Week 31: The Sustainable Development Wish List Amid Global Challenges

Dear all,

A shared hallucination or a perfect global dream. Writing about SDGs feels a bit like that. A global vision without execution in a fractured world that is becoming more militant and violent every day. A magnificent idea supported by, at least on paper, governments and corporations around the world. We need to be realistic about the world’s global challenges and bold enough not to use them as an excuse for cynicism. The SDGs are a bit of a global wish list. Adopted in 2015, these goals, the SDGs, were meant to plot a course to curing 17 of the most fundamental ills afflicting human society and the planet. The first goal, SDG 1, calls for ending extreme poverty by 2030.

The second goal aims to eradicate hunger and malnutrition. The other fifteen goals encompass a broad spectrum of human rights and aspirations, including health, education, gender equality, peace, and ocean conservation. Each goal is broken down into specific targets, totaling 169 across all goals. For instance, ending poverty involves seven targets, such as establishing social protection systems, ensuring equal economic rights for men and women, and providing consistent international aid to countries in need. The SDGs succeeded the Millennium Development Goals, which ended in 2015, offering a more ambitious and inclusive vision applicable to all countries, not just developing ones.

However, recent global events have severely impacted progress. The COVID-19 pandemic, Russia's invasion of Ukraine, global inflation, debt crises, food security issues, and worsening climate-related disasters have created a "perfect storm" of challenges, pushing the SDG agenda nearly underwater. As of 2023, the United Nations' progress report indicates that half of the 140 measurable targets are progressing weakly and insufficiently, while another 30% have stalled or reversed. If these trends persist, by 2030, 575 million people will remain in extreme poverty, 128.5 million children will suffer from stunting due to chronic undernutrition, and 84 million children and young people will be out of school.