PrintSometimes, when we start talking about sustainable development or even the UN's SDGs specifically, that conversation tends to gravitate toward the developing world - almost as if the post-industrial countries don't need to think about this. There may even be misconceptions that if we evaluated a place like the US, for example, on its progress toward meeting any number of the SDGs that what we would find is a report card we'd be proud to hang on the refrigerator. Let's take a closer look.
Each year, the Sustainable Development Solutions Network reports on the status of sustainable development right here in the United States. The figures below are from the most recent report* for year 2018.
The dashboard below breaks down the US map above in more detail to illustrate how those SDG indices are derived and ranks the states from best to worst in achieving these goals. But rather than focus on which states are doing well relative to others, let's look at which goals we're struggling as a country to achieve. Here are three that jump out to me. What stands out to you?
- Goal 1: End poverty in all its forms everywhere.
- Goal 13: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.
- Goal 16: Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development.
