From September 22-23, the United Nations Summit of the Future was held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. The aim of the Summit of the Future is strengthening global governance and accelerating the implementation of internationally agreed goals, especially the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The summit was held against the backdrop of rising concerns that the international system is not able to respond effectively to recent conflicts, pandemics as well as climate and other planetary crises. To address these concerns, the summit focused on how to strengthen the multilateral system so as to build a sense of unity across people, and countries. The summit also adopted three documents that focus on practical actions that help create the unity needed to address many of the above challenges: The Pact of the Future, the Declaration on Future Generations, and the Global Digital Compact.
To contribute to the summit, IGES is underlining the critical role of addressing sustainability crises not with separate and isolated but rather integrated and synergistic solutions. Indeed, as stressed in the many of the linked publications below, IGES holds firm that there are often untapped synergies between addressing climate change at the same time as biodiversity and pollution crises. Capitalising on these synergies could also help accelerate the progress on the SDGs as one of the aims of the Summit of the Future and build momentum for a future sustainability agenda beyond 2030.
This special webpage introduces the contributions of IGES to the UN Summit of the Future and the results of these contributions, as well as research on synergistic solutions.
Perspectives
Exploring the Post-2030 Framework: Based on Two Key Proposals by Scientists
In anticipation of the Summit of the Future, two significant recommendations regarding the post-2030 framework for sustainable development have been put forward. The first is the article titled "Extending the Sustainable Development Goals to 2050 — a road map," published in Nature in June 2024, co-authored by leading figures such as Johan Rockström and Jeffrey Sachs. The second is the conference statement titled "Reinvigorating the Sustainable Development Goals: The Utrecht Roadmap," drafted by researchers who participated in the international academic conference on the SDGs, GlobalGoals2024, held in August 2024.
The Nature article, as indicated by its title, suggests to extend the SDG framework to 2050, with 2030 and 2040 as intermediate targets, and a final goal for 2050. This roadmap is aimed at addressing long-term challenges such as climate change and biodiversity loss, stressing the need for sustainable development that does not exceed planetary boundaries. Additionally, it emphasizes the importance of understanding the positive and negative impacts of artificial intelligence (AI) on society and calls for integrating technological advancements, including AI and digital technologies, into the SDG framework while strengthening regulatory and ethical frameworks.
On the other hand, the GlobalGoals2024 statement focuses on strengthening governance for sustainable development, given the current delays in SDG progress. It highlights the necessity for greater transparency in international frameworks and advocates for the reform of the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF), along with the establishment of an independent, expert-based evaluation mechanism. Furthermore, the declaration calls for stronger coordination at the national and local levels, underscoring the importance of collaboration between civil society, local governments, businesses, and academia. By encouraging citizen participation and involving a wide range of stakeholders, the policy process can be made more effective and legitimate. It also proposes a shift away from the GDP-focused economic model towards one based on circular economy and human well-being as core principles.
From these two recommendations, it becomes clear that the post-2030 framework should not only fill in the gaps left by the current SDGs but also adopt a long-term perspective extending to 2050 to tackle emerging challenges. Particularly, in light of global environmental issues such as climate change and biodiversity loss and technological advancements like AI, the SDG targets must evolve into a more comprehensive and adaptable framework. Strengthening cross-sectoral collaboration is essential to creating synergies between environmental sustainability and socio-economic development. Additionally, a system that ensures transparent and effective monitoring of SDG progress is crucial. This would require improving data quality, fostering data sharing between governments, and building partnerships with civil society and businesses. Overall, in the post-2030 framework, effective governance and enhanced international cooperation are critical to accelerating the achievement of long-term sustainable development goals.
Resources
Related Projects
