Unsustainable: Big Tobacco’s use of the UN SDGs - Long Read

The United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a set of 17 goals in key areas for humanity and planet Earth. They are part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by all UN member states in 2015, and are expected to define national political agendas until 2030.12 According to the UN, the SDGs and the Agenda for Sustainable Development provide “a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future.” Along with alcohol, tobacco is the only consumer product mentioned specifically in the Agenda.3 As part of SDG 3 – “Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all ages” – UN member states pledged to “Strengthen the implementation of the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control [WHO FCTC] in all countries, as appropriate.”4 This pledge is known as Target 3.a, and it has implications which go far beyond SDG 3.