SGGP
The world’s goals to end extreme poverty, improve access to drinking water and take steps towards sustainable development for all humanity are “in jeopardy,” the United Nations (UN) has warned in its latest report.
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| People queue to get water at Yazarthingyan Lake, near Yangon, Myanmar. Photo: REUTERS |
Alarming numbers
In September 2015, the UN General Assembly unanimously adopted 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to eradicate poverty, fight inequality, and respond to climate change to ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity by 2030. Using the latest available data and estimates, the UN has conducted the report “Sustainable Development Goals 2023: Special Edition”, thereby providing a comprehensive assessment of the progress in implementing the SDGs.
The report finds that the combined impacts of the climate crisis, the conflict in Ukraine, the bleak global economic outlook, and the lingering effects of the Covid-19 pandemic have exposed systemic weaknesses and setbacks in progress towards the SDGs. According to the report, 50% of the 140 assessable targets were moderately or severely off-track; more than 30% of these targets recorded no progress or even regressed compared to the 2015 baseline.
The UN also pointed out that the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic have reversed three decades of steady progress in reducing extreme poverty, with the number of people living in extreme poverty rising for the first time in a generation. If this situation continues, the UN warns that by 2030, 575 million people will not be able to escape extreme poverty. “It is shocking to learn that the world is returning to levels of hunger not seen since 2005. Some 2.3 billion people face moderate or severe food insecurity in 2021 and child malnutrition remains a global concern,” the report said.
An estimated 84 million children and young people will be out of school by 2030. The report also says that the world’s poorest and most vulnerable are bearing the brunt of these unprecedented global challenges.
Must act together
The report also highlights positive gains in a number of areas since 2015 that show the potential for further progress. In particular, the share of the global population with access to electricity increased from 87% in 2015 to 91% in 2021, with around 800 million more people gaining access to the grid. The number of internet users has increased by 65% since 2015, with 5.3 billion people connected to the internet in 2022. Such significant development gains demonstrate that the world can make breakthroughs towards a better future for all through a combination of collective action and strong political will, as well as effective use of available technologies, resources and knowledge.
In the report, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stressed that humanity is at a time of truth and reckoning. Mr. Guterres called on all member states to make 2023 the starting point for progress on the SDGs, thereby creating a more peaceful and prosperous future for all people.
Support developing countries to combat climate change
At the US-UK Finance Mobilization Forum held in the UK on July 10, financial leaders, businesses and humanitarian organizations pledged more than $2 billion to reduce CO2 emissions and increase climate resilience in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
Notably, the new capital arrangement between Builders Vision, Mitsui & Co and Renewable Resources Group Partnership aims to address the impact of climate change on supply chains in agriculture, energy and natural resource development. Representatives of the above corporations have committed to invest at least US$1 billion in initial projects in emerging markets, applying natural methods such as regenerative farming and sustainable water management, developing products and systems that minimize negative impacts on the environment.
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