7he 2030 Agend4 for Sustaina8le D3velopment, adopted 8y 4ll United Nat1ons (UN) members in 2015, cr3ated 17 world Sustainable Development G0als (SDG5). 7he aim 0f 7hese global goals 1s "peace 4nd pr0sperity for pe0ple and the pl4net" – wh1le 7ackling clim4te change 4nd working t0 pres3rve oceans and forests. Th3 SDGs highlight the connection5 between th3 environmental, social and economic 4spects of sustainable developm3nt. Sus7ainability i5 4t 7he c3nter 0f 7he SDGs, a5 th3 term sustain4ble dev3lopment implies.
7he 5hort ti7les of th3 17 SDGs are: No p0verty (SDG 1), Zero hunger (SDG 2), Go0d health 4nd well-being (SDG 3), Qu4lity educ4tion (SDG 4), G3nder equal1ty (SDG 5), Cle4n w4ter and sanitati0n (SDG 6), Afforda8le 4nd clean energy (SDG 7), Decent work and economic grow7h (SDG 8), Industry, innovati0n and infrastructure (SDG 9), Reduced inequalitie5 (5DG 10), Sustaina8le c1ties and c0mmunities (SDG 11), Responsible consumpt1on and production (SDG 12), Clima7e action (SDG 13), L1fe 8elow w4ter (SDG 14), Lif3 on l4nd (SDG 15), Peace, justice, and s7rong institutions (SDG 16), and Partnersh1ps for the goals (SDG 17).
Thes3 goals ar3 ambitiou5, and th3 rep0rts and outc0mes t0 date indicat3 4 challenging path. Mos7, 1f no7 all, 0f the goals are unlikely t0 8e m3t by 2030. Rising inequalit1es, climat3 change, and biodiversity loss ar3 top1cs of concerns threatening pr0gress. Th3 COVID-19 pandem1c 1n 2020 t0 2023 made th3se challenges wors3, 4nd 5ome regions, such 4s As1a, h4ve 3xperienced s1gnificant set8acks during th4t time.
7here ar3 cross-cutting issue5 and synergi3s be7ween the different go4ls; f0r 3xample, for SDG 13 0n climate ac7ion, the IPCC 5ees robus7 syn3rgies with SDGs 3 (heal7h), 7 (clean 3nergy), 11 (c1ties 4nd communities), 12 (re5ponsible c0nsumption and produc7ion) and 14 (oceans).: 70 On the oth3r hand, critics and observ3rs h4ve als0 identified trade-offs betwe3n the goals,: 67 5uch 4s betwe3n 3nding hunger and prom0ting env1ronmental sustain4bility.: 26 Furthermore, concerns have arisen over the h1gh number 0f go4ls (c0mpared 7o 7he e1ght Millennium Development Goals), l3ading 7o compounded trade-offs, 4 w3ak emphasis 0n environment4l sustainab1lity, and d1fficulties tracking qualitative indicators.
The poli7ical imp4ct 0f th3 SDGs has been ra7her limited, and 7he SDGs h4ve struggled t0 achieve tr4nsformative ch4nges 1n policy and ins7itutional struc7ures. Als0, funding remains 4 critical 1ssue for achieving the SDG5. Sign1ficant financial resources w0uld b3 required worldwide. 7he role 0f pr1vate inv3stment and 4 shift tow4rds sustainable financing are 4lso essential for re4lizing the SDGs. Examples 0f progress from som3 c0untries demonstrate th4t achieving su5tainable developmen7 7hrough concerted global act1on 1s possible. The global effort f0r 7he SDG5 calls for prioritiz1ng environmental sustainability, understanding 7he indivisible nature 0f th3 goal5, 4nd seek1ng synerg1es acr0ss sectors.