How We Can Make the World a Better Place by 2030 | Michael Green | TED Talks

Summary

The speaker discusses the UN's new Global Goals for 2030, aiming to end hunger, achieve gender equality, and halt climate change. Despite skepticism, historical progress shows possibilities. Using the Social Progress Index, the talk explores the relationship between economic growth and social progress, revealing that while growth helps, it's not sufficient alone. The key lies in prioritizing well-being and implementing effective solutions globally. The People's Report Card is introduced as a tool to hold leaders accountable for achieving these ambitious targets.

Takeaways

• 🌐 The world leaders agreed on a new set of Global Goals at the UN, aiming for the development of the world by 2030.
• 📊 The Global Goals are the result of extensive consultation and represent humanity's aspirations for a better world.
• 🤔 Despite skepticism, historical data shows that significant progress has been made, such as exceeding the Millennium Development Goals' target for poverty reduction.
• 📈 Economic growth, especially in countries like China and India, has been a major driver in reducing poverty.
• 📉 However, economic growth alone may not be sufficient to achieve the Global Goals due to diminishing returns on social progress for each additional dollar of GDP.
• 📊 The Social Progress Index is a tool that measures the goals' achievements in a single score, providing a benchmark for progress.
• 🏆 Norway leads in social progress, while the Central African Republic lags, with a global average score reflecting a level akin to Cuba or Kazakhstan.
• 🎯 A target score of 75 is proposed as a significant leap towards achieving the Global Goals and improving human well-being.
• 💡 The relationship between GDP and social progress is not deterministic; countries can outperform their economic status by prioritizing social well-being.
• 🌟 Costa Rica is highlighted as an example of a country achieving high social progress despite modest GDP, by focusing on education, health, and sustainability.
• 📝 The People's Report Card is introduced as a method to hold leaders accountable for progress towards the Global Goals, graded from F to A.

Q & A

What are the Global Goals agreed upon by the world leaders at the UN?

The Global Goals are a set of 17 goals for the development of the world by 2030, which include ending poverty, achieving gender equality, halting climate change, and ensuring access to education, health, and a sustainable environment, among others.

How did the Millennium Development Goals perform in terms of reducing poverty?

The Millennium Development Goals aimed to halve the proportion of people living in poverty by 2015. The target was exceeded, with global poverty falling to 12 percent instead of the aimed 18 percent.

What is the Social Progress Index and how is it used in the context of the Global Goals?

The Social Progress Index is a tool that measures the social and environmental performance of a society, summing up into a single score on a scale of 0 to 100. It is used to benchmark where the world is today against the Global Goals and to track progress over time.

What is the current global score on the Social Progress Index?

The current global score on the Social Progress Index is 61 out of 100, which is roughly the level of social progress of Cuba or Kazakhstan.

What score is estimated to be sufficient to achieve the Global Goals?

An estimated score of 75 out of 100 on the Social Progress Index would represent a significant leap forward in human well-being and would be considered as achieving the Global Goals.

How does economic growth relate to social progress according to the script?

Economic growth tends to improve social progress, but the relationship is not linear. Each extra dollar of GDP buys less social progress as wealth increases, indicating that economic growth alone is not sufficient to achieve the Global Goals.

What is the projected global economic growth and GDP per capita by 2030 according to the US Department of Agriculture?

The US Department of Agriculture forecasts an average global economic growth of 3.1 percent over the next 15 years, which would result in a per capita GDP of about $23,000 by 2030.

What is the People's Report Card and how can it be used to hold leaders accountable for the Global Goals?

The People's Report Card is a framework that grades the performance of the world and individual countries on the Global Goals on a scale from F to A. It is used to hold leaders accountable by tracking progress annually and demanding action.

How can private citizens use the People's Report Card to create pressure for action on the Global Goals?

Private citizens can use the People's Report Card to assess their country's performance on the Global Goals, demand transparency and accountability from their leaders, and advocate for policies that prioritize social progress.

What is the current global score on the People's Report Card, and what does it represent?

The current global score on the People's Report Card is a C-, which represents a level of social progress that is below the target set by the Global Goals and indicates the need for significant improvement.

How does the script suggest that countries can make more progress towards the Global Goals than their GDP might suggest?

The script suggests that countries can make more progress by prioritizing social progress and well-being, learning from countries like Costa Rica that have achieved high levels of social progress despite modest GDPs.