This is the year to get the SDG goals back on track

The United Nations summit on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) assessed progress towards achieving the SDGs, revealing slow progress and the need for urgent action.The Agenda-2030, which was adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2015, identified 17 SDGs with 169 specific targets to be achieved by 2030.

Slow Progress and Concerns:

• Insufficient Progress: Progress towards achieving the SDGs from 2015 to 2019 was insufficient, with the COVID-19 pandemic and other global crises further impeding progress.
• Deficiencies in Goal Pursuit: There is little attention towards SDGs related to the environment and biodiversity, and the current practice of pursuing SDGs fails to address the integrated and indivisible nature of the goals, posing a threat to environmental sustainability.
• Environmental degradation: The present trend, if it continues, will lead to accelerated environmental degradation and the purpose of transiting towards sustainability defeated.

Urgent Action and Recommendations:

• Key Areas for Action: The UN SDG Report 2023 identifies five key areas for urgent action, including commitments from governments, integrated policies to eradicate poverty and reduce inequality, strengthening of national institutions, international cooperation, and support for the UN development system.
• Scholarly Analysis and Recommendations: A team of scholars analyzed the political impact of SDGs and concluded that while SDGs have led to discursive effects and some institutional reforms, they have not been transformative in national and local politics. Recommendationsinclude adopting a systemic approach, managing trade-offs, and maximizing co-benefits.
• Election Year Considerations: The year 2024 marks elections in numerous countries globally, presenting an opportunity for newly elected governments to align national policies with sustainability goals and address environmental challenges.

Mains Question:

Discuss the progress and challenges in achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as assessed in the United Nations summit. Evaluate the recommendations for urgent action and the role of political actors in aligning national policies with sustainability objectives, especially in the context of the upcoming global elections in 2024.