Latest news with #SustainableDevelopmentGoals
New Straits Times
3 hours ago
- General
- New Straits Times
Development goals progress insufficient, says UN
NEW YORK: Ten years after the United Nations (UN) adopted its Sustainable Development Goals, it said more people now have access to the Internet, but major issues like hunger have worsened. UN member states committed in 2015 to pursuing 17 goals that range from ending extreme poverty and hunger to pursuing gender equality and clean energy by 2030. In a report published on Monday, the UN said 35 per cent of the objectives were advancing, while around half had stagnated and the rest were heading backwards. This scorecard, it said, showed that the progress was "insufficient". Among the most successful was improving access to electricity, with 92 per cent of the world connected by 2023. Internet usage has also risen from 40 per cent to 68 per cent worldwide in the last decade. Some 110 million more children and young people had entered school since 2015, the report said, while maternal mortality had fallen from 228 deaths per 100,000 births in 2015 to 197 in 2023. But some goals have receded despite this progress. In 2023, 757 million people (9.1 per cent of the world's population) were suffering from hunger, compared with 713 million (7.5 per cent) in 2019, the report said. More than 800 million people, around one in 10 people worldwide, are living in extreme poverty. "Eradicating extreme poverty by 2030 appears highly unlikely due to slow recovery from Covid-19 pandemic impacts, economic instability, climate shocks and sluggish growth in sub-Saharan Africa," the report said. UN chief Antonio Guterres warned that the world was facing a global development emergency. It was, he added, "an emergency measured in the over 800 million people still living in extreme poverty. In intensifying climate impacts. And in relentless debt service, draining the resources that countries need to invest in their people". However, Guterres struck a positive tone on the UN Sustainable Development Goals, saying that if they didn't exist, "many of these achievements would never have been reached".
Daily News Egypt
6 hours ago
- Health
- Daily News Egypt
Egypt launches first national workshop on food systems, climate action with UN, global partners
Egypt has launched its first national workshop under the 'Convergence Initiative on Food Systems and Climate Action,' a major step toward aligning national food, health, and climate policies. The event is supported by the United Nations, World Health Organization (WHO), and the World Bank. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Health and Population Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, along with Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation Alaa Farouk, inaugurated the workshop, which reflects Egypt's push for integrated solutions to climate and development challenges in line with the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Describing the workshop as 'a unifying national moment,' Abdel Ghaffar underscored the importance of coordinated, inclusive policymaking. He cited progress in public health, including a decline in child stunting to 13% in 2021, with a national target of reducing it to 10% by 2030. He also pointed to the success of school feeding and food safety programs, while acknowledging ongoing challenges related to malnutrition, climate change, and economic shocks. The workshop, organized in collaboration with the UN Food Systems Coordination Hub, FAO, and the UN Resident Coordinator's Office in Egypt, featured the launch of the Convergence Action Plan (CAP)—a national framework to guide cross-sectoral cooperation, enhance resilience, and build sustainable food systems. In a recorded message, Minister of Planning and Economic Development Rania Al-Mashat highlighted Egypt's commitment to integrated development strategies, referencing the National Climate Strategy 2050 and the 'NWFE' (Nexus of Water, Food, and Energy) platform as examples of successful policy convergence. Agriculture Minister Alaa Farouk stressed that transforming food systems is a national imperative amid rising global food security pressures. He outlined Egypt's efforts to promote sustainable agriculture, increase local production, and expand access to modern technology and financing. Health Ministry spokesperson Hossam Abdel Ghaffar added that the initiative sets a strategic direction for inclusive, consultative policymaking that prioritizes equity, resilience, and long-term sustainability in both food and health systems.
Scoop
7 hours ago
- Politics
- Scoop
Seeding Gender Empowerment: Women Farmers In Peru Contend With Climate Change
15 July 2025 Ácora, located in the southeast corner of Peru almost 3,800 kilometres above sea level, is one of the Peruvian regions which has been most impacted by climate change – endangering crop production and biodiversity in addition to worsening food insecurity. 'It was not like this before, the climate has changed a lot,' said Pascuala Pari, head of the Sumaq Chuyma Association in Ácora. Around the world, women farmers like Ms. Pari, who already face a series of intersectional challenges, are working tirelessly to secure their livelihoods despite an increasingly untenable climate situation. ' Women in particular shoulder the burden of food insecurity as traditional caregivers which is intensified during climate crises,' said Bochola Sara Arero, a youth representative from the World Food Forum, at a side event during the ongoing UN High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development on Monday. Intersecting goals The forum in New York has been convened to discuss the Sustainable Development Goals, adopted in 2015 to promote global development for current and future generations. ' [The forum] is going to be a major way to assess how we're doing with respect to the critical issues of sustainability and achieving greater prosperity globally,' said Bob Rae, President of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), at a press conference for correspondents in New York on Tuesday. With only 18 per cent of these internationally agreed upon goals on track to being met by 2030, the Secretary-General António Guterres has called for urgent action and sustained multilateralism to address this gap. Mr. Guterres has also said that this forum is a unique opportunity to discuss the intersection between various goals, including the intersection between gender equality and climate change. A bipolar climate Last year in Ácora, dealing with a climate that oscillated between drought and torrential rains was next to impossible for the women who relied on the land. Crops would not grow and agrobiodiversity was under threat. In a country where 17.6 million people already experience food insecurity, this dual threat had the potential to wreak havoc on livelihoods. In response, Ms Pari and other women in Ácora formed seed banks. Not only do organizations like seed banks preserve indigenous agrobiodiversity, they also help sustain the livelihoods of women in the region. 'Our crops were in danger of extinction, but now people are harvesting again and we are changing that,' said Fanny Ninaraqui, leader of the Ayrumas Carumas Association. Seeds that are not planted can be traded or bartered with other seed bank owners. Over 125 varieties of native crops have now been preserved across the region. 'I am happy with my little seed bank … Now I have all kinds of quinoa: black, red, white. This supports me economically because I preserve and sell my products at local markets,' Ms. Pari said. Once shut, doors open for women farmers In addition to climate challenges, women farmers also face a lack of legal rights. Specifically, they often do not have titles to their land. According to the Secretary-General's Sustainable Development Report, released Monday, 58 per cent of the countries with available data lacked sufficient protection for women's land rights. 'Women's land rights are fundamental for women's voice and agency, livelihoods and well-being and resilience as well as for broader development outcomes,' said Seemin Qayum, policy advisor at UN Women. The in-depth report also noted that less than half of women had secure rights to land, with men being twice as likely to have land deeds and other protected property rights. [1] Experts say that insufficient legal protections not only negatively impact economic outcomes for women, they also sideline women's needs and voices in policymaking. Therefore, it is essential to institute legal protections which formally recognize women as farmers. 'When you are recognized as a farmer, a world of possibilities, a world of resources – opportunities for representation and rights – become available to you. Doors open,' said Carol Boudreaux, Senior Director of Land Programs at Landesa. Beyond legal protections While legal land rights are essential, they are not in and of themselves enough to empower rural women. 'Initiatives that aim to change discriminatory social norms and institutions are also needed,' said Clara Park, senior gender officer at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Women in Ácora recognize that it is not just climate change which is negatively impacting their livelihoods – they are also grappling with unequal social norms. 'When you are young and a woman, someone always tries to limit your progress,' Ms. Ninaraqui said. In Ácora, international and civil society organizations, including the UN Development Programme (UNDP), have worked to help women establish their seed banks and ensure that these women have the capacity to manage them long-term. 'I can lead, I can teach what I have learned, now I feel I have this capacity,' Ms Pari said. Intergenerational knowledge Women like Ms. Pari and Ms. Ninaraqui are part of the Aymara indigenous community in Ácora. For them, the seed banks are a form of innovation which allows them to build upon indigenous knowledge regarding agrobiodiversity. 'We are recovering the seeds from our grandparents' time,' said Ms. Pari. And as they save these seeds, Ms. Pari said they are also thinking of the future. 'Today, I would tell more women to keep going, to not be discouraged by what others think, and to take initiative like I did,' said Ms. Pari.
Scroll.in
12 hours ago
- General
- Scroll.in
Five years to go, India's climate action SDGs show worsening trend
For the first time, India entered the top 100 countries in the annual Sustainable Development Report, which assesses progress on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals – SDGs. India ranked 99th out of 167 nations in the 2025 report, up from 109 in 2024 and 112 in 2023, but the data reveals that sustainability challenges remain, especially in relation to environmental goals. This year's report shows that only one-third of India's SDG targets, meant to be achieved by 2030, are 'on track', while there is limited progress on others with some even slipping backwards. India is firmly on track with progress on two of the 17 SDG goals, No Poverty (SDG 1) and Reduced Inequalities (SDG 10). Progress on others, including Zero Hunger (SDG 2), Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure (SDG 9), Sustainable Cities and Communities (SDG 11), Responsible Consumption and Production (SDG 12), and Life on Land (SDG 15), is stagnating. Other goals, such as Affordable and Clean Energy (SDG 7) and Life Below Water (SDG 14), are showing moderate improvement. Most concerning is Climate Action (SDG 13), which shows a worsening trend, indicating that India's efforts to take action to combat climate change and its impacts are not improving. The scores signal that without a dramatic policy shift and vigorous implementation, India risks falling short of the 20230 target to achieve the SDG goals. The annual report, released since 2016 is prepared by the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network which operates under the auspices of the UN Secretary-General, to drive action on the SDGs. Water stress and coal National statistics paint a rosy picture. India boasts nearly universal electrification, clean cooking, and safe sanitation. For instance, 80% of rural households now have an improved drinking-water source through tap water, 100% have access to electricity, and 85% use clean cooking fuel. Yet global assessments remain cautious. The 2025 report flags India's performance on Clean Water and Sanitation (SDG 6) as only 'moderately improving,' citing unsustainable freshwater withdrawals and the hidden toll of water‐intensive imports. Venkatesh Dutta, a professor at School of Earth & Environmental Sciences, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, points out that 'we have not progressed much on water circularity', meaning the water the country pulls out isn't being reused by industry, and overall, freshwater withdrawals keep rising. He warns that India's focus needs to shift to resource sustainability. 'Nobody is talking about resource sustainability. Your freshwater is being obstructed and it is not being returned back to nature in the state in which you took it,' he says, indicating that the country must think about what happens to water after industries use it. Dutta adds that industrial growth often concentrates in areas already short on water, so policy must ensure that after use – especially in big clusters like power plants – water is cleaned and reused. 'Water has to be reused,' he says, suggesting rules that force industries to use treated wastewater for cooling and other needs. But at the current pace, he warns, 'we are not going to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals in 2030'. India's progress towards Affordable and Clean Energy, SDG 7, paints a similar picture, with the report noting that the country's score on this SDG is moderately improving but insufficient to attain the goal. Access to power is nearly universal, and renewable energy capacity is expanding rapidly, yet the energy mix in India is still dominated by coal, and carbon emissions remain high. Without a faster shift to green energy, this goal will remain off track. 'We've achieved almost 100% electrification in terms of connections, but coal still provides over 70% of the electricity that flows through the grid. Renewables account for around 45% of the installed capacity, yet their share has hovered around 22%-24% in recent years in terms of actual generation. We expect coal's share to fall below 50% by 2030 as renewable capacity further expands, ' says Debajit Palit, Centre Head at the Centre for Climate Change and Energy Transition, Chintan Research Foundation. 'In absolute terms, though India ranks among the top five carbon emitters globally, yet our per-capita emissions remain extremely low. Over the last decade, our economy has grown at around 6.5 to 8% annually, while our carbon emissions have risen at only about 4%, showing we're improving the carbon intensity of our growth,' says Palit. He also highlights the issue related to clean cooking fuel. 'LPG has helped expand clean-cooking access, but it is still a fossil fuel. The real goal is electric cooking, powered by a greener grid. This shift won't happen overnight, but we're on the right path,' notes Palit. Sustainability falters India is witnessing rapid urbanisation and the challenges that come with it have been documented in several reports, including the recent SDG report. It assesses India's performance on Sustainable Cities and Communities (SDG 11) using four indicators – the proportion of urban population living in slums, air pollution, access to improved water source, and public transport. Except for the access to public transport, performance on the other three indicators is either stagnant or worsening. Nearly one in four urban Indians still lives in slums or informal settlements. Air pollution also remains severe, and this is corroborated by other reports such as a recent World Bank study that found that all of India's 1.4 billion people – 100% of the country's population – are exposed to outdoor air pollution above World Health Organization safety limits. Reducing PM 2.5 pollution and upgrading water and housing for urban dwellers must become urgent policy priorities, says Palit. He adds that air pollution sources are deeply embedded within city systems, from vehicular emissions, construction dust, and small-scale industries, to poorly enforced environmental regulations. 'We need a more holistic, comprehensive reform and continuous monitoring of vehicles, industries, and construction,' he says, adding that 'our enforcement is very weak.' Citing the example of Delhi, Palit notes that despite bans on older vehicles, 95% of fitness checks are still conducted manually, making it difficult to track real-time particulate emissions. He argues for a shift toward a 'data-centric enforcement model' that can accurately monitor and regulate polluters. Moreover, shifting polluting industries from city peripheries, such as Noida or Faridabad, faces political and economic resistance. 'The government needs to create an incentive mechanism to enable this shift,' he says. Performance on Responsible Consumption and Production, SDG 12, also remains a critical concern. While India's economic expansion has lifted millions out of poverty, it has also driven up resource extraction and pollution. Production-based air and nitrogen emissions continue to exceed safe limits, even as municipal solid-waste collection and e-waste recycling show modest improvement. Climate and biodiversity According to the Sustainable Development Report, India's efforts towards Climate Action, SDG13, are 'decreasing, with challenges', especially with emissions from the combustion and oxidation of fossil fuels and from cement production increasing. India has pledged expansion of solar and wind energy and participates actively in international climate talks; however, its greenhouse gas emissions are rising as it develops. India's per capita carbon dioxide emissions from fuel and cement are still substantial (the country now emits more CO₂ in total than any nation except China and the US). Major challenges remain in India's efforts to protect Life Below Water, SDG 14, and Life on Land, SDG 15, notes the report. Marine biodiversity protections and fish stock management show limited progress. Fishing practices, such as trawling, are putting ocean life under strain. On land, deforestation, soil degradation, and habitat loss pose a significant risk to India's biodiversity and forest cover. Conservation programs exist, but they cannot keep up with the pace of habitat destruction. India's rise to 99th place is a milestone, but without swift and enforceable action on water, energy, and pollution, this achievement risks being undone.
The South African
12 hours ago
- Politics
- The South African
G20 leaders urged to prioritise climate action
Deputy Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Narend Singh, has urgently called for global leaders to address climate action and provide the necessary support for mitigation and adaptation. Singh was speaking during the second Group of 20 (G20) Environment and Sustainability Working Group (ECSWG) meeting at the Kruger National Park in Mpumalanga, on Monday. 'I wish to reiterate what was said during the first G20 ECSWG meeting in March this year: we are less than five years away from our deadline to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and the end of this critical decade for climate action. 'Yet, we are still far from attaining these goals and action targets,' he said. According to the Deputy Minister, poverty levels are worsening, pollution from hazardous chemicals has been increasing, and greenhouse gas emissions reached record highs last year. 'This calls for an urgent acceleration of our efforts. Our commitment to achieve these goals must not waver, as we are all negatively affected. That is why South Africa has placed solidarity, equality and sustainability at the centre of our G20 Presidency.' South Africa's G20 Presidency has outlined an ambitious agenda for this Working Group following the successful convening of the inaugural virtual meeting earlier this year. Singh said the five interrelated priorities have now been expanded into six, with the splitting of the climate change and air quality priorities into separate areas of focus. 'This will provide us with an opportunity to delve into these two key issues more deeply and systematically.' During this five-day meeting, delegates from G20 member nations will focus on several key priorities. These include biodiversity and conservation; land degradation, desertification, drought; chemicals and waste management; air quality; oceans and coasts; and climate change, with a particular emphasis on Just Transitions. According to Singh, Just Transition encompasses energy transition, adaptation, resilience, loss and damage. 'This priority also includes a sub-priority on mitigation within the context of low-carbon economic development and other co-benefits beyond the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.' Singh stated that the G20 process offers a chance to discuss and agree on actions that can expedite climate action and support at the necessary scale, as highlighted in the results of the first global stocktake. As a primary outcome of South Africa's G20 Presidency this year, the country will explore ways that the G20 can leverage opportunities to increase the scale and flows of climate finance. 'It is paramount for developing economy countries to be actively supported in their efforts to achieve 'whole of society and whole of economy' Just Transitions to sustainable development on the ground, through scaled access to low-cost finance, technology, capacity development, and skills transfer,' the Deputy Minister said. Singh believes that the blue economy approach can make a significant contribution to the livelihood of coastal communities around the globe, as well as addressing climate change. 'It's sustainable, long-term development should be promoted and enhanced through collective action at the level of the G20. 'It is also recognised that plastic pollution poses a significant threat to coastal and marine environments, affecting marine life, human health, and livelihoods, which needs to be addressed in an integrated and coordinated manner.' Singh announced that the final meetings of the Working Group and Ministerial sessions will be held from 13-15 October in Cape Town. During these meetings, the final versions of the technical papers and the draft of the Ministerial Declaration will be discussed. This will be followed by the G20 ECSWG Ministerial meeting scheduled for 16-17 October in Cape Town, where the Ministerial Declaration and other deliverables of the Working Group will be presented. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
