This House of Lords Library Briefing has been prepared in advance of the debate due to take place on 22 November 2018 in the House of Lords on the motion moved by Baroness Suttie (Liberal Democrat), “that this House takes note of the progress made across government departments in integrating the universal sustainable developments goals into domestic policy in preparation for the United Kingdom’s Voluntary National Review presentation at the United Nations in September 2019”.
UN Sustainable Development Goals: Integration into UK Policy (253 KB , PDF)
In 2015, UN members states, including the UK, adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) and 169 associated targets. The goals cover issues ranging from poverty and gender equality to waste reduction and achieving sustainable consumption.
The UK Government welcomed the adoption of the SDGs and associated targets, with the then Prime Minister, David Cameron, calling for “world leaders to meet their promises”. The Department for International Development is the lead government department on implementing the SDGs. Other departments are required to embed the goals in their single departmental plans (SDP) and associated reporting mechanisms. The Cabinet Office has a role in coordinating domestic delivery of the goals through the SDP process. The Office for National Statistics is responsible for reporting the UK’s data for the SDG global indicators to the UN.
As part of the UN’s review and monitoring process, member states are encouraged to conduct “regular and inclusive [national] reviews”. The national reports are produced in the form of voluntary national reviews (VNRs). A country delivers a VNR to the UN on its progress, successes and challenges, and will have this discussed by other states and stakeholders. The UK government has stated that it will be delivering its VNR to the UN in July 2019. The Government has launched an online platform for businesses and civil society to submit their contribution to the VNR.
This briefing provides a summary of the SDGs and an overview of the UN’s monitoring and review process. It then briefly describes the UK Government’s implementation and reporting mechanisms, and summaries the House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee’s report on the issue. The final section provides information on the UK’s preparations for the VNR.
UN Sustainable Development Goals: Integration into UK Policy (253 KB , PDF)
In the autumn budget the chancellor announced changes to inheritance tax reliefs. From April 2026, taxes would apply to agricultural assets over £1mn (or up to £3mn in certain circumstances). The government has said this would just affect the wealthiest landowners and disincentivise buying agricultural land to avoid tax. Farming groups have argued the policy is a threat to the future of family farming and the UK's food security.
In February 2024 the House of Lords Communications and Digital Committee published a report on large language models and generative AI. It highlighted the opportunities and risks this technology offers, and recommended actions the government should take to support the market while mitigating risks. The new government has said it will legislate to address safety risks arising from generative AI.
The House of Lords European Affairs Committee welcomed the EU and UK response to the war in Ukraine “in general terms”. In its January 2024 report, the committee said some areas of UK-EU cooperation had been broadly effective. The committee said the report’s aim was to consider a longer-term approach and make recommendations to strengthen the UK-EU response. It called for more formal arrangements in several security and foreign policy areas.
