10th Sustainable Development Report 2025 | 25 Jun 2025

Source: ET 

Why in News?

According to the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network's 10th Sustainable Development Report (SDR) 2025, India ranks 99th in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Index, marking its first time in the top 100 out of 167 countries with a score of 67. 

• The score measures progress on a scale of 0 to 100 where 100 indicates a country has achieved all 17 goals and 0 means no progress has been made.
• This shows a significant improvement from its previous rankings (e.g.,109th in 2024, 112th in 2023) in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Index.

What are Key Findings of the 10th Sustainable Development Report (SDR) 2025?

• Global SDG Progress Status: Projections show that only 17% of SDG targets are on track to be met by 2030, highlighting a significant slowdown in global progress.
  • This stagnation is driven by conflicts, structural vulnerabilities, and limited fiscal space, which continue to hinder effective SDG implementation.
• Top Performers: Nordic countries lead the SDGs rankings, with Finland (1st), Sweden (2nd), and Denmark (3rd); notably, 19 out of the top 20 countries are European.
  • East and South Asia have shown the fastest regional progress since 2015—India ranks ahead of Bangladesh (114th) and Pakistan (140th) but trails Bhutan (74th), Nepal (85th), Sri Lanka (93rd), and Maldives (53rd).
• Successes & Setbacks in SDGs: Most countries have made strong progress on basic services and infrastructure—notably in mobile broadband and internet use (SDG 9), electricity access (SDG 7), and reducing under-five and neonatal mortality (SDG 3). 
  • However, five targets have seen significant reversals since 2015: obesity rate (SDG 2), press freedom (SDG 16), nitrogen management (SDG 2), Red List Index (SDG 15), and corruption perception (SDG 16).

• Ranking on Multilateralism: Barbados, Jamaica, and Trinidad & Tobago are the top 3 countries most committed to UN multilateralism. 
  • Brazil ranks highest among G20 nations (25th), and Chile leads Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries (7th), while the United States ranks last (193rd) for the second consecutive year due to its opposition to the SDGs and withdrawal from the Paris Agreement and World Health Organization (WHO).
• Strong Commitment to SDGs: A decade into Agenda 2030 (2015-25), 190 of 193 UN member states have participated in the Voluntary National Review (VNR) process, sharing their SDG progress and priorities. 
  • Only Haiti, Myanmar, and the United States have not participated.
• Global Financial Architecture: The report criticizes the broken Global Financial Architecture (GFA), highlighting that capital disproportionately flows to rich nations, neglecting emerging and developing economies (EMDEs).

What are Sustainable Development Goals?

• About: The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) comprise 17 interconnected goals (169 targets) aimed at tackling major global challenges such as poverty, inequality, climate change, and environmental degradation.
  • They were adopted in 2015 by 193 UN Member States as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
• Aim: The SDGs aim to foster peace, prosperity, and sustainability by 2030 through global cooperation. 
• Historical Background: The concept of sustainable development was first defined in the 1987 Brundtland Commission Report as development that meets present needs without compromising future generations.
  • In 2000, the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were adopted to tackle poverty, hunger, disease, illiteracy, environmental degradation, and gender inequality, with targets set for 2015 based on 1990 levels.
  • In 2002, the Johannesburg Declaration at Rio+10 reviewed the outcomes of the 1992 Rio Earth Summit.
  • In 2012, the Rio+20 Summit laid the foundation for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and a more comprehensive global development agenda.
• Core Principles of SDGs: 
  • Universality: Applicable to all countries, developed and developing.
  • Integration: Goals are interlinked; progress in one supports others.
  • Leave No One Behind: Prioritizes marginalized and vulnerable groups.
  • Multi-Stakeholder Approach: Requires collective action by governments, businesses, civil society, and citizens.
• Monitoring: The Global Sustainable Development Report (GSDR) assesses progress every 4 years.
• Supporting Agreements:
  • Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction strengthens disaster resilience
  • Addis Ababa Action Agenda for financing sustainable development
  • Paris Agreement on Climate Change for combating climate change.gle

Which Initiatives have Contributed to India’s Improved Ranking in SDG Performance?

What Factors are Responsible for the Slow Progress in Achieving SDGs?

• Global Conflicts: Ongoing conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza, Sudan, and other regions have triggered the largest global displacement crisis, with over 120 million people forcibly displaced, significantly undermining progress toward SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions).
• Climate Finance Gap: The UNFCCC estimates that developing nations require USD 6 trillion by 2030 to meet climate goals; however, a severe funding shortfall threatens to derail progress on SDG 13 (Climate Action).
• Pandemic Setback: The Covid-19 pandemic severely disrupted global development, reversing progress on poverty eradication (SDG 1), weakening healthcare systems (SDG 3), and halting education access (SDG 4).
  • It also slowed clean energy investments in developing nations, hindering progress on SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy).
• Environmental Pressures: Escalating challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and deforestation are threatening ecosystems, with the IPCC warning that up to 99% of coral reefs could be lost at 2°C warming, severely impacting SDG 14 (Life Below Water).
• Disasters: Frequent natural disasters—including floods, heatwaves, and droughts—are taking a heavy toll, with Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and and landlocked developing countries (LLDCs) bearing 6.9% of global economic disaster losses between 2015 and 2022, further worsening poverty and vulnerability, thereby hindering progress on SDG 1 (No Poverty). 

What Strategies Can be Adopted to Achieve SDGs?

• Strengthen Global Governance: To advance the SDGs, it is essential to reform multilateral institutions like the UN, World Bank, and IMF to enhance support for SDG financing and policy alignment; promote SDG-based trade agreements that encourage fair and sustainable trade such as carbon-neutral supply chains.
  • Strengthen real-time SDG tracking, enable citizen audits (e.g., Uganda), and mandate ESG disclosures for corporate accountability.
• Increase Financing for SDGs: Expand mechanisms like Green Bonds and Blended Finance (mixing public and private funds), provide debt relief to developing nations to free up resources for SDG implementation and redirect harmful subsidies from fossil fuels toward renewable energy and healthcare.
• Sustainable Agriculture: Promote regenerative farming through agroecology to restore soil health and reduce emissions, and address the 30% global food waste by improving storage, transportation, and policies.
• Localize the SDGs: Empower local governments and communities to adopt and execute SDG-linked plans, develop district-level action plans with adequate funding and monitoring mechanisms, and promote community participation in both planning and accountability processes

Conclusion

India’s entry into the top 100 of the SDG Index highlights progress in poverty reduction, healthcare, and clean energy. However, global challenges like conflicts, climate finance gaps, and pandemic setbacks threaten progress. Achieving the 2030 Agenda requires urgent multilateral cooperation, financing reforms, local engagement, and focused implementation strategies.