INTRODUCTION

DISSERTATION 2020 SPA DELHI

1: INTRODUCTION

1.1 CONTEXT

The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have set a vision for a future global society based on sustainability principles (UN General Assembly, 2015). The SDG agenda consists of 17 SDGs including 169 targets to be completed by 2030, covering environmental, social and economic development elements, including criteria and a benchmark for regional and national government. In bringing many life-changing 'zero's to the world, many nations have committed to ambitious transformation, such as zero hunger, poverty, AIDS, and violence against women and girls. Therefore, all targets and goals must be fulfilled by 2030. Due to the COVID-19 impact, most developing countries face significant problems like hunger, lack of adequate access to clean water, lack of income source majorly in informal settlements, and GDP growth rate is drastically slowing down. So, it is visible that most of the countries would not achieve all Goals and targets by 2030. Currently, renewable energy sources account for just 17 percent of consumption. And preparation to reduce the worst impacts of weather transition on the environment, the government commission on climate change cautions that this must be 85 percent by 2050.

SDGs have become a challenge for all countries as the achievement of these goals and targets requires the establishment of an advanced and determined system at a country level; thus, it will increase the demand for technology, innovation, and resources to build such a system (Bebbington & Unerman, 2015).

Major raw material processing and the consumption of natural economy and financial developments will be linked to the predicted growth of cities and large cities in the upcoming years. Hence, this may lead to serious environmental issues. It will increase the need for sustainable building materials for constructing new buildings and infrastructure to achieve the overall sustainable development Goals (SDGs). In general, the extensive urban facilities face problems like consuming more unsustainable resources and becoming significantly less, not more durable. Most of them have been built such that they have an infinite supply of new materials and inexhaustible energy sources. There are many factors involved in creating truly

DISSERTATION 2020 SPA DELHI

sustainable buildings for achieving the SDG throughout our urban buildings, the conservation of the natural resources available increases the energy output, upgrades industry and infrastructure. And therefore, by keeping their actual buildings and developing cities truly sustainable, sustainable development goals (SDGs) can be achieved.

Moreover, the research aims to explore alternative ideas about which building materials are more useful and how to develop cities, villages, towns and regions towards cleaner and healthier environments.

RESEARCH QUESTION?

1. In what ways building materials play an essential role in achieving the

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)?

AIM

● Understand the correlation between building materials and SDGs. ● This study aims to understand how building materials could help achieve sustainable development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.

OBJECTIVE

● To study Sustainability, SDGs, building materials types. ● To determine the use of building materials directly and indirectly in supporting the SDGs. ● To analyse the association between building materials and SDGs. ● To analyse the major issues faced by building materials in achieving its sustainable development goals and targets. ● To study and investigate the natural resources (mainly focusing on Goal no 7) and its conservation in the future.

DISSERTATION 2020 SPA DELHI

SCOPE

● The study covers three particular goals (7,9,11), 23 targets, and its 32 indicators. It also covers the link between the construction industry, building materials, and sustainable development goals (SDGs). ● The study focuses on possible implications and contributions to sustainable development goals and targets. ● The study utilizes aggregate data available from internet sources regarding SDGs and their targets.

LIMITATIONS

● The study has some limitations in which findings need to be interpreted as the fundamental research is available from the internet. ● This study did not examine the entire SDGs and its targets and did not cover the impact of

COVID-19 in achieving their plan by 2030. ● The result of this study is not generalizable because of its time constraint.