/SDG 1: No Poverty

The overarching aim of the Agenda 2030’s SDG 1 is designated as “end poverty in all its forms everywhere”. The specific targets cover the complete eradication of extreme poverty and a reduction of relative poverty (according to national definitions) at least by half. Besides the measures that consider material poverty directly, Agenda 2030 requires to implement basic social protection systems and to improve equal opportunities. This includes “access to basic services, ownership and control over land and other forms of property” (UN 2021). Another target aims to reduce poor peoples’ “exposure and vulnerability to climate-related extreme events” (UN 2021). Improving international development cooperation and “gender-sensitive development strategies” (UN 2021) are two targets situated at the international level.

Eradicating and preventing poverty are strongly tied to the other Sustainable Development Goals – poverty is a cross-cutting issue, similar to the goal to promote peace and strong institutions (SDG 16), and to reduce inequality (SDG 10). The aspiration of sustainability is guided by the principle of equivalence of ecological, economic and social goals. This approach creates inevitably contradictions whose solutions require the ability to compromises. The UniNEtZ-team takes this challenge deliberately, resulting in a collaborative attitude of all its actors.

SDG 1 Targets:*

1.1 By 2030, eradicate extreme poverty for all people everywhere, currently measured as people living on less than $1.25 a day

1.2 By 2030, reduce at least by half the proportion of men, women and children of all ages living in poverty in all its dimensions according to national definitions

1.3 Implement nationally appropriate social protection systems and measures for all, including floors, and by 2030 achieve substantial coverage of the poor and the vulnerable

1.4 By 2030, ensure that all men and women, in particular the poor and the vulnerable, have equal rights to economic resources, as well as access to basic services, ownership and control over land and other forms of property, inheritance, natural resources, appropriate new technology and financial services, including microfinance

1.5 By 2030, build the resilience of the poor and those in vulnerable situations and reduce their exposure and vulnerability to climate-related extreme events and other economic, social and environmental shocks and disasters

1.a Ensure significant mobilization of resources from a variety of sources, including through enhanced development cooperation, in order to provide adequate and predictable means for developing countries, in particular least developed countries, to implement programmes and policies to end poverty in all its dimensions

1.b Create sound policy frameworks at the national, regional and international levels, based on pro-poor and gender-sensitive development strategies, to support accelerated investment in poverty eradication actions

Some 13 percent of the Austrian population are at risk of poverty. They are forced to cope with an income equivalent to 60 percent of the national median income. On average, it is 1.286 Euro for a single person household and 1.671 Euro for a single-parent household with one child. Long-term unemployed persons, children, single parents, retired women and migrants are the most affected groups, whence main causes of impoverishment can be deducted.

Housing costs which increased tremendously over the past years hamper people, mostly in larger cities, to pay their necessary and regular expenses. Nowadays, the measures to combat Sars-Cov-2 virus contribute to an aggravation of poverty and exclusion. If people lose their jobs, they often lose important social ties that are essential to social integration. Poverty comes with a material, psychic and social burden.

The Austrian social policy contributes significantly to reducing the risk of poverty and exclusion. However, a future task – taking the Sustainable Development Goals explicitly into account – is to overcome the bureaucratic administration of poverty, more and regionally aligned money for the poor, and a poverty policy that strengthens resiliency and appreciates dignity of the poor. Inclusion, understood as "leave no one behind", is a comprehensive challenge, today and tomorrow. ‘Affordable housing’ and "resilient basic protection" are two options we jointly developed together with UniNEtZ.

(based on the options report to be published)

The options elaborated by the SDG groups are to serve as a means of communicating to the federal government which concrete options can be set by Austria in order to implement the 2030 Agenda with its 17 Sustainable Development Goals. The options report will be published on 02.12.2021.

Option 1.1: Reform of social security systems and basic income support
Option 1.2: Reforms for more socially just working conditions - poor despite work?
Option 1.3: Reform of municipal land use and decommodification
Option 1.4: Climate-friendly energy poverty reduction
Option 1.5: Resource mobilisation for development cooperation