Are we truly leaving no one behind?
“Leaving no one behind” is an integral part of The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), being one of its universal values (United Nations, 2023). Born at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio de Janeiro in 2012, SDGs have become a monumental piece in shaping our future, setting a set of universal goals to be met by the year 2030 (UNDP, 2024). It encompasses a variety of 17 interconnected goals, ranging from eradicating poverty and hunger to ensuring quality education and achieving gender equality. These goals, while ambitious, aim to create a more just, equitable, and sustainable world for all.
However, despite the fact that ensuring inclusivity is a central principle of SDGs, the gap in SDG implementation between countries is far and beyond. In order to achieve this, global collaboration is an important part of the realization of the 17 goals. Although this is the case, in actuality, the gap between the world average SDG Index and the performance of the poorest and most vulnerable countries, including Small Island Developing States (SIDS), has widened since 2015. This begs the question: are we truly leaving no one behind?
“Leaving no one behind”: Realistic goal or unattainable dream?
Liu, Y., Du, J., Wang, Y., Cui, X., Dong, J., Gu, P., Hao, Y., Xue, K., Duan, H., Xia, A., Hu, Y., Dong, Z., Wu, B., Kropp, J. P., & Fu, B. (2024). Overlooked uneven progress across Sustainable development goals at the global scale: Challenges and opportunities. Innovation (Cambridge (Mass.)), 5(2), 100573. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xinn.2024.100573
The principle of “No one left behind” lies in solving inequalities and ensuring that the most vulnerable populations are prioritized. Despite this fact, progress in SDGs remains highly uneven. Uneven advancements across SDGs have created significant disparities, with wealthier nations significantly outperforming lower-income countries. These inequalities are further affected by other factors, such as limited financial resources, inadequate infrastructure, and the impacts of climate change, all of which will significantly affect vulnerable regions.
Sustainable Development Report. (2023). Average SDG Index score by selected country groups, 2015–2023. Retrieved from https://dashboards.sdgindex.org/chapters/part-2-the-sdg-index-and-dashboards
This graph emphasizes the gap between high-income countries and those who are low-income ones. The poorest and most vulnerable countries, including the Small Islands Developing States (SIDS), are not catching up with the world average SDG Index score. The gap between the world average SDG Index score and that of poor countries and SIDS is larger in 2023 than it was in 2015.
While some nations may be making progress on SDG 1 (No poverty) and SDG 4 (Quality education), others may even struggle to meet the basic necessities for their population. The widening gap in SDG implementation raises concerns regarding whether the universal value of “Leaving no one behind” is truly achievable or not. Such uneven progress not only poses risks for vulnerable nations but also to global efforts for SDG implementation.
Uneven Progress: The Global Consequences.
Photo by Mike Newbry on Unsplash
The world we live in is a global interconnected one, where problems in one place can quickly impact others. For instance, the war in Ukraine has disrupted agriculture production and exports, particularly of wheat and corn, which are crucial for the global food supply. This, in turn, negatively affects issues related to Zero Hunger (SDG 2), pushing millions into food insecurity and malnutrition across various regions (Bychkovska, 2024).
Other significant negative consequences of uneven progress include, but not limited to:
- Undermines Global Goals: The interconnected nature of SDGs means the dependency of one goal on another. When some countries lag behind, it can create an effect that hinders global efforts in achieving the SDGs. For example, if poverty and hunger in one region are not addressed enough, it can create instability and conflict that affects global security and economic growth.
- Exacerbates Global Challenges: Issues like climate change, pandemics, and environmental destruction are global in nature. Uneven progress in certain areas related to renewable energy, healthcare, and environmental protection leaves the world more vulnerable towards these problems.
- Increases Inequality: The widening gap between inequalities can have a variety of effects, like fueling resentment, conflict, and migration of regions. This further creates challenges for both developing and developed countries.
- Undermines the Legitimacy of the SDGs: If the SDGs are not seen as delivering for everyone, they lose their moral and political legitimacy. This can lead to decreased public support and political will to invest in sustainable development.
Uneven Progress: Why does it happen?
While the sustainable development goals (SDGs) present universal goals to be met for a better future, their implementation has been far from even across the globe. Several critical factors contribute to the uneven execution of the SDGs:
- Financial Constraints: Many low-income and vulnerable countries do not have sufficient financial resources to invest in the infrastructure, healthcare, education, and sustainable technologies necessary to meet SDG targets.
- Climate Vulnerability: The impacts of climate change disproportionately affect countries that are least responsible for global emissions. Small Island Developing States (SIDS), for example, face rising sea levels and extreme weather events that divert resources away from development efforts.
- Technological and Knowledge Gaps: advanced technologies and data-driven strategies are critical for addressing challenges such as climate action (SDG 13) and innovation (SDG 9). However, access to technology and technical expertise is unevenly distributed, with low-income countries often left behind.
- Uneven Global Cooperation: The principle of “Partnership for the Goals” (SDG 17) emphasizes the need for international collaboration, but the level of commitment varies across nations. Wealthier countries often fall short of providing the promised financial and technical support to developing nations. This lack of global solidarity exacerbates the disparity in SDG achievements.
Looking Ahead: Can We Bridge the Gap?
If we fail to take immediate action, the consequences will not only affect vulnerable regions but globally, creating a future filled with challenges that could be avoided. It is vital that we pay attention to these challenges and start addressing them to create a better, more resilient future.
Projections of SDG performance across countries in 2030 based on trends from 2017 to 2021 retrieved from Liu, Y., Du, J., Wang, Y., Cui, X., Dong, J., Gu, P., Hao, Y., Xue, K., Duan, H., Xia, A., Hu, Y., Dong, Z., Wu, B., Kropp, J. P., & Fu, B. (2024). Overlooked uneven progress across Sustainable development goals at the global scale: Challenges and opportunities. Innovation (Cambridge (Mass.)), 5(2), 100573. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xinn.2024.100573
This graph shows that if nothing were to change, by 2030, projections suggest that only a small percentage of countries will achieve significant progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Using advanced forecasting models, it is estimated that only 27-34% of countries will score above 80 on the SDG Index—a benchmark for nearing the goals. This means that only a quarter of nations will achieve substantial progress by 2030. This is far lower than earlier projections, which predicted closer to 41-47% progress (Liu et al., 2024).
These findings highlight the ongoing disparities in SDG implementation and suggest that global challenges may continue to hinder progress, particularly for low-income nations. Without urgent action, the gap between high and low performers may widen further (Liu et al., 2024).
Conclusion: Finding Hope Amidst the Challenges
The principle of “leaving no one behind” is a cornerstone of the Sustainable Development Goals, embodying a vision for an inclusive and equitable future. However, the uneven progress of SDG implementation may seem like a sign of a grim future. Financial limitations, climate vulnerability, technological disparities, and uneven global cooperation are hurdles that threaten to widen the gap between high- and low-performing nations.
Still, the interconnected nature of the SDGs reminds us that progress in one area can be advancements in others. Strengthening global partnerships, prioritizing investments in vulnerable regions, and fostering innovation and knowledge-sharing can help address these disparities and move us closer to achieving these goals.
As 2030 approaches, the question remains: can we bridge these gaps and turn aspirations into real results? The path ahead is challenging, but with renewed commitment and action, bridging the gap remains within reach. While challenges persist, the effort to leave no one behind continues—because the future of sustainable development depends on it.
References
Bychkovska, Y. (2024, April 5). Ukraine’s grain exports are crucial to Africa’s food security. Atlantic Council. https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/econographics/ukraines-grain-exports-are-crucial-to-africas-food-security/
Liu, Y., Du, J., Wang, Y., Cui, X., Dong, J., Gu, P., Hao, Y., Xue, K., Duan, H., Xia, A., Hu, Y., Dong, Z., Wu, B., Kropp, J. P., & Fu, B. (2024). Overlooked Uneven Progress across Sustainable Development Goals at the Global scale: Challenges and Opportunities. The Innovation, 5(2), 100573. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xinn.2024.100573
UNDP. (2024). Background on the goals | United Nations Development Programme. UNDP. https://www.undp.org/sdg-accelerator/background-goals
United Nations. (2021). Sustainable Development Report 2021. Dashboards.sdgindex.org. https://dashboards.sdgindex.org/chapters/part-2-the-sdg-index-and-dashboards
United Nations. (2022). UNSDG | Universal Values Principle Two: Leave No One Behind. Unsdg.un.org; United Nations. https://unsdg.un.org/2030-agenda/universal-values/leave-no-one-behind