The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have been criticized for being ‘too ambitious’ and ‘ambiguous’ (Lim, Jørgensen, Wyborn, 2018 ; Hák, Janoušková, Moldan, 2016). The failing of the SDGs is...Show moreThe Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have been criticized for being ‘too ambitious’ and ‘ambiguous’ (Lim, Jørgensen, Wyborn, 2018 ; Hák, Janoušková, Moldan, 2016). The failing of the SDGs is globally visible. This study will focus on the ineffective SDG implementation in western Europe. Specifically, western European countries are ‘political entrepreneurs’ being regarded as capable of adequately addressing global challenges (Silander 2019 ; Silander 2020 ; Mintrom 2020). However, the failing of the SDGs causes reputational damage to their title as policy entrepreneur. Rhetorical legitimation theory has argued that legitimacy conveys in texts produced by organizations (Halliday, Block-Lieb, Carruthers 2010). This study therefore aims to answer the following research question: What has been the role of Western-European states as policy entrepreneurs in the legitimation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)? A total of 12 Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) will be examined through discourse analysis to interpret the rhetoric applied in the VNRs given the social context in which they originated. This thesis will argue that western European countries have played an active role in legitimizing the SDGs. Nevertheless, the position western European states took in the process has shifted, simultaneously with the social context, over time.Show less
This research investigates if Moyee Coffee, a Dutch coffee corporation who adopts a different strategy than other fair trade coffee corporations, can contribute to the fifth goal (Gender Equality)...Show moreThis research investigates if Moyee Coffee, a Dutch coffee corporation who adopts a different strategy than other fair trade coffee corporations, can contribute to the fifth goal (Gender Equality) of the Sustainable Development Goal Agenda 2030. The research investigates the political, economic, and socio-cultural aspects of coffee in Ethiopia, known as the birthplace of Arabica coffee. It highlights how generic and fair trade coffee supply chains operate. It seeks to understand how the position of smallholder farmers could be improved through the workings of a continental and supra-national development agenda. All this whilst highlighting the position of women within each topic. The research explicitly focuses on women regarding SDG 5 (Gender Equality) and the generally marginalized position of women within global supply chains. By investigating the workings of Moyee Coffee, this research highlights to what extent there is gender equality among the smallholder farmers as employed by Moyee. By aligning the baseline measurements to the theoretical approaches of the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework, Gendered Commodity Chains theories, and national and regional data, it seeks to understand to what extend there is gender equality among smallholder farmers as employed by Moyee and how there is a possible contribution to SDG 5 (Gender Equality). The key outcomes of the research indicated that there is no differentiation between the position of female smallholder farmers as employed by Moyee and the regional and national female smallholder farmers. Thus, the livelihoods of female smallholder farmers, through the workings of a different type of fair trade, are not empowered nor improved. However, the regional outcomes, to which the outcomes of the data of Moyee compare, do contribute to a slight extend to the realization of SDG 5 (Gender Equality). Nevertheless, the outcomes of the baseline study invite more specific interventions targeted at improving the lives of female smallholder farmers.Show less
In the last few years, the topic of sustainable development has gained international traction. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) are far diverse and far-reaching. Therefore, for China to...Show moreIn the last few years, the topic of sustainable development has gained international traction. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) are far diverse and far-reaching. Therefore, for China to achieve the 2030 SDG’s, China needs to take a multistakeholder approach. This thesis focuses on the youth as the primary stakeholder for analysis. The role that youth participation plays towards SDGs in China, however, remains relatively unexplored in academic research. Yet the youth is an important stakeholder, as it holds significant importance for their future. The youth in China represents a significant demographic where 227 million youths account for 17% of the population. This thesis seeks to take an exploratory approach to understand how youth participation (YP) in China plays a role in China’s national and international ambitions to achieving global SDGs. Because of the lacuna in literature which connects youth participation, the SDG’s and China simultaneously, the relevance and current debates that contribute to the context of SDGs in China and youth participation are first explored separately in the first two chapters. Before introducing the case studies, the third chapter outlines the theoretical framework. The theoretical framework has chosen contemporary models of Jans and Backer youth work and social participation1 and the Typology of Youth Participation and Empowerment (TYPE) framework. They are used to understand social context and the influence of the youth-adult power dynamic in youth participation of the SDGs in China. The fourth chapter introduces the methodology, the case studies, and limitations of the research. The fifth chapter highlights findings of youth participation, and the last chapter provides analysis and discussion of the results to answer the research question.Show less
For decades now, the earth’s climate has been tampered with as greenhouse gases have been pumped into the atmosphere without any constraints. On top of that, the world is still troubled by immense...Show moreFor decades now, the earth’s climate has been tampered with as greenhouse gases have been pumped into the atmosphere without any constraints. On top of that, the world is still troubled by immense social inequalities, putting the feasibility of realising the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) established by the United Nation in 2015 in question. The last decade has been a period overshadowed by a variety of crises, from immigration crises to financial crises. This has raised criticism, demanding to reconsider the current development paradigm. The rational of development through economic growth cannot be maintained, particularly due to our planets’ boundaries. We have exhausted our planets limits and are steering towards its tipping point. This paper will look at the Ecuadorian case of Sumak Kawsay, a variant of Buen Vivir which, has been an increasingly popular worldview in the Andean and Amazon region of Latin America. This paper will explore Buen Vivir as an alternative development strategy and critically assess its viability to achieve a set of three distinct UN sustainable development goals. Additionally, the current global political economy will be critically discussed. Thus, this paper can be placed within the wider debate of development studies, seeking alternatives to the current development paradigm.Show less
