Seeking to address major global issues, the UN developed 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015. This article will examine global progress toward achieving them and improving the sustainability of modern society.
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What are the SDGs?
The UN’s Sustainable Development Goals have been developed over the past few decades. At 1992’s Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, more than 178 nations adopted the UN’s Agenda 21. This bold and comprehensive plan sought to spur action on sustainability by building global partnerships.
In the succeeding years, several declarations, documents, and agreements were adopted by UN member states, such as the Millennium Declaration in 2000 and the “The Future We Want” document, which was adopted in the same city in 2012. 2015 saw the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development being ratified. At its core were the 17 SDGs that have become central to the UN’s plans for a sustainable future.1
The 17 SDGS cover poverty, hunger, clean energy, work, economic growth, gender equality, access to clean water, education, and peace.
The UN's SDG Report 2024
Despite some progress being made over the past decade or so since the approval of the UN’s SDGs, the Sustainable Development Goals Report 2024 has highlighted the lack of concrete progress on their implementation. If the challenges are not urgently addressed and resolved, this could have far-reaching consequences for the future trajectory of human development.
The report has noted the continuing effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on progress, the impact of conflicts in Ukraine, the Middle East, Sudan, and further afield, the growing climate crisis, and global geopolitical tensions. Furthermore, progress on gender equality has received some setbacks. Over 120 million people have been displaced worldwide by conflicts.2
Biodiversity loss is accelerating, and the gap between rich and poor is growing, spurring global inequality. Developing countries must tackle existential issues such as the climate crisis without proper international support. According to the latest UN report, if progress is to be properly achieved toward the goals by 2030, scaled-up action and massive investment will be necessary.
However, against this backdrop, the report has highlighted the progress toward achieving the SDGs’ blueprint. The SDG Summit in 2023 demonstrated unity among governments in their aims to achieve the goals of the 2030 Agenda.
Progress has been made in areas such as reducing HIV infection, reducing child mortality and poverty, and improving clean water, sanitation, and mobile broadband access in developing nations. Bolder action is needed, however, to tend these green shoots and achieve transformative progress.
Diplomacy and dialogue will be needed to resolve the current conflicts and achieve peace. This will also be necessary to avoid future conflicts and the displacement of global populations that are driving the refugee crisis.
According to the report’s authors, solidarity is another key need. Developing nations will need financial help to avoid climate change and improve living conditions for their populations. The international financial architecture must be overhauled to make it fairer and more equitable.
Thirdly, implementation, investment, and partnerships will be crucial for the far-reaching transition in energy, food, digital connectivity, and other sectors. Massive investment will be needed. Finally, accelerating work on gender equality to empower women and girls worldwide is central to Agenda 2030’s positive outcome and the SDGs.2 However, the report warns that the world is severely off-track.
What is Being Done to Achieve the SDGs?
Achieving the SDGs and Agenda 2030 will only be possible through a sustained effort by multiple stakeholders, including governments, NGOs, companies, and civil society.
Some companies are leading the way in sustainability. TIME Magazine has released a list of some of these sustainability leaders, including PayPal, Schneider Electric, Mastercard, Cellnex, Illumina, Moncler, Hitachi, and CBRE.3
According to Business in the Community, companies that have made major progress on gender equality, a key aim of the SDGs, include Accenture, Aviva, Centrica, British American Tobacco PLC, and GSK.
Avant Meats, an Asian cultivated fish company, is attempting to achieve SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) by producing food without killing fish. The Open Bank project aims to provide banking services to the 1.7 billion people with no access to bank accounts, thereby helping to achieve SDG 1 (No Poverty.)4
Equal Playing Field is a non-profit initiative supporting girls' and women's sports development. It is in 32 nations across six continents and aims to promote grassroots growth in gender equality (SDG 5).
The rise of electric vehicles and the global transition to clean energy continue. For instance, the UK's last coal-fired power station, Ratcliff-on-Soar in Nottingham, ceased operations in 2024 and is being decommissioned. COP 29 aimed to accelerate the green transition further. International cooperation on access to clean and sustainable energy is progressing.
Final Thoughts
While many challenges persist, especially in areas such as gender equality, conflicts, and international support for developing nations to address the impact of climate change, there is room for hope.
The UN’s Sustainable Development Goals Report 2024 has highlighted the significant progress that must be made by 2030. Geopolitical tensions, changing global administrations and their goals, and the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic all play a role and have been highly disruptive over the past few years.
Progress is being made, though, and this should be celebrated. But, as the UN’s report highlights, this will only be ensured by comprehensive cooperation, investment, and effective international partnerships that work in the interests of all stakeholders.
References and Further Reading
- United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (2024) The 17 Goals [online] Available at: https://sdgs.un.org/goals (Accessed on 15 November 2024)
- United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (2024) The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2024 [online] Available at: https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/report/2024/ (Accessed on 15 November 2024)
- TIME (2024) World’s Most Sustainable Companies of 2024 [online] time.com. Available at: https://time.com/collection/worlds-most-sustainable-companies-2024/ (Accessed on 15 November 2024)
- Impossible (2022) 17 Top Companies working on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals [online] Medium.com. Available at: https://medium.com/@impossible/17-top-companies-working-on-the-uns-sustainable-development-goals-49e3eaa75ee1 (Accessed on 15 November 2024)
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