LINKING THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS TO CLIMATE CHANGE ISSUES

Santrauka

Industrial development is being squeezed to achieve higher economic growth rates worldwide and in Lithuania, causing increasing environmental problems and, in particular, affecting climate change. Climate change is one of the most worrying environmental problems worldwide. In recent decades, it has become increasingly evident in its negative impact on the environment and on economic and social development. Human economic activities are leading to an increase in the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, leading to rising temperatures throughout the global temperatures. Greenhouse gases are emitted from industrial production processes, agricultural activities, the burning of fossil fuels and improper waste management. Industrial growth is often associated with legal entities whose main objective is to maximise profits at the lowest possible cost, which becomes a major threat to the environment. In this context, legal instruments are crucial in addressing climate change, as they set common goals and objectives and create legal mechanisms. Therefore, the author of the article has set herself the goal of exposing the legal regulation of climate change in the context of the ideology of sustainable development, with the exception of the Lithuanian waste management sector. The article focuses on the ideology of sustainable development, its development and objectives, the implementation of the objectives in the context of the compatibility of economic, social and environmental interests, and the actualization of climate change. It reviews the 2015 United Nations General Assembly Resolution “Changing our world: an agenda for sustainable development by 2030”. It brings up to date the basis of the concept of sustainable development, which is the constructive interaction of the three main components: environment, economy and society. It concludes that the absence of, or failure to adhere to, clear and focused national policies to implement international agreements on climate change is a global threat. Moreover, the legal measures identified to mitigate climate change need to be assessed comprehensively in order to avoid further damaging climate change and to ensure the realisation of the concept of sustainable development.