A new study prepared by researchers from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) warns that no country can meet the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations (UN) in 2030. Research explains that positive and negative correlations between these goals, influenced by geographical, cultural and socio -economic factors, are limiting the capacity of the countries to fulfill their countries to fulfill their sustainability commitments.
In 2015, UN members adopted the SDGs with the purpose of “ending poverty, protecting the environment and guaranteeing peace and prosperity” at the beginning of the next decade, according to the international body. However, the progress of this plan has been affected by various world crises, such as climate change, Covid-19 pandemic, economic inequalities and armed conflicts.
The study, published In the magazine Plos One and led by Alberto García Rodríguez, a doctoral student in Science and Computing Engineering of the UNAM, seeks to deepen the understanding of this phenomenon. For this, researchers used automatic learning techniques not supervised in three stages, to analyze temporary data series from 107 countries between 2000 and 2022. This included 231 progress indicators and individual data of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
The methodology allowed simplifying and examining the evolution of the SDGs globally, exploring the correlation between objectives in different regions and evaluating collective dynamics between nations with similar characteristics to measure the rhythm of global progress.
The results showed that the objectives related to climate action, as well as responsible consumption and production, have a synergistic relationship, but a negative correlation with the other 15 objectives. “This finding is a potential alert. Suggests that The current global economic system could be working against climate action objectives”, Point out the authors.
Research also determines that SDG 1, focused on poverty eradication, presents a positive relationship with most other objectives. However, SDG 12, which promotes sustainable consumption and production, usually require compensation with other goals.
“Current production and consumption patterns do not align with climatic objectives and negatively affect other SDGs. If we aspire to a better future, it is necessary to act immediately,” the specialists indicate.
Achieve sustainable development requires adjustments
The study also identified significant differences in the progress of the SDGs according to geographical, cultural and socioeconomic factors. The countries of Africa and Asia, with lower GDP levels, present limited advance in objectives such as poverty eradication, gender equality and access to health and well -being. However, they stand out in climate action and responsible consumption. In contrast, the most developed nations face difficulties to balance economic growth with environmental sustainability, reflecting the complexity of reaching the SDGs in an integral way.
“It is important to note that these correlations are global. Ideally, all of these should be positive or close to zero, which would indicate that The actions of a country towards an objective do not negatively affect others. To achieve this, both internal efforts by each country and international cooperation in economic, political and social aspects would be required, ”explain the investigators of the UNAM.
Scientists ensure that their study allows us to describe regional dynamics with precision, which facilitates the implementation of policies adapted to the geographical and socio -economic reality of each country. They also argue that the health, environmental, economic and social crises at the global level have significantly affected the progress of the SDGs, generating setbacks in certain regions at different scales. “Although climate change has a global impact, its affectation and response vary according to the local characteristics of each country,” they exemplify.
The UNAM researchers reiterate that the relationships between the different SDGs are highly complex. They warn that, even in the most optimistic scenarios, there is a considerable delay in fulfilling these commitments, which suggests the need to reassess the strategies used to achieve them.
“It is evident that current individual approaches do not work effectively for most countries. It may be necessary a new systemic approach to achieve these objectives, which could involve the creation of new SDGs that depend not only on national efforts, but on a network of cooperation between countries with common characteristics, ”they conclude.
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