The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), a set
of eight internationally agreed upon development goals, are due to
expire in 2015. There is currently a lively discussion on future
development frameworks and agendas post-2015. Several actors, including
the EU, have acknowledged the significant changes and new realities in
economic and political systems since the MDGs were agreed upon in the
early 2000s.
In discussing a new development framework, the aim has been
to include more actors, especially from developing countries, and
correct the shortcomings of previous efforts. For many actors, a
significant shortcoming of the MDGs has been the lack of attention on
environmental issues and energy access. At the Rio+20 forum, Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs) were promoted as a framework for bringing
together the environment and development agendas. Several actors are
currently considering whether the post-2015 agenda could entail a
merging of the MDGs and the SDGs as a new, universal development
framework.
