The UN publishes its 2022 report on the Progress of the SDGs
The latest UN report warns that the crisis generated by the Covid-19 pandemic, the climate emergency and the rise of conflicts in the world jeopardize the achievement of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) agreed in the 2030 Agenda.
According to the report, published on July 7, the world is “on the verge of a critical situation” that requires redoubling efforts. These events affect food security, education and health systems, the environment and peace, priorities in the SDG action plan to achieve more resilient, egalitarian and peaceful societies in the coming years.
The report notes that this combination of crises could mean that Between 75 and 95 million more people live in extreme poverty in 2022, compared to pre-pandemic estimates.
Increase in inequalities
The data leaves no room for doubt. The pandemic has pulverized the equivalent of 4 years of progress made against poverty. The increase in inflation and the impact of the war in Ukraine has further derailed that pace of progress and the increase in unemployment and the worsening of working conditions has led to 8 million more workers in a situation of poverty.
According to data from this body, some 147 million children lost more than half of their face-to-face classes between 2020 and 2021, and the UN estimates that 24 million people of school age, from preschool to university education, are at risk of never returning to schools, further deepening inequalities in educational matters.
In 2021, emissions increased by 6%
As for the climate crisis, the report warns that “our window to avoid a climate catastrophe is closing rapidly”.
Emissions increased by 6% in 2021, achieving its highest historical level and counteracting the unevenness experienced during the lockdown. An increase that could increase by almost 14% over the next decade, in breach of the provisions of the Paris Agreement about zero emissions in 2050. Added to this is the continuous increase in global temperatures, which is leading to a more extreme climate.
The UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, Liu Zhenmin, indicated that the road map explained in the SDGs is clear. The proposals have a cascading effect because “when we adopt measures to strengthen social protection systems, improve public services and invest in clean energy, we simultaneously address the underlying causes of growing inequality, environmental deterioration and climate change”.
The Sustainable Development 2022 report provides data collected in more than 200 countries, and raises the need to urgently promote transformative actions by different countries to achieve compliance with the SDGs.
El full report is available for download.
