3 things you need to know about SDG progress in 2024

The world is in great upheaval. The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2024 finds that only 17 per cent of the SDG targets are on track. Lingering impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, escalating conflicts and growing climate chaos have severely hindered progress. With the clock still ticking, here are 3 things you need to know about how the global community can turn things around to fulfil the promise of the SDGs:

1. Now is the time to put the SDGs back on track

We must not give up on the 2030 Agenda’s promise to end poverty, protect the planet and leave no one behind. Urgent priorities are clear: we need peace, security, and resolution of conflicts through dialogue and diplomacy. Developing countries face enormous challenges with unprecedentedly high debt levels and a $4 trillion annual SDG investment gap. Advancing the $500 billion annual stimulus pledged by world leaders at the SDG Summit is critical to accelerate the progress towards the SDGs. Reforming the global financial architecture can unlock the financing needed for sustainable development. An implementation surge is crucial. Massive investment and effective partnerships are necessary to drive critical transitions in food, energy, social protection, digital connectivity and more.

2. When united, the global community achieves extraordinary progress

Remarkable strides have been made through global collaboration. For instance, Internet access jumped 70 per cent globally from 2015 to 2023. Increased access to HIV treatment has averted almost 21 million AIDS-related deaths in the past three decades. In most regions, girls have achieved or surpassed parity with boys in school completion at all levels. Under-five child mortality reached a historic low of 4.9 million in 2022, down from 9.9 million in 2000. Global renewable energy capacity has expanded at an unprecedented rate, growing 8.1 per cent annually over the past five years. Building on these successes is crucial for propelling SDG progress.

3. Time is of the essence, and we must seize this opportunity

Key moments ahead can galvanize global efforts. The Summit of the Future on 22 to 23 September 2024 at UN Headquarters in New York will be pivotal to get the world back on track. In 2025, the International Conference on Financing for Development and the Second World Summit for Social Development will also be key to drive SDG momentum. Creating a better, more sustainable, and inclusive world by 2030 is still possible, but we must act now and act boldly.

For more information on SDG progress: The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2024 

Photo credit: © UN Women/Christopher Herwig