DESCRIPTION
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) offer a far-reaching and inspiring vision for achieving a better world by 2030. But as we pass the halfway mark since the SDGs were first agreed in 2015, our efforts to create this better world are in peril. Multiple crises—from climate change to regional conflicts, pollution to the COVID-19 pandemic—have derailed our endeavours. As of 2023, only 12 percent of the SDGs are on track. Almost one-third of the goals have seen either no improvement since 2015 or have actually gone backwards. The multiple crises assailing humanity have thrown millions more into poverty and the international community appears more fractured than it has in many years. How did we reach this point? Can we get the SDGs back on track? This article reviews how the SDGs were developed and why progress has been disappointing to date. We look ahead to the upcoming September 2023 SDG Summit in New York, which is an attempt to reinvigorate efforts as we pass the halfway point in delivering the SDGs. Finally, we assess what actions are needed over the coming years to get us back on track.
