SDGs Off Track: UN Report 2024
- NAIROBI, Kenya - A new UN report indicates that only 17% of Sustainable Development goal (SDG) targets are on track for 2030.
- The Sustainable Development Report 2025, released by the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), highlights notable reversals as 2015 in areas including obesity rates, press freedom, sustainable nitrogen...
- Sachs, president of the SDSN, said the report underscores the vital role of the SDGs in achieving peace, equity, and well-being amid geopolitical tensions and the climate crisis.
Only 17% of Lasting Progress Goals (SDG) targets are on track for 2030, according to a new UN report. Key areas, including press freedom and species extinction risk, show concerning reversals since 2015.This critical assessment underscores the urgent need for global cooperation, increased investments in education and green technologies, and a renewed commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals. The report highlights obstacles like geopolitical tensions and a lack of fiscal space. news Directory 3 brings you this essential analysis of where things stand ten years into the SDG initiative.What steps will be taken at the upcoming financing for Development conference? Discover what’s next …
UN Report: Enduring Growth Goals Progress Lagging
By Joyce Chimbi, Inter Press Service
NAIROBI, Kenya – A new UN report indicates that only 17% of Sustainable Development goal (SDG) targets are on track for 2030. Finland leads in overall SDG progress, while Barbados excels in commitment to UN multilateralism.
The Sustainable Development Report 2025, released by the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), highlights notable reversals as 2015 in areas including obesity rates, press freedom, sustainable nitrogen management, species extinction risk, and corruption perception.
Jeffrey D. Sachs, president of the SDSN, said the report underscores the vital role of the SDGs in achieving peace, equity, and well-being amid geopolitical tensions and the climate crisis. He advocated for increased investment in education, green technologies, and digital solutions, emphasizing the need for global cooperation.
While mobile and internet use, access to electricity, and reductions in child mortality are progressing, Guillaume Lafortune, vice president of the SDSN, noted that 190 countries have presented action plans for sustainable development. He added that subnational entities are also increasingly involved through Voluntary Local reviews.
Lafortune said many countries have established national coordination units and monitoring systems for the SDGs. Some, like Benin and Uzbekistan, are using SDG bond frameworks to attract long-term capital.
The report includes an SDG Index ranking UN member states on their progress across the 17 SDGs and a platform tracking countries’ engagement with the UN system. it is released as the UN marks the 10th anniversary of the SDGs and prepares for the 4th international Conference on Financing for development.
Lafortune identified increasing global conflicts and a lack of fiscal space in developing countries as major obstacles to SDG progress. He stressed the importance of the upcoming Financing for Development conference in Seville, Spain, where UN members will discuss how to direct global savings to countries in need.
Rich countries generally perform better on the SDG Index but often outsource negative environmental and socioeconomic impacts. East and South Asian countries have shown the fastest progress since 2015, while some nations have stagnated or regressed.
Lafortune emphasized that peace, diplomacy, and commitment to the UN Charter are crucial for achieving the SDGs. He called for governments and policymakers to collaborate on frameworks that direct technological innovations toward the common good.