Question map
Consider the following statements : 1. The Sustainable Development Goals were first proposed in 1972 by a global think tank called the 'Club of Rome'. 2. The Sustainable Development Goals have to be achieved by 2030. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Explanation
The correct answer is option B (Statement 2 only).
**Statement 1 is incorrect:** The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015[2], not in 1972. While the Club of Rome is a global think tank that came out with a report called "The Limits to Growth" in 1972[4], this report dealt with sustainable development concepts in general, not the specific SDGs. The theoretical framework for sustainable development evolved between 1972 and 1992, beginning with the UN Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm in 1972[5]. The SDGs themselves were formally proposed and adopted much later.
**Statement 2 is correct:** The Sustainable Development Goals have to be achieved by 2030[6]. SDGs replaced the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and were adopted in 2015 to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity by 2030[1].
Sources- [1] Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 21: Sustainable Development and Climate Change > CHAPTER SUMMARY > p. 607
- [2] Indian Economy, Vivek Singh (7th ed. 2023-24) > Chapter 8: Inclusive growth and issues > 8.15 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) > p. 278
- [3] https://www.orfonline.org/research/the-sustainable-development-agenda
- [4] https://unstats.un.org/unsd/geoinfo/RCC/docs/rccap20/IP1_UNRCC-AP%20Paper%20G%20Scott.pdf
- [5] https://unstats.un.org/unsd/geoinfo/RCC/docs/rccap20/IP1_UNRCC-AP%20Paper%20G%20Scott.pdf
- [6] Economics, Class IX . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 3: Poverty as a Challenge > Poverty and Sustainable Development Goals > p. 37
PROVENANCE & STUDY PATTERN
Guest previewThis is a classic 'Timeline Swap' trap. UPSC tested if you could distinguish the *philosophical origin* of sustainability (1972, Club of Rome) from the *specific policy framework* (2015, SDGs). Strategy: For every major global agreement, memorize the 'Family Tree'—Grandfather (1972), Father (1992/2000), and Child (2015).
This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.
- Statement 1: Were the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) first proposed in 1972?
- Statement 2: Were the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) first proposed by the global think tank the Club of Rome?
- Statement 3: Do the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have a target date of 2030 for their achievement?
- Explicitly presents the claim that SDGs were first proposed in 1972 and marks that claim as incorrect.
- Provides the answer key indicating only the 2030 target statement is correct, thereby refuting the 1972 origin claim.
- States Member States agreed by consensus to adopt 'Transforming our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development' in 2015.
- Shows the SDGs/2030 Agenda were established in 2015, not first proposed in 1972.
- Notes the evolution of the sustainable development framework occurred between 1972 and 1992, starting with the 1972 Stockholm conference.
- Indicates 1972 began environmental sustainability discussions but does not state SDGs were proposed then — implying the SDGs came later.
States that the SDGs 'were adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015', giving a clear adoption date for the SDG framework.
A student can compare the 2015 adoption date with 1972 and infer that 1972 is unlikely to be the proposal year unless earlier documents show continuity.
Also records that the SDGs were 'adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015', reinforcing the 2015 origin.
Combining multiple sources that cite 2015 makes it reasonable to suspect the SDGs were not first proposed in 1972 and to check UN records around 2015.
Summarizes that the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were set in 2000 and that the SDGs 'replaced MDGs' and were 'adopted ... in 2015', providing a timeline of related UN goal-sets.
A student can use this timeline (MDGs 2000 → SDGs 2015) to question any claim that SDGs trace back as far as 1972 and seek primary UN declarations from those years.
Gives the specific origin year (2000) for the MDGs, showing major UN global goal-sets occurred in 2000 and 2015 rather than earlier decades.
Use this to reason that major UN goal-setting moments are clustered around 2000 and 2015, making a 1972 proposal for the SDGs atypical and worth verifying against UN conference outputs.
Notes the 1972 UN Conference on the Human Environment (Stockholm) as the start of decades of environmental governance efforts and links later bodies (UNEA) and discussions to Rio+20 (2012) and the SDGs.
A student could infer that 1972 began environmental governance discussions but that explicit SDG work emerged much later (e.g., Rio+20 and 2012–2015), so they should check whether any 1972 text explicitly proposed 'SDGs' or only broader environmental governance.
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