UN Chief at the SDG Moment 2024 | United Nations

Secretary-General António Guterres today (24 Sep) said the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) “are facing massive headwinds,” as “crashing debt and inefficient tax systems are starving investments in health, education and food in many developing countries.”

Speaking at an SDG Moment event, Guterres said the goals “represent a bold vision, a commitment to a better, healthier, safer and more prosperous and sustainable future,” but acknowledged that “more than four out of five SDG targets are off track.”

He stressed that “the world has the wealth, the technology, and the know how to achieve the SDGs.”

“Crashing debt and inefficient tax systems,” the Secretary-General said, “are starving investments in health, education and food in many developing countries.” The Pact for the Future, he added “includes support for the SDG stimulus and global financial architecture reform to help ease the debt crisis.”

Guterres said, “it is time for a rapid and just phase out of fossil fuels and the rapid and smart scale up of renewables to drive sustainable development, energy security, and economic prosperity.”

He also emphasized that “we must fairly and sustainably meet the global demand for critical minerals that can power the renewables revolution,” and added that “protecting development gains from climate upheaval is also critical.”

Also speaking at the event, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said, “climate change is hitting absolutely everything around us. The costs of extreme weather impacts are going through the roof, the changes to migrations, the pressures on communities, on countries, that’s going to come from a changing planet and a change in climate are going to be massive challenges that we have to meet. The way we used to do things is no longer going to serve humanity the way it did before. We have to start shifting long-term, and that means understanding that taking real, concrete action on climate change is not something that is expensive to do now, or difficult to do now, because it’s moral. It’s actually the cheapest way of making sure we have a better future.”

Building on the momentum from the 2023 SDG Summit and the outcomes of the Summit of the Future, the fourth SDG Moment aimed to highlight inspiring examples of progress from around the world and emphasize the role of political leadership, SDG investment, and global partnerships in achieving food systems transformation, the renewable energy shift, and expanded digital connectivity.
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The Sustainable Development Goals – the roadmap to a better future for all – are off track. However, the SDG Moment 2024, taking place Tuesday 24 September, will show that dramatic progress is still possible between now and 2030 if the world comes together to act with decisiveness and determination to reach our shared destination by 2030.

The path to 2030 must be driven by just and inclusive transitions. Convened by UN Secretary-General António Guterres, the SDG Moment 2024 will demonstrate that transformation is not only possible but essential. It will spotlight the role of just transitions in reshaping food systems to alleviate hunger while preserving nature, advancing the renewable energy revolution for a path to net-zero emissions, and ensuring that digital connectivity empowers youth, women, older people, and persons with disabilities. These transitions are vital to secure a more sustainable and equitable future and the SDG Moment 2024 will emphasize the importance of quality education, skills development, and access to decent work as pillars of the 2030 Agenda.

About the SDG Moment 2024
Building on the momentum from the 2023 SDG Summit and the outcomes of the Summit of the Future, the fourth SDG Moment will highlight inspiring examples of progress from around the world and emphasize the role of political leadership, SDG investment, and global partnerships in achieving food systems transformation, the renewable energy shift, and expanded digital connectivity. The Moment will also explore how enhanced social protection and decent work opportunities can ensure these transitions drive poverty eradication, reduce inequalities, and empower women and young people.

The event will bring together high-level Government representatives alongside inspiring advocacy from youth leaders, businesses, academia, and UN agencies.

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