Despite the world’s progress in transitioning into a more sustainable economy, the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will not be met until at least 2082, according to new data.
The 2020 Social Progress Index, compiled by the US non-profit group Social Progress Imperative (SPI), said SDG fulfilment is 62 years behind schedule and could be delayed further by Covid-19.
The 17 SDGs were devised by the UN as a blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all. They address the global challenges society and corporates face, including those related to poverty, inequality, climate change, environmental degradation, peace and justice. The 17 SDGs consist of 169 targets in total and are intended to be achieved by 2030.
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However, SPI said the world is unlikely to achieve these goals until 2082, and the global pandemic could delay this even further, as much as a decade as research shows “inclusive, tolerant and better-educated societies are better able to manage the pandemic”.
The 2020 Social Progress Index ranks 163 countries’ social performance over the last ten years, based on 50 separate criteria. Recently, it has showed progress with the index improving from 60.63 points in 2011 to 64.24 in 2020, but it is still not enough to achieve the SDGs. SPI remarked in an announcement: “Worryingly, declines over the last ten years in rights and inclusiveness track the rise of populist, authoritarian governments.”
The decline is most stark in recent years:
- Personal Rights were down 6.42 points between 2011-20. Over 80% (5.17 points) of this fall was between 2016 and 2020
- Inclusiveness is down 3.48 points between 2011-20
Looking at the impact of coronavirus, SPI said data shows higher levels of social progress are associated with lower rates of Covid-19, after accounting for GDP and regional differences. This relationship is strongest for the ‘Opportunity’ element of the Index, including scores for ‘access to higher education’ and ‘equity and inclusion’, it said.
Michael Green CEO of SPI, commented: “The Covid-19 pandemic has exposed vulnerabilities and flaws throughout our society. Covid-19 has bred on poverty, racial injustice and gender inequity. These problems will worsen as a result of the pandemic, through its impact on education, on healthcare, on work and basic safety nets. In sum, the world faces a potential lost decade of progress towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals. This is a unique moment to use these challenges as an opportunity for systemic change and to make real social progress.”
Other findings from this year’s index were that the US is the only G7 country to move backwards on social progress and one of only three countries that have declined over the past decade, along with Brazil and Hungary, while Global progress has stagnated on Personal Safety and only modestly improved in Health and Wellness, Personal Freedom and Choice. Virtually no progress has been made on Environmental Quality.
The world scores best on Nutrition and Basic Medical Care (84.63), Shelter (77.09), Water and Sanitation (74.72), and Access to Basic Knowledge (75.18), but the worst on Environmental Quality (36.87) and Inclusiveness (39.25).
“Poor performance on Environmental Quality and a lack of any progress on this issue over the last decade represents a particular problem given climate change and ecological collapse,” SPI said.
On a positive note, the world has improved dramatically on Access to Information and Communications (+21.61), due to technology and communications infrastructure progress in the developing world. Other material improvements include: Access to Advanced Education (+7.45), Shelter (+6.10), and Water and Sanitation (+5.57).
However, only 13 countries over-perform relative to national income and 35 countries are underperformers. Kyrgyzstan and Ghana are among the countries that over-perform most significantly, while Saudi Arabia and Equatorial Guinea are among the biggest underperformers.
Deloitte global board chair and SPI board member Sharon Thorne said: “The Social Progress Index further exposes the growing inequalities within our society and the increasing threat of climate change. The Covid-19 pandemic has put an even greater demand on solving global challenges collectively by reinforcing the need for collaboration between businesses, governments and civil society. Now is the time to accelerate progress toward the SDGs, not retreat from them, by using the Index as a guide toward rebuilding and reshaping a better normal.”
