5 Jun 2025
SDGs 2030 targets at risk of failure: UN chief’s report
Bangkok – Today, 05 June 2025, World Environment Day, is being marked with multiple events and activities focussing on global warming. At a broader level, however, the sustainability agenda is not looking good. With only five years left before the 2030 target date of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, a report issued by UN Secretary General António Guterres says progress is “falling far short of the scale or speed needed”, posing a clear “risk that over two-thirds of the goals will not be met.”
The report will come as a shock to the Travel & Tourism industry. Although sustainability has been at the forefront of its agenda for several years, the report shows that whatever little progress achieved by Travel & Tourism has been negated by its own inherently imbalanced approach as well as the damage caused by other external contributing factors.
Published on 29 April 2025 by the Economic and Social Council (Ecosoc) of the UN General Assembly, the report is to be discussed at the high-level political forum on sustainable development between 5 July 2024–30 July 2025. It provides a global overview of the progress made in the 10 years since the 2015 adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and highlights areas in which decisive action is required in order to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.
The report says that the world is on track or making moderate progress on only 35% of the 137 SDG targets. “By contrast, there has been only marginal progress (29%) or no progress (18%) on 47% of targets. Alarmingly, there has been regression from 2015 baseline levels for 18% of targets.”
It adds, “Amid intensifying climate change, geopolitical tensions, economic shocks and increasing fragility, progress on the Goals is falling far short of the scale or speed needed. Urgent action is critical to reverse alarming trends and consolidate hard-won gains. With an insufficient pace of progress in relation to 47% of targets, and regression with respect to 18%, there is a risk that over two thirds of the Goals will not be met.”
A detailed analysis of the report vis a vis the work done within Travel & Tourism shows how the industry has also been negligent in its approach. Three shortfalls clearly stand out:
1. The overwhelming focus by Travel & Tourism has been on climate change. That is only one part of the 17 SDGs. Many others such as gender equality, jobs, education and poverty alleviation were never prioritised to the same extent, even though Travel & Tourism could have contributed significantly to each of them.
2. Even the progress made on climate change has been negated by the worsening situation in other economic sectors. Says the report, “Climate action remains well below the level required to meet the commitments under the 2030 Agenda and the Paris Agreement. Global temperatures crossed the threshold of 1.5°C in 2024, which was the hottest year on record. Carbon dioxide levels stand at 151% above pre-industrial levels, the highest level in over 2 million years, while ocean acidification and species extinction risks continue to rise.”
3. Probably the worst performing has been SDG #16, peace, justice and strong institutions. Says the report, “Peace and security, which are the foundations of sustainable development, have deteriorated sharply. Conflicts have grown in frequency, intensity and duration, devastating lives and livelihoods. By April 2024, over 120 million people had been forcibly displaced, which was more than double the figure from 2015. Overall, progress on Goal 16 is too slow, with persistent gaps remaining in relation to access to justice, accountable institutions and inclusive decision-making.”
4. The poor countries and the poor people who were supposed to be the biggest beneficiaries of the SDGs, will continue to be the worst affected. There is simply not enough money. Says the report, “In 2023, debt servicing costs for low- and middle-income countries hit a record high of $1.4 trillion, driven by a decade of rising external debt, surging interest rates and weaker local currencies. Principal repayments rose to $950.9 billion, while interest payments jumped by 37.1% to $405.3 billion – both all-time highs. As a result, the debt service-to-exports ratio climbed to 14.7% for low- and middle-income countries. This burden, alongside a $4 trillion annual investment gap in relation to the Goals, is reducing national budget allocations for social services and hampering progress towards the Goals.’
Herebelow are the core findings of the status of each of the SDGs in the report. It can be downloaded in full by clicking here.
insert slide 8 here
