Environment, carbon emission neglected in sustainable development: Study

Environment, carbon emission, biodiversity and malnutrition are among the issues that remain neglected by certain groups of countries, according to a recent study that analysed the trajectories of 166 nations towards attaining sustainable development.

In 2015, member states of the United Nations adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Aimed at achieving human progress, economic prosperity, and planetary health, the framework outlines 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), including no poverty, zero hunger, quality education and gender equality.

Questions, however, remain as to how different nations navigate their own paths toward these goals, said an international team of researchers from different countries, including Australia, China and Israel.

Their study, published in the journal Nature Communications, found a "polarised global landscape" with systematically neglected SDG targets, potentially leaving behind millions of people.

"Our results reveal a polarised global landscape within the SDG space, with countries clustering into distinct groups, each specialising in different development targets," the authors wrote.

Asaf Tzachor, a lead author from Reichman University's School of Sustainability, Israel, said, "We found shifting national priorities over the past 20 years, as well as areas of chronic neglect, where action is urgently needed. Using network analysis, we further identified each country's comparative advantages and disadvantages across the main pillars of sustainable development."  Using official and unofficial data collected between 2000 and 2022, the team calculated an SDG score for each country for 2000, 2015 and 2022.

Countries with high SDG scores were found to specialise in reducing poverty and improving access to clean energy, air and water, along with good health, innovation and governance.

On the other hand, countries with low SDG scores were noted to have relative advantages in the aspects of "overnutrition, embodied social and environmental impacts in international trade, and resource use, waste and emissions".

However, the team found a set of "orphaned" SDG indicators that remain neglected by certain groups of countries -- or "areas where certain country groups remain under-specialised".

These gaps, primarily related to environmental quality, carbon emissions, biodiversity loss, or the impacts of malnutrition, represent urgent areas where targeted action is needed, the authors said.

For instance, nations like Ethiopia and India need to focus on basic sanitation and biodiversity respectively while countries like China and the US face challenges related to greenhouse gas emissions and overnutrition, they explained.

The study provides a detailed understanding of what holds countries back and where they might redouble their efforts to achieve balanced and inclusive progress, the team said.

"Understanding these disparities is crucial for (a) country's and global progress. By identifying where countries are underperforming, we can tailor development policies to address these gaps effectively," Tzachor said.

With the 2030 deadline approaching, the team also stressed on a comprehensive review of the SDG framework, calling for international cooperation in ensuring that no region or community is left behind in the pursuit of sustainable development.