The recent Sustainable Development Report 2024published by the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, has highlighted the progress and challenges we face on the path to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
At the global level, the pace of progress on the SDGs varies significantly across country groups. As in previous years, European countries, especially the Nordic countries, lead the index of countries with the greatest progress. Finland takes first place, followed by Sweden, Denmark, Germany and France. At the same time, the data show that average progress on the SDGs in the BRICS and BRICS+ emerging economy groups since 2015 has been faster than the global average. All of this results in increasing inequalities between countries, leading to greater global imbalance. Sustainable development remains a long-term investment challenge, and reforming the global financial architecture is therefore more urgent than ever.
Once again, the report indicates that global progress towards the SDGs has stagnated since 2020, with SDG 2 on Zero Hunger, SDG 11 on Sustainable Cities and Communities, SDG 14 on Life Below Water, SDG 15 on Life on Land and SDG 16 on Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions particularly lagging behind. The five goals where the largest proportion of countries show a regression since 2015 are obesity rate (SDG 2), press freedom (SDG 16), ecosystem protection (SDG 15), sustainable nitrogen management (SDG 2) and – largely due to the Covid-19 pandemic – life expectancy at birth (SDG 3). Goals related to basic access to infrastructure and services, including Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure (SDG 9), show slightly more positive trends, although progress remains too slow and uneven across countries.
Notable progress in Spain
While it is encouraging to see that for the first time one of the SDGs has been fully met – SDG 5 on Gender Equality – the reality is that Spain still has significant challenges to face.
Spain is slowly making progress in the degree of compliance with different objectives, improving its overall score to position 14 among 167 countries evaluated.
Since its implementation in 2015, Spain has made significant progress on several key targets. In addition to meeting one of the SDGs for the first time, three other goals are very close to achieving all of their targets: SDG 1 on No Poverty, SDG 3 on Good Health and Well-being, and SDG 7 on Affordable and Clean Energy. Spain is slowly making progress – perhaps too slowly – in meeting the different goals. This progress has helped Spain improve its overall score and climb two places, ranking 14th out of the 167 countries assessed in the report. This rise is especially notable compared to 2016, when Spain was ranked 30th.
Other achievements include a reduction in the number of goals that until last year presented significant challenges, from six to four: there has been improvement in SDG 8 on Decent Work and Economic Growth and in SDG 12 on Responsible Production and Consumption. This improvement is also reflected in a decrease in the number of indicators with poor results, from 14 in 2023 to 12 today.
But it is important to note that the data in the report also show some signs of concern, such as the fact that the pace of improvement in previous years seems to be slowing down. Specifically, the positive trend in improvement is reduced in four objectives: SDG 6 on Water and Sanitation, SDG 10 on Reducing Inequalities, SDG 12 on Responsible Consumption and SDG 16 on Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions. These are undoubtedly social dimensions that have received attention in the news media over the last year.
Spain still has a long way to go, and therefore greater efforts are needed in SDG 13 on Climate Action, SDG 15 on Life on Land, SDG 17 on Partnerships to Achieve the Goals and SDG 2 on Zero Hunger. Despite improvements, there are also significant shortcomings in SDG 12 on Responsible Consumption and SDG 14 on Life Below Water.
In conclusion, while Spain has made significant progress in several goals, the challenges that remain require a continuous and coordinated effort. It is crucial that all sectors of society are actively involved in achieving the SDGs and ensuring a sustainable future for all. The transformation of our educational systems and the constant updating of data are fundamental steps in this process. Only through renewed commitment and concrete actions will we be able to achieve the goals set out in the 2030 Agenda.
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