards for corporations;
Amendment 452 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 g (new)
Paragraph 22 g (new)
22 g. Recognises the importance of improving the supply of drinking water and sanitations an efficient way of pursuing fundamental poverty eradication objectives, as well as promoting social equality, public health, food security and sustainable development; Calls on the Commission to recognise water as a public good and a fundamental value for all EU citizens and not as a commodity; Calls for the EU to support sustainable water management in the agricultural sector, which mobilises over 70 % of water resources, through investing in sustainable irrigation and water storage systems, through optimising and reducing the use of fresh water in agriculture along the whole supply chain, through reducing food waste and through fostering agro- ecology by restoring wetlands, as well as through reducing, where possible, the use of pesticides and fertilisers that pose a risk of water pollution, especially to groundwater;
Amendment 453 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 h (new)
Paragraph 22 h (new)
22 h. Urges the Member States to ensure access to affordable and clean heating and electricity and to avoid people being obliged to choose between eating or heating; Highlights that reducing energy demand through increasing the efficiency of buildings, consumer goods and transport can also contribute to limiting global warming to 1.5C as committed to under the Paris Agreement, while supporting global health, education, poverty, employment and food security goals;
Amendment 454 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 i (new)
Paragraph 22 i (new)
22 i. Highlights that 70% of the EU population live in cities today and this is projected to reach almost 84% in 2050; therefore stresses the importance of sustainable urban development in the EU, including through, inter alia: a modal shift from private cars to more sustainable modes of transport like high quality and affordable public transport, walking and cycling; an ambitious renovation wave to renovate the EU's building stock and thereby reduce energy consumption and emissions, decrease energy bills, create local employment and ensure safer, healthier buildings for people to live in; and the establishment and expansion of green and blue infrastructure in cities which serve to reduce air, water and noise pollution, provide protection from flooding, droughts and heat waves, and provide a refuge for nature as well as recreational amenities for people;
Amendment 455 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 j (new)
Paragraph 22 j (new)
22 j. Stresses the importance to achieve universal access to energy for all in the Global South; insists upon the need to support renewable decentralised solutions, such as small-scale, off-grid and mini-grid energy solutions, to reach all parts of developing countries’ populations, particularly poor and rural populations; calls on the EU to target its efforts, financially and technically, towards these small-scale solutions to energy poverty in remote areas;
Amendment 456 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 k (new)
Paragraph 22 k (new)
22 k. Recognises that the public sector alone will not be able to provide all the financing needs required to expand energy access; underlines, however, that increasing focus on the use of public- private partnerships and attracting funds from private financiers may adversely diminish the financial attractiveness of local renewable energy projects, since such projects are less "bankable" than major, grid-connected projects, which often serve large industries; therefore, underlines that the ultimate responsibility for ensuring access to universal services, especially affordable energy for poor and remote populations, remains that of the state;
Amendment 457 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 l (new)
Paragraph 22 l (new)
22 l. Recalls that the EU energy transition, which will generate a surge of extraction of metals and minerals linked to renewable energy sources and digital economy, represents challenges for developing countries, as mining is a sector linked to severe environmental destruction (including in protected and indigenous territories); freshwater contamination and depletion; human rights abuses (including gender violence); forced displacement; loss of livelihoods; violent conflict; unsafe working conditions; worker exploitation (forced labour, child labour and human trafficking); and illicit financial flows; emphasises accordingly that PCD shall be strictly implemented while a “Just Transition” lens must be applied across the entire renewable energy value chain;
Amendment 458 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 m (new)
Paragraph 22 m (new)
22 m. Takes note of the new Commission’s proposal on Critical Raw Material Act, which aims to ensure the EU's access to a secure, diversified, affordable and sustainable supply of critical raw materials; acknowledges that raw materials may be subject to trade restrictions creating uncertainties regarding the ability of the EU to secure its supply of these materials; recalls however that trade restrictions (such as export taxes) can be a legitimate tool for governments of developing countries for their future industrial development, as a leverage to fight against poverty and for environmental protection; against this background, stresses the right of developing countries to use trade tool, such as export taxes on raw materials, in sofar as it is WTO-compatible, if they deem it appropriate, to fulfil public interests;
Amendment 459 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 n (new)
Paragraph 22 n (new)
22 n. Notes the proposal of the Commission to conclude new Sustainable Investment Facilitation Agreements; stresses that EU hunger for materials should not lead to neo-colonial extractivist relationships; stresses that the EU must aim at negotiating with its partners to develop sustainable trade and cooperation agreements, that uphold the right of each party to regulate (including the ability to limit the exports of raw materials when justified by sustainable development objectives), create added- value for both parties, while ensuring a high level of climate and human rights protection;
Amendment 460 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 o (new)
Paragraph 22 o (new)
22 o. Recalls that the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services will undermine progress in approximately 80 % of the assessed targets for the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and calls on the EU to address the root causes of biodiversity loss and to mainstream obligations on conservation, restoration and the sustainable use of resources into broader development policies; recalls that ecological restoration is critical for the implementation of the ‘One Health’ approach; stresses that conservation efforts must not violate human rights, notably those of Indigenous Peoples and local communities; accordingly, calls on the EU to develop conservation programme in consultation with local communities, Indigenous Peoples and women, as well as other marginalised groups to truly contribute to the fight against deforestation and biodiversity loss;