At the mid-point for the SDGs – Newsletter June 2023
21.6.2023
Dear members, partners, and friends,
The Sustainable Development Report (SDR), released today by the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), describes an urgent need to accelerate progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Even before fully accounting for the impacts of recent events like the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine, it is clear that momentum toward achieving the SDGs has been lost. Midway through the 2015-2030 window in which the SDGs should be achieved, the world is not on track. The situation is most dire in the poorest and most vulnerable countries. The SDR calls for scaling up efforts to achieve the SDGs and for the alignment of global financing with these efforts.
SDG commitments are made by UN Member States and progress is assessed mainly on the national level. So, how is Switzerland doing in comparison with other countries? The Scandinavian countries lead the SDG rankings with Finland, Sweden, and Denmark in the top three places – Switzerland is in fifteenth place. Switzerland is one of the four countries, all in Europe, that are ranked most highly in commitment to the SDGs, being one of only fourteen countries that has completed three Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) in 2016, 2018, and 2022. Switzerland has not, however, included the SDGs in its annual budget, and its spillover effects (i.e., its impact on achievement of the SDGs in other countries) are worse than that of other OECD members by about 27%.
At SDSN Switzerland, we promote sustainable development not only within our national borders but also considering spillovers. For instance, we will continue our work on “Pathways to Switzerland’s Future of Food”, which addresses two challenges that Switzerland faces under SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), the prevalence of obesity and the energy intensity of Swiss diets as characterized by the human trophic level.
We are, of course, encouraged by the very recent approval of the new climate and innovation law by 59.1% of Swiss voters. Reducing the Swiss human trophic level is well aligned with mitigating both greenhouse gas emissions and Switzerland’s spillover effects since the Swiss agriculture and food sector is responsible for close to 30 percent of greenhouse gas emissions with two thirds of the ecological footprint of Swiss food consumption being generated abroad.
On behalf of the SDSN Switzerland team, we wish you renewed enthusiasm to promote the SDGs.
Janet Hering, Co-Chair SDSN Switzerland
At the mid-point for the SDGs – Newsletter June 2023
The Sustainable Development Report (SDR), released today by the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), describes an urgent need to accelerate progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Even before fully accounting for the impacts of recent events like the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine, it is clear that momentum toward achieving the SDGs has been lost. Midway through the 2015-2030 window in which the SDGs should be achieved, the world is not on track. The situation is most dire in the poorest and most vulnerable countries. The SDR calls for scaling up efforts to achieve the SDGs and for the alignment of global financing with these efforts.
SDG commitments are made by UN Member States and progress is assessed mainly on the national level. So, how is Switzerland doing in comparison with other countries? The Scandinavian countries lead the SDG rankings with Finland, Sweden, and Denmark in the top three places – Switzerland is in fifteenth place. Switzerland is one of the four countries, all in Europe, that are ranked most highly in commitment to the SDGs, being one of only fourteen countries that has completed three Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) in 2016, 2018, and 2022. Switzerland has not, however, included the SDGs in its annual budget, and its spillover effects (i.e., its impact on achievement of the SDGs in other countries) are worse than that of other OECD members by about 27%.
At SDSN Switzerland, we promote sustainable development not only within our national borders but also considering spillovers. For instance, we will continue our work on “Pathways to Switzerland’s Future of Food”, which addresses two challenges that Switzerland faces under SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), the prevalence of obesity and the energy intensity of Swiss diets as characterized by the human trophic level.
We are, of course, encouraged by the very recent approval of the new climate and innovation law by 59.1% of Swiss voters. Reducing the Swiss human trophic level is well aligned with mitigating both greenhouse gas emissions and Switzerland’s spillover effects since the Swiss agriculture and food sector is responsible for close to 30 percent of greenhouse gas emissions with two thirds of the ecological footprint of Swiss food consumption being generated abroad.
On behalf of the SDSN Switzerland team, we wish you renewed enthusiasm to promote the SDGs.
Janet Hering, Co-Chair SDSN Switzerland
At the mid-point for the SDGs – Newsletter June 2023