The global goals we've made progress on -- and the ones we haven't | Michael Green

Summary

The speaker discusses the progress of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), three years into the 15-year plan. Using the Social Progress Index, they assess global quality of life and project the likelihood of achieving the SDGs by 2030. While some goals show promising progress, others, particularly in personal rights and inclusiveness, are concerningly stagnant or regressing. The speaker urges wealthier nations to lead and calls for a comprehensive approach to ensure no one is left behind.

Takeaways

• 🗓️ In 2015, the UN adopted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a 15-year commitment to improve the lives of billions with no one left behind.
• 🌐 The SDGs consist of 17 goals, ranging from ending poverty to promoting sustainable fisheries, aiming for a comprehensive plan for the future.
• 📊 The Social Progress Index is used to measure the quality of life, providing a snapshot of progress towards the SDGs with data from 51 indicators.
• 🏆 Denmark is leading in achieving the SDGs, while the Central African Republic has the furthest to go.
• 📉 Despite progress, current trends suggest the world will not meet the 2030 SDG targets until 2094, indicating a need for accelerated action.
• 🔍 The G7 countries, except Germany and Japan, are projected to fall short of achieving the SDGs, highlighting the need for action from wealthier nations.
• 📈 Mexico is expected to make the most progress among the world's most populous countries towards the SDGs, but still fall short of the target.
• 🛑 Personal rights and inclusiveness are areas of significant concern, with many countries experiencing declines in these areas over the past three years.
• 🚀 There is potential for optimism in areas like nutrition and basic medical care, where the world is projected to score high on the SDG targets by 2030.
• 💧 Water and sanitation (SDG 6) is an area where progress is slow, and there is a need to scale solutions to achieve the SDGs faster.
• 🌟 The SDGs are a holistic set of goals, and while focusing on solvable issues is crucial, neglecting the broader package would be missing the point of the SDGs.

Q & A

What was the significant promise made by world leaders in 2015?

In 2015, world leaders made a promise through the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to improve the lives of billions of people over the next 15 years, ensuring that no one is left behind.

How many goals are there in the SDGs?

There are 17 goals in the SDGs, each focusing on different aspects of sustainable development, ranging from ending poverty to promoting sustainable fisheries.

What is the Social Progress Index and how does it relate to the SDGs?

The Social Progress Index is a measure of the quality of life in countries, covering basic needs, foundations of well-being, and opportunity. It is related to the SDGs as it fundamentally measures the same concepts but has the advantage of available data for tracking progress.

What is the current global score on the SDGs according to the Social Progress Index?

As of 2018, the global score on the SDGs is 70.5, indicating some progress since the baseline year of 2015 when the score was 69.1.

Which country is closest to achieving the SDGs?

Denmark is the country closest to achieving the SDGs, according to the Social Progress Index.

Which country has the furthest to go in achieving the SDGs?

The Central African Republic has the furthest to go in achieving the SDGs based on the Social Progress Index.

What is the projected global score on the SDGs by 2030 if current trends continue?

If current trends continue, the projected global score on the SDGs by 2030 is 75.2, which is significantly below the target of 100.

What does the speaker suggest as the first step to improve progress towards the SDGs?

The speaker suggests that the first step to improve progress is to call out rich countries that are falling short, emphasizing that every country needs a plan to implement and deliver the SDGs for their citizens.

In which area of the SDGs are most countries making significant progress according to the transcript?

Most countries are making significant progress in the area of nutrition and basic medical care, which covers SDG 2 on no hunger and basic elements of SDG 3 on health.

What is the current trajectory for SDG 6 on water and sanitation, and is it sufficient to meet the 2030 target?

The current trajectory for SDG 6 shows some progress, with a projected score of around 85-86 by 2030. However, this is not fast enough to meet the 2030 target, indicating the need for accelerated efforts.

What is the most worrying aspect of the SDGs according to the speaker's analysis?

The most worrying aspect of the SDGs, according to the speaker, is the decline in personal rights and inclusiveness, which are critical for ensuring that no one is left behind.

What is the speaker's final message regarding the importance of the SDGs?

The speaker's final message emphasizes that while focusing on solvable SDGs is important, it is crucial not to forget the entire package of goals. The SDGs are an unwieldy set of indicators, goals, and targets, but they also represent the challenges the world faces, and neglecting any aspect would mean failing the promise of the SDGs.