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Multiple global crises continue to put the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals ‘in peril’, the UN says.
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Its 2023 update report shows a significant reversal of progress in key areas such as child vaccination rates and income inequality between countries.
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These challenges will be the focus of the World Economic Forum’s Sustainable Development Impact Meetings on 18-22 September 2023.
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was adopted by all United Nations’ (UN) member states in 2015. “A shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future”, it is based on 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which the UN describes as an urgent call for action. The organization says that ending global poverty requires focusing on strategies that reduce inequality and spur economic growth, while also tackling climate change.
The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2022 painted a worrying picture of progress in almost all areas, but the 2023 update delivers an even graver warning: “The promises enshrined in the SDGs are in peril,” the UN states. This year marks the halfway point to the 2030 Agenda deadline, increasing global urgency to ignite progress.
Once again, the widening economic gap between developed and developing nations, along with the uneven impacts of the climate crisis, are highlighted as of particular concern.
While the decline in SDG progress is universal, poorer countries are being disproportionately affected by the consequences, largely due to a lack of representation on the global stage, the UN warns. The number of people in extreme poverty is rising for the first time in a generation and is on track to reach 575 million by 2030.
Greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise, with expectations that global temperatures will surpass the critical tipping point of 1.5°C above industrial levels in a little more than a decade. Extreme weather events are becoming more common as a result, along with rising sea levels, and vulnerable communities are being hit disproportionately hard, despite having contributed the least to climate change.
Some gains on the SDGs have been made since 2015 – including in child mortality, electricity access and the battle against certain diseases – but the report’s overall message is stark. “Unless we act now, the 2030 Agenda will become an epitaph for a world that might have been,” UN Secretary-General António Guterres says.
Here’s what you need to know about the state of progress on each of the 17 goals.
UN Sustainable Development Goals 2023 report card
1. No poverty
The report says four years of progress in reducing poverty has been erased by COVID-19 and the “recovery is slow and uneven”. Rising inflation and the war in Ukraine have caused further setbacks. It’s estimated that as many as 670 million people are living in extreme poverty worldwide, putting the world on track to cut poverty by just 30% between 2015 and 2030. The UN says robust measures and investments are needed to promote economic growth, enhance education and provide social protection to all, especially the most marginalized individuals.
2. Zero hunger
Hunger and food insecurity have been increasing since 2015, further intensified by the compounding effects of the pandemic, conflict, climate change and widening inequalities. The UN estimates 9.2% of the world population faced chronic hunger in 2022 – this is 735 million people, up by 122 million from 2019. Given the current polycrisis, swift global collaboration is imperative to effectively combat hunger and safeguard food security.
3. Good health and well-being
The impacts of the pandemic and other crises continue to take a toll on global health, but some progress has been made in recent years. For example, 146 out of 200 countries or areas have already met or are on track to meet the SDG target on the mortality rates of those aged under five. But much more needs to be done in other areas, including reducing maternal mortality and expanding universal health coverage.
4. Quality education
The pandemic has caused severe disruption in 80% of the 104 countries studied. Without action, 84 million children and young people will remain out of school, and about 300 million students will lack essential literacy and numeracy skills. While the current Goal 4 benchmarks are less ambitious than the original ones, there is still an average annual financing gap of $97 billion for low- and lower-middle-income countries.
5. Gender equality
The world remains a way off achieving gender equality by 2030. Only 15.4% of Goal 5 data indicators are “on track”, the UN says. Progress in areas like unpaid care and domestic work is falling behind, while nearly half of married women lack the power to make decisions over their sexual and reproductive health. Violence against women remains endemic. Bold action is needed to accelerate progress through the promotion of laws, policies, budgets and institutions that promote gender equality.
6. Clean water and sanitation
Water demand is rising due to rapid population growth, increasing pressure from agriculture and industry, and threats to wetland ecosystems. While water use efficiency has seen a 9% improvement since 2015, concern about water stress and water scarcity is growing. Current rates of progress will need to increase three- to six-fold to achieve safe water and sanitation for all by 2030. In 2022, 2.2 billion people still lacked safely managed drinking water, including 703 million without a basic water service. More efforts are needed to provide these and to increase cooperation among states across transboundary waters.
7. Affordable and clean energy
Around 660 million people will still be without electricity in 2030 if current trends continue. Slow progress towards clean cooking solutions means the health of over 2 billion people is also at risk. While the world is advancing towards sustainable energy targets, achieving these as well as climate goals will mean a massive mobilization of public and private capital in renewable energy, especially in developing countries.
8. Decent work and economic growth
The global economy is currently threatened by multiple crises, with persistent inflation, increasing interest rates and heightened uncertainties. Global real GDP per capita growth is forecast to slow in 2023, leading to a decline in global unemployment, particularly among the young. But the pandemic has sped up digital adoption and improved access to finance. In 2021, 76% of adults globally had bank accounts or accounts with regulated institutions, a rise from 62% in 2014.
9. Industry, innovation and infrastructure
Growth in global manufacturing slid to 3.3% in 2022 from 7.4% in 2021 amid a slow and uneven recovery from the pandemic, and the least developed countries are not on track to double the share of manufacturing in their GDP by 2030. As of 2022, 95% of the world’s population was within reach of a mobile broadband network, but some areas remain underserved. The report says countries with strong infrastructure including internet connectivity are recovering more quickly. Despite the presence of 3G (or higher) broadband in most countries, the cost of devices and lack of literacy and digital skills remain steep barriers to internet adoption.