Using the SDGs to Realize the G7's 'Green Revolution that Creates Jobs'

G7 leaders have already accepted many important concepts related to the environment and sustainability. The G7 agreed to “protect our planet by supporting a green revolution that creates jobs” in 2021 at the Cornwall Summit. However, the challenge is that the G7 has mostly issued general statements of principle rather than committed to concrete actions, and specific commitments tend to be neither ambitious nor well-implemented. The sustainable development goals (SDGs) also have been insufficiently highlighted by the G7. This policy brief explains how a “green revolution that creates jobs” can be visualized in the SDGs to encourage greater implementation efforts. Among the SDGs, the key is Target 8.2 on decent work. Targets to achieve a “green economic transformation“ include those on sustainable consumption and production; decoupling the economy from environmental degradation; renewable energy and energy efficiency; sustainable agriculture, transport, and buildings; integrated water management; sanitation; and regulating unsustainable fishing and fishing subsidies. Efforts to achieve these targets can create a wide range of jobs while contributing to environmental goals and social priorities such as improved health, food security, poverty eradication, and greater equality and inclusiveness. The G7 countries should implement the concept of a “green revolution which creates jobs” by working on the “green economic transformation” targets in the SDGs. G7 countries should also create jobs to implement related SDG targets. A “green revolution” or “green economic transformation” working group should be established to develop concrete implementation measures. To ratchet up the level of ambition, the G7 countries should annually commit to voluntary national actions towards the implementation of their collective commitments. G7 countries should expand the scope of monitoring their commitments to include environment and sustainability commitments, especially focusing on the SDGs. The G7 should incorporate the SDGs into their communiques, especially the environmental dimensions. This will help to create synergies with other related international cooperation processes.