Fixing the broken SDG agenda: How to solve global challenges

The world is falling short on its development promises. These promises, known as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), were agreed upon by all governments in 2015 with a target to achieve them by 2030. However, progress towards these goals, including the eradication of poverty and ending hunger, is happening at a much slower pace than expected. At the current rate, it will take the world an additional 50 years to reach its 2030 targets.

As world leaders gather in New York for the United Nations (UN) general debate this week until Sept. 26, this failure to meet the SDGs is a pressing issue. Urgent changes are needed in our approach to maximize development benefits for the world.

One reason for this slow progress is that many of the SDG goals are overly ambitious. They aim to completely eliminate hunger and infectious diseases, provide jobs for everyone, and establish social protection systems for all. While these are noble ideals, they are not realistic development targets.

Furthermore, the global promises lack focus. There are 169 detailed and lengthy targets, all of which are given equal importance. This means that the crucial goal of eliminating child starvation is given the same priority as the less significant goal of promoting a lifestyle “in harmony with nature.”

Most nations have not allocated sufficient additional resources to achieve these targets. This is true for poorer nations that are already struggling, as well as for big development organizations and wealthy countries that have only marginally increased their spending. The total shortfall to achieve all the goals is estimated to be $10-15 trillion per year, which is roughly equivalent to the global tax intake. It is unlikely that governments will double taxes to meet these promises.

At the core of these goals is the promise to improve conditions for the world’s most vulnerable populations. To achieve this, we need to be smarter in our approach. Some SDG targets have more effective solutions than others. There are policies that have a higher chance of success, programs that are more cost-effective, and outcomes that have greater value. These are the solutions we should prioritize.

Back in 2015, when the goals were being established by the UN, governments, and civil society, I argued for prioritization. However, optimism prevailed, and the sweeping promises were believed to inspire the world to deliver on all fronts.

Unfortunately, that hasn’t happened, and we are now halfway through the timeline with little progress. To achieve the global goals, we need to identify targets where limited resources can have a significant impact. Through research conducted by my think tank, the Copenhagen Consensus, in collaboration with Nobel laureates and leading economists, we have identified 12 powerful policies that can bring enormous benefits across the SDG agenda at a relatively low cost.

For example, expanding childhood immunizations for the world’s poorer half is one of these policies. This involves providing vaccines for diseases such as rotavirus, pneumococcal infections, meningitis, and measles. With an annual investment of $1.7 billion, we could prevent half a million deaths each year, mostly among young children. Every dollar spent on this policy would generate $101 in social benefits.

And this is just one of the 12 policies that can accelerate progress towards the SDGs. Our peer-reviewed research shows that with a total annual investment of $35 billion, we could improve maternal health, save millions of lives by eradicating tuberculosis, transform education in low-income countries, provide land ownership security, boost trade and economic opportunities, reduce malaria, address inequalities in skilled labor mobility, tackle child malnutrition, and prevent 1.5 million deaths from chronic diseases like hypertension. These policies would save 4.2 million lives annually and make the poorer half of the world $1.1 trillion better off each year. In economic terms, every dollar invested would yield $52 in social benefits.

The SDG agenda is not working as intended. We cannot tolerate more empty promises from world leaders or a lack of prioritization from the UN. We have the opportunity to rescue the global development agenda and make the most of the next seven years. We just need to focus on the most effective solutions first.

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