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Explore, enjoy, and protect the planet

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Goal 1

Eradicate Extreme Poverty and Hunger

Goal 2

Achieve Universal Primary Education

Goal 3

Promote Gender Equality andEmpower Women

Goal 4

Reduce Child Mortality

Goal 5

Improve Maternal Health

Goal 6

Combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria andOther Diseases

Goal 7

Ensure Environmental Sustainability

Goal 8

Develop a Global Partnershipfor Development

The Millennium Development Goals:

Goal 1

Goal 2

Goal 3

Goal 4

Goal 5

Goal 6

Goal 7

Goal 8

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8 Steps to a Sustainable Future

THE MILLENNIUM

DEVELOPMENT GOALS:If we are to achieve a more just and sustainablefuture, addressing global poverty, lack of access to

basic healthcare, and the root causes of environ-

mental degradation, is paramount. Of the worlds

more than 6.7 billion people, one third live on less

than $1 a day.1 Because an estimated 70% of the

worlds poor rely on natural resources for income

and subsistence, environmental crises such as

water scarcity, deforestation, and climate change

disproportionately impact the poor in developing

countries.2 By making long-term investments now

in quality healthcare, education, natural resource

conservation, and economic opportunity, we can

achieve a healthier, more prosperous and equitable

world for future generations.

The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)

represent a global commitment among 189

nations including the United States to

ensure universal equitable development

through eight time-bound and measurable

goals to combat poverty, hunger, disease,

illiteracy, environmental degradation and dis-

crimination against women.3 In September

2000, world leaders at the United Nations

Millennium Summit committed to achieving

these fundamental, cross-cutting goals by

2015. These goals specifically focus on

women and children within the worlds most

vulnerable populations and include detailed

targets to measure progress. They require

governments to unite on issues of poverty,

water scarcity, climate change, global health

access and education, not only on local and

national levels, but also across oceans and

political boundaries.

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In Focus: Food SecurityAccording to the United Nations,the demand for food globally is projected to double by

2030 and an estimated 20% of this increase is due to population growth. Today the high-

est rates of population growth are occurring in the worlds poorest nations,many of which

face the challenge of meeting current food needs.5 The poorest nations are also predom-

inately agricultural economies and societies.6 In fact,75% of the 1.1 billion people living

on less than $1 a day live in rural areas.7 Despite producing food staples such as rice,

many agricultural communities are trapped in poverty due to several factors, including

harmful trade practices.In the worlds poorest countries,imports of agricultural products

have exceeded agricultural exports. This trend perpetuates debt and restricts increased

access to foreign markets.In order to reverse negative trends and achieve the MDGs, gov-

ernments must recognize the role of agriculture in the fight against hunger and poverty,

as well as population growths impact on future food security.

Goal 1:Eradicate Extreme

Poverty and HungerAround 1 billion people live on less than $1 aday, and 800 million people do not have enoughfood to meet basic nutritional needs.4 MDG 1seeks to reduce by half the proportion of peo-

ple living on less than a dollar a day as well asthe proportion of people suffering fromhunger. Poverty and hunger create a viciouscycle of malnutrition and illness, reducedincome, and lack of access to health care, educa-tion, clean water and sanitation.

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Goal 2:Achieve Universal Primary EducationEducation is a fundamental human right and a necessary element to break the poverty cycle. Increased

educational levels correlate to higher standards of living and more effective health services. In recog-

nition of this connection,MDG 2 strives to ensure a full course of primary schooling (beginning

with grade 1) for all boys and girls. Yet despite efforts to increase enrollment, an estimated 72

million primary school age children were not in school as of 2005; 57% of which were girls.8

Goal 3:Promote Gender Equalityand Empower Women Women are the cornerstone of families and indispensable to economic and social development.

Despite an undeniable contribution, women earn only 10% of the worlds income and own 1% of

the worlds property, while producing half of the worlds food and contributing two-thirds of the

worlds working hours.9 Empowered women can become advocates for education and healthcare

services and contribute to household income. Education is a crucial step towards closing the gender

gap, yet girls compose the majority of children not in school. To address this inequity,MDG 3 seeks

to eliminate gender disparity at all educational levels by 2015.

Goal 4:Reduce Child MortalityMost causes of child mortality including diarrhea, malaria and neonatal infection are preventable

and tied to improved healthcare, clean water and adequate sanitation services. Despite a decline

worldwide in infant and child mortality rates since 2000, 10.1 million children died before their fifth

birthday in 2005.10 High child mortality persists throughout Southern Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa,

where survival rates are often tied to a familys socio-economic status. Despite this grim reality, a

mothers education level can be a powerful force for childhood survival. It has been proven that chil-

dren are twice as likely to survive if their mother has at least a secondary level education. In support

of a healthy, more productive future for children around the world, MDG 4 strives to reduce by

two-thirds the under-five mortality rate.

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Goal 5:ImproveMaternal HealthMaternal health influences all eight goals, particu-larly child mortality and HIV/AIDS. Contrary totheir critical role in development, one woman diesevery minute from preventable, pregnancy-relatedconditions, in the absence of family planning andprenatal services.12 In Sub-Saharan Africa the life-

time risk of dying during pregnancy is 1 in 16,versus 1 in 3,800 in the developed world.13 It isprojected that, preventing unplanned pregnanciesalone could avert around one quarter of maternaldeaths.14 This could help achieve MDG 5 ofreducing by three quarters the maternal mortal-ity ratio. Given womens important role withinthe family and society, advancing womens andgirls' access to quality health care, including repro-ductive health services and family planning, iscrucial to alleviating poverty and advancing sus-tainable development.

In Focus: Reproductive Health ServicesThe Millennium Development Goals,particularly the eradication of extreme poverty

and hunger,cannot be achieved if population and reproductive health trends are not

addressed. Increasing access to family planning services is essential to eradicating

poverty and hunger, promoting gender equality, combating diseases,environmental

sustainability, reducing child mortality and increasing access to education. Greater

access to these services can also alleviate pressure on natural resources by slowing

population growth.Today,many women and families desire fewer children, but lackof services, information and poverty act as barriers. Gaps in reproductive health

account for almost one-fifth of worldwide burden of illness and death and one-

third of illness and death among women of reproductive age.15 Enabling women to

choose the number and timing of their children not only supports MDG 5, but also

helps pave the way towards a more equitable future.

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increased focus on prevention, including accessto family planning services and contraceptives, isneeded if we are to succeed in the long-term bat-tle against this epidemic.

Goal 6:Combat HIV/AIDS,

Malaria and

Other DiseasesIncidence of diseases is inherently linked to

reduced economic productivity and societalimbalance. People suffering from HIV/AIDS,malaria or other diseases are especially vulnerableto malnutrition and extreme poverty. For thisreason,MDG 6 centers on the halt and rever-sal of the spread of major diseases. AIDS hashad devastating effects on Sub-Saharan Africa,especially impacting adults in their productiveyears. Approximately 39.5 million people world-wide were living with HIV by the end of 2006,the majority of which were in Sub-SaharanAfrica.16 Sub-Saharan Africa also suffers the most

malaria deaths, sadly for lack of simple, afford-able solutions such as bed nets in rural areas. Ona global scale, the number of people living withHIV decreased by 16% from 2006 to 2007, to33.2 million.17Although international assistancehas poured in to help combat HIV/AIDS, an

Goal 7:Ensure Environmental

SustainabilityThe pursuit of sustainable development and healthy communi-ties requires a delicate balance. Developed countries havecreated a model of over-consumption, depleting finite resourcesand and influencing environmental and human health on aglobal scale. The worlds poor often live in rural areas that relyheavily on natural resources. Because of this dependency, ruralcommunities are most susceptible to environmental degradation

and related social and economic impacts. Minimal resources anddecreased access to land can lead to political and social struggles.MDG 7 strives to address instability through the incorpora-tion of sustainable development principals into countrypolicies and increasing access to drinking water and sanita-tion services. Effective water governance, sustainable landmanagement, and biodiversity conservation all promote sustain-able development and poverty alleviation.18 Increased access toreliable freshwater sources, arable land, and healthy ecosystems,creates limitless benefits: strengthened capacity of governmentand civil society, the improvement of community health, theempowerment of women and girls, and beyond.

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Goal 8:

Develop a Global Partnershipfor DevelopmentAchievement of the MDGs is only possible through a sustained com-mitment among all nations, whether through increased aid or thereallocation of resources and prioritization of budgets towards devel-opment initiatives. Poor countries must work hard to achieve amore sustainable future, but in accordance with MDG 8, richcountries must match this dedication through debt relief, the elim-ination of agricultural subsidies, import quotas and other barriersto development, increased access to life-saving drugs, and increased

employment opportunities for youth.19

Only through a dedicatedpartnership, uniting rich and poor, developed and developing coun-tries, can the global community meet these goals and create a peacefulmore secure world.

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Within these eight, interdependent goals,environmental sustainability (specifically water),

is vital to the achievement of each scenario.

From empowering women and girls, to increased

food security and household income sustain-able development depends on water supply and

sanitation services. Presently, at least 1.1 billion

people lack access to safe water, and 2.6 billion

lack access to basic sanitation20 an alarming

statistic that impacts health and economic devel-

opment. Water-borne diseases and inadequate

drinking water supply are responsible for thou-

sands of preventable childhood deaths each day.

Water as a resource is fundamental not only to

our daily lives, but also to agricultural develop-

ment and educational opportunities. Given itsuniversal reach, governments and global deci-

sion-making bodies must incorporate MDG 7

into action plans to address the broader goals.

As poor water supply affects people the world over,

we must devise integrated, community-level solu-

tions targeting water management, the installation

of sanitation infrastructure and reconciling water

access imbalances.

MAKING THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONNECTION

In Focus: Climate ChangePopulations in developing countries are heavily dependent on natural resources.

They are most vulnerable to climate change, yet least responsible for emissions and

least able to adapt to climate impacts such as rising sea levels, coastal erosion,and

decreasing agricultural productivity. Climate change also poses grave threats to

human health through increased incidence of droughts, hurricanes and floods that

will jeopardize scarce fresh-water resources, increase the spread of air-borne dis-

eases, and force migration among vulnerable populations. Thus, developed nations

must assist the poorest countries in adapting to climate change. One such example is

a tree-planting initiative between the Green Belt Movement,a womens civil socie-

ty organization,based in Kenya,that advocates for human rights and supports good

governance and peaceful democratic change through the protection of the environ-

ment, and the World Banks Community Development Carbon Fund Project. Since

November 2006,these partners have employed womens groups to plant thousands

of trees to reforest two mountain areas in Kenya.This project has multiple benefits:

providing rural women with economic independence,capturing 350,000 tons of car-

bon dioxide, supporting regular rainfall and restoring soil lost to erosion.21 Aiding

nations to adapt to new and increased environmental pressures must become an

urgent funding and leadership priority for the United States.

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Progress Towards the

Millennium Development GoalsReviewing progress towards the Millennium Development Goals at the July2007 mid-way point, an uneven record is evident from region to region.While great strides have been made in reducing the number of people liv-ing in extreme poverty and increasing enrollment in schools across thedeveloping world, regional progress varies greatly. Deficiencies in health

services, water access, employment opportunities for young people, andgender equality still present roadblocks to advancement. Despite majorachievements across parts of Asia, persistent problems still plague theregion, and Sub-Saharan Africa falls short of several goals. Efforts mustintensify, specifically on the part of the U.S., if the goals are to bereached by 2015. The U.S. is notorious for its tied aid (requiring aidrecipients to buy U.S. goods), and for picking recipients based on foreignpolicy goals rather than need.22 In addition, the U.S. has never officiallyadopted the 0.7% international benchmark of giving, agreed upon by 22 ofthe worlds richest countries at the United Nations General Assemblyin 1970.23 The U.S. currently spends 0.22% of its budget on non-military

foreign assistance.

24

On average, most Americans think that the U.S. spends15%30% on development assistance.25

The time for the United States to address these complex global challengesis now. Promoting the MDGs in their entirety would create ripple effectsacross the planet that would not only foster healthy communities, but alsorestore the role of the U.S. as a world leader promoting universal justice andhuman rights.

What You Can DoBy uniting our voices in support of the Millennium Development Goals, we can build amovement of citizens that will stand up and demand a better tomorrow.

Encourage your decision-makers to support sustainable development initiativesthat help to achieve the Millennium Development Goals.

Get more involvedwith Sierra Clubs Global Population and Environment Program.Find out how at www.sierraclub.org/population

Make the connections among population, consumption, and access to clean water.Learn more at www.sierraclub.org/population/factsheets/water.asp

Read more about the Millennium Campaigns efforts to achieve the MDGs andlearn what you can do to further universal equitable development. Find out howat www.endpoverty2015.org

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Footnotes1 Poverty, Population and Development: Poverty, high fertility, ill-

health, gender inequity. Reproductive health information and serviceshelp break the cycle. UNFPA Annual Report 2002. United NationsPopulation Fund. 3 June 2008

www.unfpa.org/about/report/2002/2chapter.htm.

2 Butz, Bill. The Worlds Next Population Problem. PopulationReference Bureau. March 2005. 12 May 2008

www.prb.org/Articles/2005/TheWorldsNextPopulationProblem.aspx.3 The Millennium Development Goals and the United Nations Role.

UN Millennium Development Goals. October 2002. United NationsDepartment of Public Information. 1 May 2008

www.un.org/millenniumgoals/MDGs-FACTSHEET1.pdf.

4 Student Voices against Poverty. The Millennium CampaignCurriculum Project: Lesson Plans and Resources Manual forTeachers. United Nations Millennium Campaign. (2007): 2-3.

5 Statement of the UNFPA on the Global Food Crisis, Population andDevelopment. United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). 3 June2008. 17 June 2008 www.unfpa.org/news/news.cfm?ID=1140.

6 Meeting the Millennium Development Goals Financing for Food

Security, Agriculture and Rural Development. High-Level Dialogueon Financing for Development. General Assembly 59th Session.New York, 27-28 June 2005. Food and Agriculture Organization ofthe United Nations. (2005):1.

7 Ibid. 1

8 UN Millennium Development Goals Report 2007. (Summary)RESULTS: The Power to End Hunger. 24 April 2008

www.results.org/website/article.asp?id=2871.

9 Student Voices against Poverty. The Millennium CampaignCurriculum Project: Lesson Plans and Resources Manual forTeachers. United Nations Millennium Campaign. (2007): 3.

10 The Millennium Development Goals Report 2007. New York: United

Nations, 2007. 14.11 Student Voices against Poverty. The Millennium Campaign

Curriculum Project: Lesson Plans and Resources Manual forTeachers. United Nations Millennium Campaign. (2007): 4.

12 Stepping Up Efforts to Save Mothers Lives. United NationsPopulation Fund. May 2007. 15 April 2008

www.unfpa.org/mothers/index.htm.

13 Student Voices against Poverty. The Millennium CampaignCurriculum Project: Lesson Plans and Resources Manual forTeachers. United Nations Millennium Campaign. (2007): 4.

14 The Millennium Development Goals Report 2007. New York:United Nations, 2007. 17.

15 Reproductive Health and Family Planning. State of the WorldPopulation 2004. United Nations Population Fund. 22 April 2008

www.unfpa.org/swp/2004/english/ch6/index.htm.

16 The Millennium Development Goals Report 2007. New York:United Nations, 2007. 18.

17 2007 AIDS Epidemic Update. Joint United Nations Programme onHIV/AIDS and World Health Organization. December 2007. 3.

18 The Sustainable Difference: Energy and Environment to Achieve theMDGs. Energy and Environment Bureau for Development Policy.United Nations Development Programme, August 2005. 14.

19 Millennium Development Goals. The Millennium DevelopmentGoals Keeping the Promise for 2015. United Nations MillenniumCampaign Resources. RESULTS: The power to end hunger. 17 June2008 www.results.org/website/article.asp?id=2142.

20 Health, Dignity, and Development: What Will It Take? Achieving theMillennium Development Goals. The UN Millennium Project TaskForce on Water and Sanitation, Final Report, Abridged Edition. New

York: United Nations Millennium Project, 2005. 13.

21 Changing the Climate: Why Womens Perspectives Matter. WomensEnvironment & Development Organization (WEDO). 2007. 16

June 2008 www.wedo.org/library.aspx?ResourceID=180.

22 Student Voices against Poverty. The Millennium CampaignCurriculum Project: Lesson Plans and Resources Manual forTeachers. United Nations Millennium Campaign. (2007): 9.

23 Goal #8: Global Partnership. End Poverty 2015: MillenniumCampaign. 11 June 2008

www.endpoverty2015.org/goals/global-partnership.

24 Goal 8: Developing a Global Partnership for Development OfficialDevelopment Assistance. The United States and the MDGs: U.S.

Contributions to Global Poverty. InterAction. (2007): 57.

25 Progress on Achieving the Millennium Development Goals.RESULTS Outreach Packet. 10 July 2008

www.results.org/website/download.asp?id=2966.

Production Credits

Cover-Tibetan students by Karl Grobl/FHI; Earth from Space courtesy NASA Apollo 17;page 4 - mother and child by Jennifer Swan; page 6-boy carrying water by Ian Berry/Magnum.

All other photos by various artists of iStockPhoto.com.

Project Managing Editors: Ani Zamgochian, and Sarah Fairchild, Sierra ClubLayout and Design: Serendipity Design - Cincinnati, OH.

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Sierra Club Headquarters

85 Second St., Second Floor,

San Francisco, CA 94105

Phone: (415) 977-5500

Sierra Club National Campaign Office

408 C St. NE,

Washington,DC 20002

Phone: (202) 547-1141

www.sierraclub.org/population

The mission of Sierra Clubs

Global Population and Environment Program

is to protect the global environment,

preserve natural resources for future generations,

and foster healthy communities

by advancing sustainable development solutions.