The world has pulled back in its efforts to achieve the UN SDGs by the 2030 deadline; this is due to the pandemic and other issues such as the conflict in Ukraine. COVID-19, among other issues, has halted progress and there is now a risk of missing these global targets.
The alert bell is ringing; the SDGs are in a desperate state according to a interim report posted this week. We are only halfway on our journey to 2030. “The initial assessment of the 140 targets for which data is available indicates that only around 12% meet the requirements.”
Despite making some progress, about half of the targets are still moderately or significantly off target. Likewise, around 30% of the goals stagnated compared to 2015 or even worsened.
Sustainability goals in trouble
Seventeen SDG themes are present, from combating climate change and protecting the ocean to building sustainable cities. Reducing poverty, achieving gender equality and promoting peace and justice in the world are also priorities. UN Secretary-General António Guterres underlined that SDG progress data do not only refer to individual goals, but are divided into categories and have the respective goals. He also made it clear that these weren’t just lines on a graph.
Gutierres said a healthy world will require mothers and babies to be safe, children to develop their skills and fathers to be able to provide for their families. He also emphasized the importance of access to renewable energy sources and clean air. Finally, he mentioned the importance of everyone having access to human rights and respect.
Without any kind of intervention, around 575 million people (7%) of the world’s population will continue to live in the extreme poverty by 2030; down from the 800 million (10.8%) achieved in 2015. According to the report, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused a drastic shift in poverty reduction over the past 30 years. This has pushed 70 million people back into extreme poverty since 2019.
Any progress
Despite many challenges, there has been positive progress in global health and development. Infant mortality rates are declining, progress in HIV treatment and prevention continues to be made, and access to electricity is becoming more available in less prosperous countries. While more renewable energy and more marine protected areas are laudable, in terms of climate-related goals there is still much work to be done.
If the current pace of progress is maintained, over 660 million people will remain without electricity by 2030 and renewable energy will remain a minor part of the energy mix. Climate finance is lagging behind, while debt relief in developing countries has become increasingly vital. Climate change poses a major threat to global food security (SDG 2) and access to clean water (SDG 6), and more and more people are suffering the consequences.
“The world is on the verge of a climate catastrophe and current actions and plans to address the crisis are insufficient. Unless decisive action is taken immediately this decade to drastically reduce emissions across all sectors, the 1.5°C target will be unattainable, potentially leaving more than three billion people at risk,” the report says.
Reducing emissions is key
The urgency of reducing emissions and halting the effects of climate change is fundamental. If no action is taken, natural disasters such as heat waves, droughts, floods, wildfires, rising sea levels and famine will only get worse. To prevent this disaster from happening, emissions must be reduced immediately and nearly halved by 2030.
Secretary-General Guterres advocates “significant modifications” to the international monetary system, including providing SDG stimulus funds of up to $500 billion annually. He is calling on international lending institutions and development banks to allow this shift to help low-income nations with their plans for the SDG targets.
“Developing countries struggle to finance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) due to the financial deficits they already face. The annual SDG funding gap was previously estimated at US$2.5 trillion, but the OECD has now put that figure at US$4.2 trillion due to the economic fallout from the pandemic,” said Guterres. “And many developing countries are buried under a mountain of debt.”
Ahead of the UN General Assembly’s Economic and Social Council meeting in July, as well as the SDG summit in September, an interim report was published.
By Lauren Fagan. Article in English