The GSDR is the Most Important SDG Report of the Year
2023 Global Sustainable Development Report
Every year experts write thousands of pages reporting on the Sustainable Development Goals. But, which documents are worth your time?
The best resources will provide impartial assessment, comprehensive details, actionable objectives, and acknowledge not only what needs to done, but more importantly, how we can get there.
As part of the SDG Summit, the Global Sustainable Development Report was released and it absolutely checks all those boxes. At a time where we know we are not on track to reach the SDGs by 2030 (or even 2050!), this document proposes several key entry points and levers for transformation that, if pursued correctly and collectively, may get the world on the right track.
We have combed through the entirety of the GSDR and in this article explore what it says and why it should matter to you.
Overview
The GSDR is produced by the UN Independent Group of Scientists and aims to bridge the gap between science and policy when it comes to achieving the SDGs. It is one of only two reports mandated by the UN to inform the decision-making process of the High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development — the overarching body in charge of the Global Goals. Whereas the similarly named Sustainable Development Goals Report focuses on providing an annual update on accomplishments and challenges, the GSDR takes a higher-level approach. Specifically, it:
- Addresses the information available (or lack thereof) on specific policy issues related to the SDGs, bringing together diverse resources for easy analysis;
- Seeks to provide a complementary set of viewpoints from experts across disciplines and perspectives;
- Accounts for regional differences while maintaining a global focus;
- Attempts to navigate the intertwined connections between social, environmental, and economic development objectives; and
- Includes extensive input from both internal UN bodies as well as external experts and stakeholders.
The importance of this type of information was made obvious in the nascent years of the SDGs. The UN released versions of the document in 2014, 2015, and 2016. The most recent version in use is the 2019 edition, and all subsequent publications are scheduled to be released every four years.
Release of the 2023 Edition
In line with the quadrennial schedule, the organizers formally released the next edition of the GSDR in September 2023 as part of the SDG Summit and Global Goals Week.
While every September brings a plethora of SDG-related events capitalizing on the UN General Assembly, this year’s dialog is particularly important as the international community recognizes the halfway point of the 2030 Agenda. This timing makes the publication of the GSDR all the more important.
Summary of Content in the GSDR
The report opens with a sobering reminder that the world is not on track:
Progress has been halted in many areas partly as a consequence of a confluence of crises — the ongoing pandemic, rising inflation and the cost-of-living crisis, and planetary, environmental and economic distress, along with regional and national unrest, conflicts, and natural disasters. As a result, overall progress towards the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs has been severely disrupted in the last three years, yet every inch of progress matters and counts.
In light of the issues, the GSDR presents a desire for a comprehensive approach that takes into account the need for security in all areas such as geopolitical, energy, climate, water, food, and societal. The challenges since the last GSDR emphasize the importance of accelerating progress.
In order to achieve the transformation desired, the report outlines several key entry points as well as “levers” to utilize.
Entry Points for Transformation
Structurally, the report argues, we need to see key transformative shifts in six areas:
- Human well-being and capabilities
- Sustainable and just economies
- Sustainable food systems and healthy nutrition patterns
- Energy decarbonization with universal access
- Urban and peri-urban development
- The global environmental commons
Levers of Transformation
Bringing about positive transformation can occur through a systematic and structured leveraging of essential resources. These levers include:
- Governance
- Economy and Finance
- Science and Technology
- Individual and Collective Action
- Capacity Building
The concepts of these entry points and levers are bolstered in the GSDR through a series of concrete examples as well as discussions on how the “knowledge enterprise” can best serve the transformation process.
The report is arranged into six chapters moving the reader through an understanding of where we are, where we need to go, how we might get there, and concluding with the appropriate calls to action.
Chapter 1: Half-way to 2030 — Progress towards the SDGs
As noted in the introduction, despite being at the midpoint of the 2030 agenda to achieve the SDGs, “the world is far off track.” This situation could have dire consequences:
Without urgent course correction and acceleration, humanity will face prolonged periods of crisis and uncertainty — triggered by and reinforcing poverty, inequality, hunger, disease, conflict, and disaster.
There are myriad causes for the setbacks. The GSDR specifically recognizes:
- The lingering drag of the COVID-19 pandemic
- Conflict, war and instability
- Inflation and the rising cost of living
Ongoing climate challenges compound this state of polycrisis, leading to decreased food security, loss of social protections, and negative health impacts globally.
Chapter 2: Framing the Future
Despite the bleak assessment found in Chapter 1, the advancements possible through a commitment to the SDG framework are encouraging for the authors. In particular they note the increased wealth of development knowledge, as well as the uptick in involvement in development activities by governments, the private sector, and individuals.
The majority of governments have developed SDG strategies and action plans, and local governments are also aligning with the Global Goals. Additionally, UN Member States have deployed innovative financial solutions to assist the least developed countries.
Even as we face significant challenges, the GSDR team finds that the structure and aims of the SDGs remain essential for lasting global transformation.
Chapter 3: Pathways to Achieve the SDGs
In assessing the current state of affairs around the SDGs, the report asserts that the current level of investment will not be sufficient to achieve the Global Goals by 2030 — or even 2050. The only way that lasting progress can be achieved is through the entry points and levers outlined in the introduction.
Achieving the key shifts required will face inevitable impediments including deficits in governance, capacities, financing, and infrastructure. The report states that “Faced with these impediments, it is critical to build understanding not only on ‘what’ needs to be done but also ‘how’ systems change can happen.”
Chapter 4: Accelerating Transformations to the SDGs
Given our current situation and a knowledge of what needs to be done, Chapter 4 of the report outlines the human-driven nature of societal transformation. Specifically it introduces an “S-curve” model, detailing transformation through three phases:
- Emergence, where new innovations sprout;
- Acceleration, where these innovations become widespread, often amid conflicts over the change in direction; and
- Stabilization, where innovations embed deeply into societal norms and structures.
Understanding this process is paramount to ensuring the knowledge found in the GSDR can be utilized to achieve the ideals contained within the SDGs.
Chapter 5: Transformations through Science — and in Science
It is only after understanding how transformation effectively occurs that policy makers can discuss specific approaches. In particular, the GSDR focuses on a science-policy-society interface that emphasizes using knowledge to shape outcomes and improve communities.
The report identifies three important concepts affecting this interface:
- Global imbalance in research and development — science must be conceived and produced outside of only high income countries resulting in more inclusive and diverse findings;
- Trust and integrity — experts must not only seek truth, but be able to share it effectively and combat misinformation; and,
- Socially robust science — we must ensure essential information is not only available, but that people desire to utilize it.
Chapter 6: Calls to Action for Transformation
Implementing and achieving the 2030 Agenda requires certain commitments and engagements. The report specifically outlines six calls to action that must be undertaken by UN Member States:
- National plans of action to counter negative trends or stagnation in SDG implementation;
- Local and industry specific planning to feed into national plans;
- Initiatives through the Addis Ababa Action Agenda or otherwise to increase fiscal space, including tax reforms, debt restructuring and relief, and increased engagement by international finance institutions for SDG implementation;
- Investment in SDG related data, science-based tools and policy learning;
- Partnerships to strengthen the science-policy-society interface; and,
- Measures to improve accountability of governments and other stakeholders.
Additionally, the report recommends “building capacity for transformation at individual, institutional and network levels, to strategize, innovate, manage conflicts, identify and overcome impediments and cope with crises and risks.”
The GSDR also specifically outlines key synergistic interventions for each of the entry points and proposes five measures for improving implementation:
- Investing in conflict prevention and resolution;
- Enhancing fiscal space;
- Supporting marginalized groups;
- Taking advantage of digital transformation; and,
- Investing in gender equality.
Important End Material
The GSDR is drafted as a tool to assist policy makers in navigating the challenges faced by the SDGs and to provide a pathway for accelerated progress. As such, it is designed to be a multi-year planning and reference document. In addition to 130 pages of narrative, charts, and examples, the report also includes significant reference material for further exploration.
The document includes over 600 citations and references, providing a treasure trove of information for researchers, policy makers, stakeholders, an implementers alike.
Conclusion
The Global Sustainable Development Report will not only serve as a cornerstone document for the SDG Summit, but also as an essential reference for the international community. We are pleased to see a document that not only paints a realistic picture of our current situation and lists the steps necessary for a course correction, but also one that takes into account the processes necessary to turn knowledge into policy while motivating a desire for change at the individual, community, country, and global level.
Our team at SDGCounting will continue to follow the impact of this report with keen interest and pay particular attention to how it is received over the coming weeks. Be sure to follow us on social media to stay abreast of these developments.
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