GAP Ireland has published its submission to the public consultation on the development of Ireland’s Third Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) National Implementation Plan.
As an environmental charity rooted in community action, and as a government-appointed SDG Champion, GAP has welcomed the opportunity to contribute practical, on-the-ground insight to an important national process: the articulation of the next national plan for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.
Our submission reflects our experiences gained through our programme work, and highlights the need for Ireland’s next SDG Implementation Plan to move beyond awareness-raising and reporting, towards long-term, participatory approaches that support people to take action for sustainable development in their daily lives.
In particular, GAP emphasises the critical role of behaviour change, Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) and Global Citizenship Education (GCE) as cross-cutting enablers for achieving all 17 Goals.
Drawing on our work in communities across Ireland — including community gardens, adult education programmes and local SDG action — the submission calls for stronger resourcing of community-led and place-based approaches, clearer governance structures, and a renewed focus on ensuring that those furthest behind are reached first.
Ireland’s SDGs are a shared national commitment, but their success depends on public understanding, ownership and participation.
You can read GAP’s full submission to the SDG Stakeholder Review here.
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