What Comes After The Un Sustainable Development Goals

Leo Migdal
-
what comes after the un sustainable development goals

In 2015, member states of the United Nations, including Canada and the UK, adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which includes 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that seek to end poverty, protect the... The SDGs represented a major shift from the previous Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Where the MDGs were a development agenda for the Global South that focused on poverty alleviation, the SDGs apply to all countries and include an encompassing view on development. Moreover, the MDGs were driven primarily by the United Nations with little role for civil society. Yet at the halfway mark of the SDG period, it is now apparent that the SDGs also have limitations. One of the major critiques of the current agenda is their lack of appreciation or incorporation of Indigenous knowledges and explicit links to decolonization, both of which have important contributions to how development is...

Another widespread concern is that the SDGs have little explicit engagement with culture of any sort, missing out on important contributions of the arts, humanities and social science scholarship that could enhance individual-level engagements... These are areas where our universities have deep expertise and have much to bring to the conversation about future possibilities for the post-SDG agenda. Over the next few years, the global development community will be laying the groundwork for what comes after the SDGs. There is a need for higher education stakeholders from around the world to discuss what has been accomplished by universities working on higher education and the SDGs and the limitations with current approaches and... This is where the After2030 project comes in. The After2030 project is a two-year partnership initiative funded by the University of Toronto (UofT) and University College London (UCL) as part of their Strategic Challenges Fund.

The goal of the After2030 project is to help shape the post-SDG agenda by developing an informed understanding of the limitations of current practices and outlining recommendations for the future. We hope to produce a short synthesis for a public audience on the role of universities and comparative education scholars in contributing to both the SDG agenda and as thought-leaders for what comes next... Our research integrity and auditing teams lead the rigorous process that protects the quality of the scientific record 24 June 2025 (Paris, France) — Ten years after the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), progress remains alarmingly off-track, with less than 20% of targets projected to be achieved by 2030. Yet, global averages mask stark disparities across regions and countries in SDG progress. Despite these challenges, commitment remains high among the majority of UN Member States, reveals the 10th edition of the Sustainable Development Report (SDR), released today by the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN).

The SDR includes the SDG Index and Dashboards, which rank all UN Member States on their performance across the 17 Goals, and this year’s report features a new Index (SDGi), which focuses on 17... Ahead of the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development (Ff4D) in Seville, Spain (30 June – 3 July, 2025), the report outlines urgent reforms to the Global Financial Architecture (GFA) that should be... On the heels of the 80th anniversary of the creation of the UN System, the report also provides improved measures and a new web platform to track countries’ support for and engagement with the... Professor Jeffrey D. Sachs, President of the SDSN and a lead author of the report, emphasizes the following: “Amid rising geopolitical tensions, widening global inequalities, and the escalating climate crisis, this year’s SDR underscores that the world... Many countries are making significant progress, but much more can be accomplished through stepped-up investments in education, green technologies, and digital solutions.

Above all, we need peace and global cooperation to achieve the SDGs.” The report is available online from 23 June 2025 at 11:59 PM CET here. Citation Details: Sachs, J.D., Lafortune, G., Fuller, G., Iablonovski, G. (2025). Financing the SDGs by 2030 and Mid-Century. Sustainable Development Report 2025.

Paris: SDSN, Dublin: Dublin University Press. DOI: https://doi.org/10.25546/111909

People Also Search

In 2015, Member States Of The United Nations, Including Canada

In 2015, member states of the United Nations, including Canada and the UK, adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which includes 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that seek to end poverty, protect the... The SDGs represented a major shift from the previous Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Where the MDGs were a development agenda for the Global South that focused on poverty ...

Another Widespread Concern Is That The SDGs Have Little Explicit

Another widespread concern is that the SDGs have little explicit engagement with culture of any sort, missing out on important contributions of the arts, humanities and social science scholarship that could enhance individual-level engagements... These are areas where our universities have deep expertise and have much to bring to the conversation about future possibilities for the post-SDG agenda....

The Goal Of The After2030 Project Is To Help Shape

The goal of the After2030 project is to help shape the post-SDG agenda by developing an informed understanding of the limitations of current practices and outlining recommendations for the future. We hope to produce a short synthesis for a public audience on the role of universities and comparative education scholars in contributing to both the SDG agenda and as thought-leaders for what comes next...

The SDR Includes The SDG Index And Dashboards, Which Rank

The SDR includes the SDG Index and Dashboards, which rank all UN Member States on their performance across the 17 Goals, and this year’s report features a new Index (SDGi), which focuses on 17... Ahead of the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development (Ff4D) in Seville, Spain (30 June – 3 July, 2025), the report outlines urgent reforms to the Global Financial Architecture (GFA) that...

Above All, We Need Peace And Global Cooperation To Achieve

Above all, we need peace and global cooperation to achieve the SDGs.” The report is available online from 23 June 2025 at 11:59 PM CET here. Citation Details: Sachs, J.D., Lafortune, G., Fuller, G., Iablonovski, G. (2025). Financing the SDGs by 2030 and Mid-Century. Sustainable Development Report 2025.