摘要：According to the United Nations 2024 Sustainable Development Goals Report,progress on most of the goals is not on track. What do y

According to the United Nations 2024 Sustainable Development Goals Report,progress on most of the goals is not on track. What do you think is the main reason? Whatrole do resource allocation, technical bottlenecks, and policy implementation play?

ZHENG Bingwen

Director, World Social Security Research Center, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences; Professor, School of Government, University of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences

In the past decade, the slow progress made on reaching most Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) can be attributed to multiple factors.

Insufficient resources: While developed countries have pledged financial aid, the actual funds dispersed have been inadequate or unevenly allocated. Developing countries need $5-7 trillion annually to achieve the SDGs, but actual investment is less than half that amount. For example, African nations face a funding gap of $50 billion annually for clean water and sanitation alone (Goal 6).

Technological bottlenecks. Addressing climate change requires advanced renewable energy technologies, but many countries may lack the capacity for technology transfers or research and development. The digital divide also hampers progress in education (Goal 4) and industrial innovation (Goal 9). Globally, 2.7 billion people remain unconnected to the internet, limiting the inclusivity of Goals 4 (Education) and 8 (Economic Opportunities).

Ineffective international cooperation: The provision of global public goods has been insufficient. For instance, the COVID-19 pandemic exposed shortcomings in international coordination mechanisms, directly impacting Goal 3 (health and well-being) and Goal 10 (reduced inequalities). Geopolitical tensions have weakened multilateral cooperation mechanisms, making it difficult to reach consensus on critical issues like climate finance and technology transfers.

Ineffective policy implementation: Many countries view the SDGs as long-term goals and therefore fail to manage the relationship between short-term interests and long-term objectives. There is a lack of actionable mid-term plans. Moreover, with ESG investments offering a long return cycle, private-sector confidence and involvement remain low. As a result, only 12% of businesses globally integrate the SDGs into their core strategies, and only 35% of countries incorporate climate goals into their fiscal budgets.

To accelerate progress by 2030, the global governance system must reconcile national interests with shared human interests. Proposed solutions include establishing a global technology transfer fund, expanding digital public infrastructure, lowering barriers to the adoption of technology, incorporating SDG metrics into national budget evaluations, establishing transnational judicial collaboration, and leveraging social media to create a global monitoring network to expose corporate greenwashing and government inaction.

来源：博鳌亚洲论坛