Vincent Chin | Rich Hutchinson | Bill Morneau | Ellen Halle
Boston Consulting Group
The November edition of the Hub is highlighting a status report from BCG on progress towards achieving Sustainable Development Goals.
United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Summit was recently held in New York on September 18, 2023 where progress on 17 goals which were adopted in 2015 with 15 years timeline, was deliberated. Now, half the time had elapsed, and progress was so slow that the UN’s leadership declared, “the achievement of the goals is in peril.” Just 15% of the goals are on track, while 48% are moderately to severely off track, and 37% are either making no progress at all or regressing. Each year, the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network assesses the progress that each country and the world at large have made toward the SDGs, based on economic and social data. The resulting Sustainable Development Report quantifies, on a scale of 0 to 100, where each country currently stands in its progress toward achieving each SDG.
Building on Success
To improve the trajectory of current efforts, we must first recognize the power of government action that has already occurred. Although the problems that the SDGs address may seem intractable, efforts undertaken at the national and local levels have achieved significant success in ameliorating them.
Impact Acceleration for Climate Change
One of the most critical SDGs is goal number 13, which addresses climate change. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is not enough. A strong country-by-country capability for adaptation and resilience (A&R) is essential to manage and mitigate floods, storms, wildfires, heat waves, and other extreme weather events.
Governments can mobilize the public with commitments toward A&R, including practical guidance on how to respond to a flood, fire, or drought if it occurs. They can design National adaptation plans and other mitigation programs—for instance, to create disaster-resistant housing projects or to set up resilient transportation routes.
Accelerated Catalytic Impact
The SDGs can be catalytic for countries. A few initiatives tagged to specific national priorities can unlock new resources, make the most of existing resources, and unleash a collective public will to make things happen. Achieving early success builds trust, attracts additional support, and accelerates further progress.
Think Big, Start Small, Scale Fast
The public sector has the most essential role to play in course-correcting the SDG trajectory. As the 2030 Agenda points out, governments “have the primary responsibility for implementing SDGs.” Their overarching authority gives them the means to craft programs, recruit partners, and establish cross-organizational mechanisms.
Think big: Choose priorities that matter to your country and its people. Develop a clear, aspirational vision of what you hope to achieve and how it will change lives.
Start small: Pick your battles carefully, focusing on areas of urgent, evident need, where specific goals and deliverables are within reach. Develop a few initial projects to demonstrate positive results—perhaps in local areas, perhaps with a sharp focus.
Scale fast: Gather resources—including financing, private sector partnerships, outside support, and regulations, with a focus on local multi-stakeholder collaboration—to expand SDG initiatives to the entire country and endow them with political longevity.
Workforce and Digital: The Underlying Enablers
Public sector efficiency and effectiveness are critically important to making progress toward SDGs. In many countries, this entails dramatically improving the efficiency of government processes. The UN’s own SDG-oriented initiatives, such as its Future of Government initiative, make public sector transformation a priority. This should take place through well-managed investment in two areas: workforce capacity and digital enablement.
Workforce capacity comprises people and processes. Public sector officials and staff need training in next-generation skills, along with opportunities for career advancement that recognize their contribution to realizing SDGs.
The other powerful accelerant is digital enablement. Data shows that countries with advanced digital infrastructure and affordability outperform otherwise comparable countries by 40% or more on overall SDG progress.
Click to access the original report- Click Here
(IICA duly acknowledge the authorship / ownership of the Report and republishing the same only for educational purpose.)
