SDGs Explained

Summary of Episode 7:

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are one of the biggest global plans ever made. Launched in 2015 by the United Nations, these 17 goals aim to tackle major world issues by 2030, like ending poverty, improving health and education, ensuring clean water, and fighting climate change.

Some key goals include:

• No poverty (SDG 1)

• Zero hunger (SDG 2)

• Good health and well-being (SDG 3)

• Clean water and sanitation (SDG 6)

• Climate action (SDG 13)

We’re now halfway to 2030, and progress has been mixed. At COP29, the UN’s major climate summit held in 2024, countries reaffirmed their goals to limit global warming. Wealthy nations promised more funding, and there was talk of cutting fossil fuel subsidies. But real progress depends on what countries actually do next.

India, for example, has made strong progress in areas like poverty reduction, public health, renewable energy, and urban development. Programs like Ayushman Bharat, Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, and the National Solar Mission have helped push the SDG agenda forward.

But there are still big challenges. Many developing countries face lack of funding, limited access to technology, and climate-related disasters. For landlocked countries, trade becomes even harder, slowing down economic growth.

The SDGs are ambitious and important, but we’re not there yet. With just a few years left, the world needs to act faster and more fairly.

Listen to Episode 7 of IR Unfiltered to learn more about the SDGs and what progress really looks like!