The 17 SDGs

The 17 Sustainable Development Goals and 169 targets make up the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

They build on the Millennium Development Goals and aim to complement what they have not achieved. 

“They seek to realise the human rights of all and to achieve gender equality and empowerment of all women and girls. They are integrated and indivisible and balance the three dimensions of sustainable development: economic, social and environmental”

https://sdgs.un.org/2030agenda

The Sustainable Development Goal 1:

End poverty in all its forms everywhere

• By 2030, eradicate extreme poverty for all people everywhere, currently measured as people living on less than $1.25 a day

• By 2030, reduce at least by half the proportion of men, women and children of all ages living in poverty in all its dimensions according to national definitions
• Implement nationally appropriate social protection systems and measures for all, including floors, and by 2030 achieve substantial coverage of the poor and the vulnerable

• By 2030, ensure that all men and women, in particular the poor and the vulnerable, have equal rights to economic resources, as well as access to basic services, ownership and control over land and other forms of property, inheritance, natural resources, appropriate new technology and financial services, including microfinance

• By 2030, build the resilience of the poor and those in vulnerable situations and reduce their exposure and vulnerability to climate-related extreme events and other economic, social and environmental shocks and disasters

• Ensure significant mobilization of resources from a variety of sources, including through enhanced development cooperation, in order to provide adequate and predictable means for developing countries, in particular least developed countries, to implement programmes and policies to end poverty in all its dimensions
• Create sound policy frameworks at the national, regional and international levels, based on pro-poor and gender-sensitive development strategies, to support accelerated investment in poverty eradication actions

Even before the coronavirus pandemic, progress towards Goal 1 had slowed, and the world was not on track to ending extreme poverty by 2030. Now, as the world anticipates the worst economic fallout since the Great Depression, tens of millions of people will be pushed back into poverty, undoing years of steady improvement. As the economic impacts of the pandemic begin to be felt more strongly, the importance of robust social protection systems for safeguarding the poor and vulnerable is becoming clearer than ever. So, too, is the need for effective emergency preparedness, both for pandemics and other hazards that cause disasters. 

Assuming the pandemic remains at levels currently expected the poverty rate is projected to reach 8.8 per cent in 2020. This is the first rise in global poverty since 1998, and close to the 2017 level. An estimated 71 million additional people will be living in extreme poverty due to COVID-19. Southern Asia and sub-Saharan Africa are expected to see the largest increases in extreme poverty, with an additional 32 million and 26 million people, respectively, living below the international poverty line as a result of the pandemic.

The share of the world’s workers living in extreme poverty fell by half over the last decade: from 14.3 per cent in 2010 to 7.1 per cent in 2019. However, the pace of progress has slowed since 2013, requiring reinvigorated efforts to reach the 2030 target. Moreover, the impacts of COVID-19 are projected to push millions more into poverty. As of April 2020, recommended or required workplace closures around the world affected 81 per cent of employers and 66 per cent of own‑account workers, severely limiting jobs and income.

The Sustainable Development Goal 2:
End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture

• By 2030, end hunger and ensure access by all people, in particular the poor and people in vulnerable situations, including infants, to safe, nutritious and sufficient food all year round

• By 2030, end all forms of malnutrition, including achieving, by 2025, the internationally agreed targets on stunting and wasting in children under 5 years of age, and address the nutritional needs of adolescent girls, pregnant and lactating women and older persons
• By 2030, double the agricultural productivity and incomes of small-scale food producers, in particular women, indigenous peoples, family farmers, pastoralists and fishers, including through secure and equal access to land, other productive resources and inputs, knowledge, financial services, markets and opportunities for value addition and non-farm employment

• By 2030, ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production, that help maintain ecosystems, that strengthen capacity for adaptation to climate change, extreme weather, drought, flooding and other disasters and that progressively improve land and soil quality

• By 2020, maintain the genetic diversity of seeds, cultivated plants and farmed animals and their related wild species, including through soundly managed and diversified seed and plant banks at the national, regional and international levels, and promote access to and fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge, as internationally agreed
• Increase investment, including through enhanced international cooperation, in rural infrastructure, agricultural research and extension services, technology development and plant and livestock gene banks in order to enhance agricultural productive capacity

• Correct and prevent trade restrictions and distortions in world agricultural markets, including through the parallel elimination of all forms of agricultural export subsidies and all export measures with equivalent effect, in accordance with the mandate of the Doha Development Round
• Adopt measures to ensure the proper functioning of food commodity markets and their derivatives and facilitate timely access to market information, including on food reserves, in order to help limit extreme food price volatility

Eradicating hunger and achieving food security remains a challenge, more so in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis. At the global level, hunger and food insecurity have been on the rise, and malnutrition still affects millions of children. The situation is likely to get worse owing to economic slowdowns and disruptions caused by a pandemic-triggered recession. In addition to COVID-19, the desert locust upsurge in six Eastern African countries and Yemen – where 35 million people are already experiencing acute food insecurity – remains alarming. To mitigate the threats posed by the pandemic to vulnerable populations, countries need to take immediate action to keep trade flowing, to strengthen food supply chains and to increase agricultural production. 

Since 2014, the global prevalence of undernourishment (chronic food insecurity) has remained virtually unchanged at slightly below 9 per cent but the total number of people going hungry has slowly increased for several consecutive years. Almost 690 million people were undernourished in 2019, up by nearly 60 million from 2014. Small-scale farmers play a critical role in food production worldwide, although they routinely face difficulties accessing land and other productive resources, along with information, financial services, markets and opportunities. 

Chronic undernutrition, or stunting, puts children at greater risk of dying from common infections; it is also associated with poor cognitive development. Childhood overweight is recognized as a global public health problem because of its pernicious influence on the incidence of acute and chronic diseases, healthy development and the economic productivity of individuals and societies. 

The Sustainable Development Goal 3:
Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages

• By 2030, reduce the global maternal mortality ratio to less than 70 per 100,000 live births

• By 2030, end preventable deaths of newborns and children under 5 years of age, with all countries aiming to reduce neonatal mortality to at least as low as 12 per 1,000 live births and under‑5 mortality to at least as low as 25 per 1,000 live births

• By 2030, end the epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and neglected tropical diseases and combat hepatitis, water-borne diseases and other communicable diseases

• By 2030, reduce by one third premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention and treatment and promote mental health and well-being
• Strengthen the prevention and treatment of substance abuse, including narcotic drug abuse and harmful use of alcohol

• By 2020, halve the number of global deaths and injuries from road traffic accidents

• By 2030, ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health-care services, including for family planning, information and education, and the integration of reproductive health into national strategies and programmes

• Achieve universal health coverage, including financial risk protection, access to quality essential health-care services and access to safe, effective, quality and affordable essential medicines and vaccines for all
• By 2030, substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water and soil pollution and contamination

Untill the end of 2019, advances in many areas of health continued, but the rate of progress was not sufficient to meet most Goal 3 targets. The COVID-19 pandemic is throwing progress even further off track. The rapid increase in COVID-19 cases is causing a significant loss of life and overwhelming many health systems. Essential health services and lifesaving interventions are being disrupted. In many countries, the outbreak is also triggering an alarm in terms of preparedness for health emergencies and immunization services. This is particularly true for countries where health systems are unable to cope with the surge in demand due to the lack of health-care workers, medical equipment and supplies. Achieving universal health coverage remains a global challenge. The number of people incurring large out-of-pocket health expenses has been increasing and will likely continue to increase. Universal health coverage means that all people have access to the health services they need, when and where they need them, without financial hardship. It includes the full range of essential health services, from health promotion to prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and palliative care. Progress has been made in maternal health. The maternal mortality ratio fell by 38 per cent between 2000 and 2017, from 342 deaths to 211 deaths per 100,000 live births worldwide Ensuring that all births are assisted by a skilled attendant is part of a proven strategy for reducing maternal and newborn morbidity and mortality. 

The Sustainable Development Goal 4:
Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all

• By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education leading to relevant and effective learning outcomes 

• By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys have access to quality early childhood development, care and pre‑primary education so that they are ready for primary education

• By 2030, ensure equal access for all women and men to affordable and quality technical, vocational and tertiary education, including university
• By 2030, substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship

• By 2030, eliminate gender disparities in education and ensure equal access to all levels of education and vocational training for the vulnerable, including persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples and children in vulnerable situations

• By 2030, ensure that all youth and a substantial proportion of adults, both men and women, achieve literacy and numeracy
• By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including, among others, through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to sustainable development

Despite progress, the world is not on track to meet 2030 education targets. Before the coronavirus crisis, projections showed that more than 200 million children would be out of school, and only 60 per cent of young people would be completing upper secondary education in 2030. Education systems worldwide have been hit hard and abruptly by the pandemic. School closures to stop the spread of COVID-19 have affected the vast majority of the world’s student population. Disrupted education is adversely affecting learning outcomes and social and behavioural development of children and youth. Children and youth in vulnerable and disadvantaged communities are particularly at risk of educational exclusion. The pandemic is deepening the education crisis and widening existing educational inequalities. 

Goal 4 aims to keep children in school and ensure they complete their education. The global primary school completion rate was estimated at 85 per cent in 2019, up from 70 per cent in 2000. The lower and upper secondary school rates were 73 per cent and 49 per cent, respectively, with large disparities among population groups. For example, in low-income countries, the primary completion rate is 34 per cent for children from the poorest 20 per cent of households and 79 per cent for children from the richest 20 per cent of households. Similar disparities were found in completion rates for lower secondary and upper secondary schools.

The Sustainable Development Goal 5:

Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls

• End all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere

• Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres, including trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation

• Eliminate all harmful practices, such as child, early and forced marriage and female genital mutilation

• Recognize and value unpaid care and domestic work through the provision of public services, infrastructure and social protection policies and the promotion of shared responsibility within the household and the family as nationally appropriate
• Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life

• Ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights as agreed in accordance with the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development and the Beijing Platform for Action and the outcome documents of their review conferences

• Undertake reforms to give women equal rights to economic resources, as well as access to ownership and control over land and other forms of property, financial services, inheritance and natural resources, in accordance with national laws

• Enhance the use of enabling technology, in particular information and communications technology, to promote the empowerment of women
• Adopt and strengthen sound policies and enforceable legislation for the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls at all levels

International commitments to advance gender equality have brought about improvements in some areas: child marriage and female genital mutilation (FGM) have declined in recent years, and women’s representation in the political arena is higher than ever before. 

Marriage before the age of 18 is a human rights violation, mostly affecting girls, and can lead to a lifetime of disadvantage and deprivation. One in five women (20.2 per cent) between the ages of 20 and 24 was married before the age of 18 around 2019, compared with about one in four (23.8 per cent) 10 years earlier. Southern Asia has seen the greatest decline over this period. Today, the risk of child marriage is highest in sub-Saharan Africa, where more than one in three women (34.5 per cent) between the ages of 20 and 24 were married before the age of 18. 

FGM is another blatant violation of human rights. In an average day, women spend about three times as many hours in unpaid domestic and care work as men, according to the latest data from 89 countries and areas between 2001 and 2018. Slightly more than half of all women (55 per cent) make their own decisions when it comes to sexual and reproductive health and rights, based on 2007–2018 data from 57 countries on women aged 15 to 49 who are either married or in union.

The Sustainable Development Goal 6:

Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all

• By 2030, achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all

• By 2030, achieve access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all and end open defecation, paying special attention to the needs of women and girls and those in vulnerable situations

• By 2030, improve water quality by reducing pollution, eliminating dumping and minimizing release of hazardous chemicals and materials, halving the proportion of untreated wastewater and substantially increasing recycling and safe reuse globally
• By 2030, substantially increase water-use efficiency across all sectors and ensure sustainable withdrawals and supply of freshwater to address water scarcity and substantially reduce the number of people suffering from water scarcity

• By 2030, implement integrated water resources management at all levels, including through transboundary cooperation as appropriate

• By 2020, protect and restore water-related ecosystems, including mountains, forests, wetlands, rivers, aquifers and lakes

• By 2030, expand international cooperation and capacity-building support to developing countries in water- and sanitation-related activities and programmes, including water harvesting, desalination, water efficiency, wastewater treatment, recycling and reuse technologies
• Support and strengthen the participation of local communities in improving water and sanitation management

The coronavirus crisis has brought to the fore the critical importance of water, sanitation and hygiene for protecting human health. Despite progress, billions of people across the globe still lack these basic services. Water is essential not only to health, but also to poverty reduction, food security, peace and human rights, ecosystems and education.Countries face growing challenges linked to water scarcity, water pollution, degraded water-related ecosystems and cooperation over transboundary water basins. Transboundary cooperation is a prerequisite for ecologically sound management of freshwater resources and for peaceful regional integration. In addition, funding gaps and weak government systems hold many countries back from making needed advancements. Unless current rates of progress increase substantially, Goal 6 targets will not be met by 2030. Freshwater ecosystems provide natural sites for human settlements, bringing benefits such as transportation, natural purification, irrigation, flood protection and habitats for biodiversity. However, population growth, agricultural intensification, urbanization and industrial production degrade freshwater bodies worldwide, threatening ecosystems and the livelihoods of people everywhere. Integrated water resources management is a global framework covering policies, institutions, management instruments and financing for the comprehensive and collaborative management of water resources.

The Sustainable Development Goal 7:

Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all

• By 2030, ensure universal access to affordable, reliable and modern energy services

• By 2030, increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix

• By 2030, double the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency

• By 2030, enhance international cooperation to facilitate access to clean energy research and technology, including renewable energy, energy efficiency and advanced and cleaner fossil-fuel technology, and promote investment in energy infrastructure and clean energy technology
• By 2030, expand infrastructure and upgrade technology for supplying modern and sustainable energy services for all in developing countries, in particular least developed countries, small island developing States and landlocked developing countries, in accordance with their respective programmes of support

• By 2030, double the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency

• By 2030, enhance international cooperation to facilitate access to clean energy research and technology, including renewable energy, energy efficiency and advanced and cleaner fossil-fuel technology, and promote investment in energy infrastructure and clean energy technology
• By 2030, expand infrastructure and upgrade technology for supplying modern and sustainable energy services for all in developing countries, in particular least developed countries, small island developing States and landlocked developing countries, in accordance with their respective programmes of support

Some progress has been made in improving energy efficiency and expanding access to electricity. However, millions of people across the globe still lack this basic service, and progress on clean cooking fuels and technologies has stagnated, affecting the health of billions of women and children in particular. The COVID-19 pandemic is highlighting the urgent need for affordable and reliable energy and at the same time, the crisis is certain to stymie efforts towards Goal 7. Disruptions in supply chains could wreak havoc on energy services, and reduced incomes could limit people’s ability to pay for them. Plummeting oil prices are likely to discourage growth in renewable energy. The proportion of the global population with access to electricity increased from 83 per cent in 2010 to 90 per cent in 2018, meaning that over 1 billion people acquired this essential service. Still, 789 million people – 85 per cent in rural areas – lacked electricity in 2018. In addition, improving energy efficiency is crucial to reaching the global climate goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

The Sustainable Development Goal 8:

Promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth, decent work and productive employment

• Sustain per capita economic growth in accordance with national circumstances and, in particular, at least 7 per cent gross domestic product growth per annum in the least developed countries

• Achieve higher levels of economic productivity through diversification, technological upgrading and innovation, including through a focus on high-value added and labour-intensive sectors

• Promote development-oriented policies that support productive activities, decent job creation, entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation, and encourage the formalization and growth of micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises, including through access to financial services
• Improve progressively, through 2030, global resource efficiency in consumption and production and endeavour to decouple economic growth from environmental degradation, in accordance with the 10‑Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production, with developed countries taking the lead

• By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, including for young people and persons with disabilities, and equal pay for work of equal value

• By 2020, substantially reduce the proportion of youth not in employment, education or training

• Take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labour, end modern slavery and human trafficking and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labour, including recruitment and use of child soldiers, and by 2025 end child labour in all its

• Protect labour rights and promote safe and secure working environments for all workers, including migrant workers, in particular women migrants, and those in precarious employment

• By 2030, devise and implement policies to promote sustainable tourism that creates jobs and promotes local culture and products
• Strengthen the capacity of domestic financial institutions to encourage and expand access to banking, insurance and financial services for all

After the global economic downturn in 2009, the world as a whole witnessed rising labour productivity and improved unemployment rates, despite large disparities across regions. Ten years later, in 2019, the global economy again slowed, with the lowest growth since 2008–2009. The coronavirus in 2020 has caused abrupt and profound changes, slowing the economy even further. It is having an adverse impact on the world’s labour markets, particularly on workers in informal employment, the self-employed, daily wage earners and workers in sectors at the highest risk of disruption. At the same time, the crisis poses a serious threat to the occupational safety and health of workers, and may increase the risk of child labour.  
In 2019, the global unemployment rate stood at 5 per cent. JThe unemployment rate was also considerably higher among young workers than among adults in all regions in 2019. Furthermore, in 40 out of the 59 countries with recent and comparable data, the unemployment rate was higher for persons with disabilitiesThe pandemic is expected to have a devastating impact on global unemployment. In the age of COVID-19, occupational safety and health, a core aspect of decent work, is more important than ever. Workers have the right to feel safe in their workplaces, but many are exposed to undue risks.

The Sustainable Development Goal 9:

Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and innovation

• Develop quality, reliable, sustainable and resilient infrastructure, including regional and transborder infrastructure, to support economic development and human well-being, with a focus on affordable and equitable access for all

• Promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and, by 2030, significantly raise industry’s share of employment and gross domestic product, in line with national circumstances, and double its share in least developed countries

• Increase the access of small-scale industrial and other enterprises, in particular in developing countries, to financial services, including affordable credit, and their integration into value chains and markets
• By 2030, upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable, with increased resource-use efficiency and greater adoption of clean and environmentally sound technologies and industrial processes, with all countries taking action in accordance with their respective capabilities

• Enhance scientific research, upgrade the technological capabilities of industrial sectors in all countries, in particular developing countries, including, by 2030, encouraging innovation and substantially increasing the number of research and development workers per 1 million people and public and private research and development spending

• Facilitate sustainable and resilient infrastructure development in developing countries through enhanced financial, technological and technical support to African countries, least developed countries, landlocked developing countries and small island developing States

• Support domestic technology development, research and innovation in developing countries, including by ensuring a conducive policy environment for, inter alia, industrial diversification and value addition to commodities
• Significantly increase access to information and communications technology and strive to provide universal and affordable access to the Internet in least developed countries by 2020

Promoting inclusive and sustainable industries and continuing to invest in physical infrastructure, innovation and research are vital to long-term economic development. Investment in research and development (R&D) globally, and financing for economic infrastructure in developing countries has increased. What’s more, the intensity of global CO2 emissions has declined, and impressive progress has been made in mobile connectivity. However, the growth of manufacturing has decelerated and industrialization in LDCs is still too slow. The pandemic has dealt a severe blow to manufacturing and transport industries, causing disruptions in global value chains and the supply of products as well as job losses and declining work hours in these sectors. In developing countries, manufacturing jobs are an essential source of income and are key to poverty reduction. The effects of COVID-19 have been so destabilizing that they threaten to halt or even reverse progress towards SDG 9 and other Goals. 

Small-scale industrial enterprises are major sources of employment in developing and emerging economies. 

They are central to income-generation and the alleviation of poverty and will play a crucial role in the recovery of the global economy post-COVID-19. Globally, R&D has continued to grow at a brisk pace, reaching $2.2 trillion (purchasing power parity) in 2017, up from $1.4 trillion in 2010 and $741 billion in 2000.

The Sustainable Development Goal 10:

Reduce inequality within and among countries

• By 2030, progressively achieve and sustain income growth of the bottom 40 per cent of the population at a rate higher than the national average

• By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status

• Ensure equal opportunity and reduce inequalities of outcome, including by eliminating discriminatory laws, policies and practices and promoting appropriate legislation, policies and action in this regard

• Ensure enhanced representation and voice for developing countries in decision-making in global international economic and financial institutions in order to deliver more effective, credible, accountable and legitimate institution

• Facilitate orderly, safe, regular and responsible migration and mobility of people, including through the implementation of planned and well-managed migration policies

• Implement the principle of special and differential treatment for developing countries, in particular least developed countries, in accordance with World Trade Organization agreemen 

• Encourage official development assistance and financial flows, including foreign direct investment, to States where the need is greatest, in particular least developed countries, African countries, small island developing States and landlocked developing countries, in accordance with their national plans and programmes
• By 2030, reduce to less than 3 per cent the transaction costs of migrant remittances and eliminate remittance corridors with costs higher than 5 per cent

Despite some positive signs – such as lower income inequality in some countries and preferential trade status for lower-income countries – inequality in its various forms persists. The COVID-19 crisis is making inequality worse. It is hitting the most vulnerable people hardest, and those same groups are often experiencing increased discrimination. The wider effects of the pandemic will likely have a particularly damaging impact on the poorest countries. If a global recession leads to reduced flows of development resources, that impact will be even more severe. 
The Gini index is one of the most commonly used measures of income inequality Despite falling inequality in the vast majority of countries with a Gini index value in excess of 40 in 2010, levels of income inequality remain high in many countries. Out of 166 countries with data, 65 still had a Gini index value of over 40 in their most recent values, with 17 having an index value greater than 50. The lowest levels of income inequality were seen in Slovenia and the Czech Republic, with Gini index values below 25.

The Sustainable Development Goal 11:

Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable

• By 2030, ensure access for all to adequate, safe and affordable housing and basic services and upgrade slums

• By 2030, provide access to safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable transport systems for all, improving road safety, notably by expanding public transport, with special attention to the needs of those in vulnerable situations, women, children, persons with disabilities and older persons

• By 2030, enhance inclusive and sustainable urbanization and capacity for participatory, integrated and sustainable human settlement planning and management in all countries

• Strengthen efforts to protect and safeguard the world’s cultural and natural heritage 
• By 2030, significantly reduce the number of deaths and the number of people affected and substantially decrease the direct economic losses relative to global gross domestic product caused by disasters

Over 90 per cent of COVID-19 cases are occurring in urban areas. The pandemic is hitting the most vulnerable the hardest, including the 1 billion residents of the world’s densely populated informal settlements and slums. Even before the coronavirus, rapid urbanization meant that 4 billion people in the world’s cities faced worsening air pollution, inadequate infrastructure and services, and unplanned urban sprawl. Safe public transportation, reliable basic services and open public spaces are especially important now to ensure the health and livelihoods of urban dwellers. Reliable, accessible and affordable public transportation reduces pollution and traffic and promotes productivity and inclusion. Only half the world’s urban population has convenient access to public transportation, according to 2019 data from 610 cities in 95 countries. In 2016, 9 in 10 people living in urban areas worldwide were breathing air that did not meet the World Health Organization air quality guidelines value for particulate matter (PM2.5). That same year, more than half the world’s urban population was exposed to air pollution levels at least 2.5 times above that value. Half the world’s urban population also experienced an increase in particulate matter and a worsening of air quality from 2010 to 2016

The Sustainable Development Goal 12:

Ensure sustainable consumption and production pattern

• Implement the 10‑Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns, all countries taking action, with developed countries taking the lead, taking into account the development and capabilities of developing countries 

• By 2030, achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources 

• By 2030, halve per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer levels and reduce food losses along production and supply chains, including post-harvest losses 

• By 2020, achieve the environmentally sound management of chemicals and all wastes throughout their life cycle, in accordance with agreed international frameworks, and significantly reduce their release to air, water and soil in order to minimize their adverse impacts on human health and the environment 
• By 2030, substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse

• Encourage companies, especially large and transnational companies, to adopt sustainable practices and to integrate sustainability information into their reporting cycle

• Promote public procurement practices that are sustainable

• By 2030, ensure that people everywhere have the relevant information and awareness for sustainable development and lifestyles in harmony with nature  

• Support developing countries to strengthen their scientific and technological capacity to move towards more sustainable patterns of consumption and production

• Develop and implement tools to monitor sustainable development impacts for sustainable tourism that creates jobs and promotes local culture and products 
• Rationalize inefficient fossil-fuel subsidies by removing market distortions, including by restructuring taxation and phasing out those harmful subsidies, where they exist, to reflect their environmental impacts, taking fully into account the specific needs and conditions of developing countries

Consumption and production drive the global economy, but also wreak havoc on planetary health through the unsustainable use of natural resources. The global material footprint is increasing faster than population growth and economic output. Improvements in resource efficiency in some countries are offset by increases in material intensity in others. Fossil fuel subsidies remain a serious concern. An unacceptably high proportion of food is lost along the supply chain. And waste, including additional medical waste generated during the pandemic, is mounting. The pandemic offers an opportunity to develop recovery plans that will reverse current trends and shift our consumption and production patterns to a more sustainable course. The world’s reliance on natural resources has continued to accelerate over the last two decades. One measurement of this reliance is the material footprint: the amount of primary materials required to meet basic needs for food, clothing, water, shelter, infrastructure and other aspects of life Reducing food loss and waste can contribute to environmental sustainability by lowering production costs and increasing the efficiency of food systems. A successful transition will mean improvements in resource efficiency, consideration of the entire life cycle of economic activities, and active engagement in multilateral environmental agreements.

The Sustainable Development Goal 13:

Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts

• Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries 

• Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning 

• Improve education, awareness-raising and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warning

• Implement the commitment undertaken by developed-country parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to a goal of mobilizing jointly $100 billion annually by 2020 from all sources to address the needs of developing countries in the context of meaningful mitigation actions and transparency on implementation and fully operationalize the Green Climate Fund through its capitalization as soon as possible 
• Promote mechanisms for raising capacity for effective climate change-related planning and management in least developed countries and small island developing States, including focusing on women, youth and local and marginalized communities

The climate crisis continues unabated. 

The year 2019 was the second warmest on record and the end of the warmest decade (2010–2019), bringing with it massive wildfires, hurricanes, droughts, floods and other climate disasters across continents. Global temperatures are on track to rise as much as 3.2°C by the end of the century. To meet the 1.5°C – or even the 2°C – maximum target called for in the Paris Agreement, greenhouse gas emissions must begin falling by 7.6 per cent each year starting in 2020. However, despite the drastic reduction in human activity due to the COVID-19 crisis, the resulting 6 per cent drop in emissions projected for 2020 falls short of this target, and emissions are expected to rise as restrictions are lifted.  Climate change continues to exacerbate the frequency and severity of natural disasters, which affected more than 39 million people in 2018, resulting in deaths, disrupted livelihoods and economic losses.

The Sustainable Development Goal 14:

Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development

• By 2025, prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution of all kinds, in particular from land-based activities, including marine debris and nutrient pollution

• By 2020, sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems to avoid significant adverse impacts, including by strengthening their resilience, and take action for their restoration in order to achieve healthy and productive oceans

• Minimize and address the impacts of ocean acidification, including through enhanced scientific cooperation at all levels
• By 2020, effectively regulate harvesting and end overfishing, illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and destructive fishing practices and implement science-based management plans, in order to restore fish stocks in the shortest time feasible, at least to levels that can produce maximum sustainable yield as determined by their biological characteristics

• By 2020, conserve at least 10 per cent of coastal and marine areas, consistent with national and international law and based on the best available scientific information

• By 2020, prohibit certain forms of fisheries subsidies which contribute to overcapacity and overfishing, eliminate subsidies that contribute to illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and refrain from introducing new such subsidies, recognizing that appropriate and effective special and differential treatment for developing and least developed countries should be an integral part of the World Trade Organization fisheries subsidies negotiation 
• By 2030, increase the economic benefits to small island developing States and least developed countries from the sustainable use of marine resources, including through sustainable management of fisheries, aquaculture and tourism

Oceans are our planet’s life support and regulate the global climate system. They are the world’s largest ecosystem, home to nearly a million known species, containing vast untapped potential for scientific discovery. Oceans and fisheries continue to support the global population’s economic, social and environmental needs. Despite the critical importance of conserving oceans, decades of irresponsible exploitation have led to an alarming level of degradation. The drastic reduction in human activity brought about by the COVID-19 crisis, while rooted in tragedy, is a chance for oceans to recuperate. It is also an opportunity to chart a sustainable recovery path that will ensure livelihoods for decades to come in harmony with the natural environment. The proportion of fish stocks within biologically sustainable levels decreased from 90.0 per cent in 1974 to 66.7 per cent in 2015 and 65.8 per cent in 2017. Despite this continued deterioration, the rate of decline has slowed in recent years. While encouraging, this will not be enough to prevent a medium-term collapse of certain global fisheries unless measures are more widely adopted to restore stocks to biologically sustainable levels. Illegal unreported and unregulated fishing threatens the social, economic and environmental sustainability of global fisheries; it also hinders countries’ ability to manage their fisheries effectively. Adopting and implementing relevant international instruments is key to curbing this destructive practice 

The Sustainable Development Goal 15:

Promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, protect forests, combat desertification

• By 2020, ensure the conservation, restoration and sustainable use of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems and their services, in particular forests, wetlands, mountains and drylands, in line with obligations under international agreements 

• By 2020, promote the implementation of sustainable management of all types of forests, halt deforestation, restore degraded forests and substantially increase afforestation and reforestation globally

• By 2030, combat desertification, restore degraded land and soil, including land affected by desertification, drought and floods, and strive to achieve a land degradation-neutral world
• By 2030, ensure the conservation of mountain ecosystems, including their biodiversity, in order to enhance their capacity to provide benefits that are essential for sustainable development

• Take urgent and significant action to reduce the degradation of natural habitats, halt the loss of biodiversity and, by 2020, protect and prevent the extinction of threatened species 

• Promote fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources and promote appropriate access to such resources, as internationally agreed 

• Take urgent action to end poaching and trafficking of protected species of flora and fauna and address both demand and supply of illegal wildlife products 

• By 2020, introduce measures to prevent the introduction and significantly reduce the impact of invasive alien species on land and water ecosystems and control or eradicate the priority species 
• By 2020, integrate ecosystem and biodiversity values into national and local planning, development processes, poverty reduction strategies and accounts

Conservation of terrestrial ecosystems is not trending towards sustainability. Forest areas continue to decline at an alarming rate, protected areas are not concentrated in sites known for their biological diversity, and species remain threatened with extinction. Moreover, surging wildlife crime, land use changes such as deforestation, and habitat encroachment are primary pathways of transmission for emerging infectious diseases, including COVID-19, threatening public health and the world economy.  

Globally, one fifth of the Earth’s land area (more than 2 billion hectares) is degraded. Land degradation is undermining the well-being of some 3.2 billion people, driving species to extinction and intensifying climate change. From 2000 to 2015, global trends in land cover indicated a net loss in natural and semi-natural classes of land. These losses resulted from direct and indirect factors, including deforestation, unsustainable agricultural practices and urbanization, as well as land tenure and poverty. Land use change, a key driver of land degradation, is also one of the primary transmission pathways for emerging infectious diseases.

The Sustainable Development Goal 16:

Promote peaceful societies, provide access to justice for all and build inclusive institutions

• Significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere 

• End abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence against and torture of children 

• Promote the rule of law at the national and international levels and ensure equal access to justice for all 

• By 2030, significantly reduce illicit financial and arms flows, strengthen the recovery and return of stolen assets and combat all forms of organized crime 
• Substantially reduce corruption and bribery in all their forms

• Develop effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels

• Ensure responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making at all levels 

• Strengthen relevant national institutions, including through international cooperation, for building capacity at all levels, in particular in developing countries, to prevent violence and combat terrorism and crime

• Promote and enforce non-discriminatory laws and policies for sustainable development

• Broaden and strengthen the participation of developing countries in the institutions of global governance 

• By 2030, provide legal identity for all, including birth registration 
• Ensure public access to information and protect fundamental freedoms, in accordance with national legislation and international agreements

Conflict, insecurity, weak institutions and limited access to justice remain threats to sustainable development. In 2019, the number of people fleeing war, persecution and conflict exceeded 79.5 million, the highest level recorded since these statistics have been systematically collected. One in four children continues to be deprived of legal identity through lack of birth registration, often limiting their ability to exercise rights in other areas. The COVID-19 pandemic threatens to amplify and exploit fragilities across the globe.

In particulary, children are subject to various forms of violence – physical punishment and psychological aggression, trafficking and sexual violence. Trafficking of children is a global problem, mostly associated with sexual exploitation, but also forced labour.  
An other element is the access to justice for all that should ensure a fair trial within a reasonably short period of time. However, 31 per cent of prisoners worldwide are being held in detention having been being sentenced for a crime – a level that has not declined since 2005

The Sustainable Development Goal 17:

Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development

• Strengthen domestic resource mobilization, including through international support to developing countries, to improve domestic capacity for tax and other revenue collection

• Developed countries to implement fully their official development assistance commitments

• Mobilize additional financial resources for developing countries from multiple sources 
• Assist developing countries in attaining long-term debt sustainability through coordinated policies aimed at fostering debt financing, debt relief and debt restructuring, as appropriate, and address the external debt of highly indebted poor countries to reduce debt distress

• Promote the development, transfer, and diffusion of environmentally sound technologies to developing countries on favourable terms, including on concessional and preferential terms, as mutually agreed 

• Fully operationalize the technology bank and science, technology and innovation capacity-building mechanism for least developed countries by 2017 and enhance the use of enabling technology, in particular information and communications technology 

• Enhance international support for implementing effective and targeted capacity-building in developing countries to support national plans to implement all the Sustainable Development Goals, including through North-South, South-South and triangular cooperation 
• Promote a universal, rules-based, open, non‑discriminatory and equitable multilateral trading system under the World Trade Organization, including through the conclusion of negotiations under its Doha Development Agenda

• Significantly increase the exports of developing countries, in particular with a view to doubling the least developed countries’ share of global exports by 2020 

• Realize timely implementation of duty-free and quota-free market access on a lasting basis for all least developed countries, consistent with World Trade Organization decisions, including by ensuring that preferential rules of origin applicable to imports from least developed countries are transparent and simple, and contribute to facilitating market access 

• Enhance global macroeconomic stability, including through policy coordination and policy coherence 

• Enhance policy coherence for sustainable development 
• Respect each country’s policy space and leadership to establish and implement policies for poverty eradication and sustainable development

• Enhance the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development, complemented by multi-stakeholder partnerships that mobilize and share knowledge, expertise, technology and financial resources, to support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals in all countries, in particular developing countries

• Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships, building on the experience and resourcing strategies of partnerships
• By 2020, enhance capacity-building support to developing countries, including for least developed countries and small island developing States, to increase significantly the availability of high-quality, timely and reliable data disaggregated by income, gender, age, race, ethnicity, migratory status, disability, geographic location and other characteristics relevant in national contexts

• By 2030, build on existing initiatives to develop measurements of progress on sustainable development that complement gross domestic product, and support statistical capacity-building in developing countries

• Adopt and implement investment promotion regimes for least developed countries 
• Enhance North-South, South-South and triangular regional and international cooperation on and access to science, technology and innovation and enhance knowledge-sharing on mutually agreed terms, including through improved coordination among existing mechanisms

Support for implementing the SDGs has been steady but fragile, with major and persistent challenges. Financial resources remain scarce, trade tensions have been increasing, and crucial data are still lacking. The COVID-19 pandemic is now threatening past achievements, with trade, foreign direct investment and remittances all projected to decline. The pandemic also appears to be accelerating existing trends of global value chain decoupling. One of the few bright spots at this time is the increased use of technology as people flock to the Internet to work, shop and connect with others, but even this draws attention to a still-enormous digital divide. Containing COVID-19 requires the participation of all Governments, the private sector, civil society organizations and ordinary citizens around the world. Strengthening multilateralism and global partnership are more important than ever.