The State of the SDGs with 2030 Deadline Approaching: Priorities, Progress, and Setbacks
In this report they state that the UN is off track to reach their 2030 Agenda goals and that only 16 % of targets are projected to be achieved by the deadline. The report on the UN SDGs reveals that most Member States stay committed to the SDGs have voted in favor of UNGA, with 170 out of the 193 Member States, as well as taking part in the Voluntary National Renewal. Only two countries are actively opposed to reaching the sustainable development goals, which are Argentina and the United States.
The United States has also withdrawn from 60 international organizations, loudly showing their opposition to the SDGs. In contrast, the report notes that Barbados is the country most committed to UN-based multilateralism. Another big development noted in the report is that East and South Asia are outperforming all other countries regarding SDG progress. India and China are showing the largest ranking improvements. In addition, the report notes that Finland is leading the SDG Index and Sweden and Denmark follow. The report states that SDGs 12, 13, 14, and 15 are notably the hardest to achieve and even the top countries are struggling with meeting these goals due to unstainable consumption.
The SDSN notes that goals specifically related to sustainable food systems, peace, the environment, and cities are off track and Member States are having trouble reaching goals. Looking towards the future, the UN has emphasized the importance of strengthening implementation for the next era of sustainable development. Support is strong for the SDG framework, but implementing real change is where countries struggle, and the report has assessed that the use of science and data is an area most in need. Lastly, the SDSN report states the eight priorities for the coming decades of sustainable development.
These include the following:
- End ongoing wars and redirect military expenditures toward peace and human development
- Establish ambitious timeline for SDG implementation
- Organize implementation around 6 major transformations
- Long term investment plans to support transformations
- Strengthen continental, regional, and local cooperation and investment - Introduce new global taxes to finance global public goods
- Develop global governance frameworks for AI, biotechnology, and other emerging tech
- Establish new UN campuses in Asia, Africa, Latin America
Overall, Member States remain committed to achieving the SDG goals and 2030 framework, however significant improvement must be done to ensure those goals are achieved in a timely manner.