Only 17% of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) targets are on track for 2030, with nearly half making minimal or moderate progress and over one-third stalled or, in some cases, regressing.
This was the finding of the Sustainable Development Impact Meetings organized by the World Economic Forum (WEF) in New York, which gathered over 1,400 business leaders, policymakers, leaders from international and civil society organizations, innovators, and social entrepreneurs.
"We stand on the brink of the Intelligent Age, an era defined by blending artificial intelligence and cutting-edge technologies into everyday life," said WEF founder and chairman Klaus Schwab. "This sweeping transformation presents a profound paradox: the same technologies that hold extraordinary promise for unprecedented growth, innovation and human progress also risk deepening divides and exacerbating inequalities."
The meetings served as a crucial platform for public-private collaboration, where key announcements were showcased and public discussions were forged in support of reaching the SDGs.
The Forum has mobilized urgent public-private collaboration to advance these vital goals and drive action, partnerships and innovation in sustainability. These initiatives and their key communities met to advance their work at the Sustainable Development Impact Meetings.
"If we don't partner with nature, we won't be able to control climate change," said Maria Susana Muhamad, Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development of Colombia and President of the UN Biodiversity Conference (COP16), adding that creating the right political environment and getting social buy-in is essential to "start having more democratic discussions around biodiversity issues."
"Meeting the challenge of the climate crisis is the biggest economic opportunity the planet has known since the Industrial Revolution. Everything has to be changed. We have to win this battle," said John F. Kerry, special presidential envoy for Climate (2021-2024), US Department of State.
Participants engaged in high-level discussions on themes related to the SDGs, including frontier technologies and development, human capital and growth, climate action, nature protection, and the energy transition.
The meetings highlighted the emergence of the Intelligent Age, which is driven by technological advancements, the role of technology in driving SDG progress, the importance of sustainable growth, and the need for collaborative action. A significant milestone in terms of digital inclusion was announced, and an update on the global economic outlook was provided.
Frontier technologies and development
Sessions focused on AI for the global good, improving social outcomes in urban development and health. The Forum's Global Alliance for Women's Health launched a community of senior global leaders committed to closing the women's health gap. The Forum released the Closing Health Gaps through Collaborative Action report, highlighting place-based approaches as a powerful tool for creating healthier, more inclusive and more resilient communities.
Other reports launched included Improving Social Outcomes in Urban Development: A Playbook for Practitioners, which guides community stakeholders in planning and delivering large-scale urban development projects that create and enhance social value.
The Scaling Investments in EV Charging Infrastructure was published, which outlines critical strategies city governments can make to support the expansion of charging infrastructure and encourage investment. The Quantum for Society: Meeting the Ambition of the SDGs report raises awareness of quantum technologies' power to boost global development.
The Forum also co-hosted a UN side event during the week on quantum technologies. It launched the Quantum Applications Hub, a platform for leaders to tackle planetary-scale challenges and shape a scalable and inclusive quantum ecosystem.
"Emerging technologies, such as generative AI, have the potential to transform economies, societies, and industries tremendously," said Landry Signé, senior fellow at Brookings Institution.
"To deploy artificial intelligence effectively, there is no one-size-fits-all approach for all governments," said Omar Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications of the United Arab Emirates. "The UAE's focus is to deploy artificial intelligence not just for productivity gains, but for quality-of-life improvements."
Also on AI, Yann LeCun, vice president and chief artificial intelligence (AI) scientist at Meta, said, "What we need is a very simple open infrastructure – think of it as a Wikipedia for AI systems – so you give people the ability to build the systems that are useful for local populations."
"What excites me the most is the explosion of information technology and how it can be applied to healthcare, even more so with AI. If we do it right, this will be super inclusive," added Shobana Kamineni, promotor director, Apollo Hospitals Enterprise.
"Investing in women's health is not only a moral imperative, but a strategic move contributing to a more inclusive, prosperous and resilient world," said Helen Clark, board chair of the partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health and Prime Minister of New Zealand (1999-2008).
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