The UN’s Sustainable Development Goals Are Not Out of Reach

September 11, 2023

The United Nations set the Sustainable Development Goals in 2015 with an aim to deliver on them by 2030. We are at the midpoint, and the news is not good. Not one SDG has been achieved, and progress on most is too slow. But there are ways to accelerate the pace. We spoke with six BCG experts on how we can change the SDG trajectory. Here’s what they said.

Rich Hutchinson

Five Ways to Unlock SDG Progress

Time is running out for achieving the SDGs. But action at scale in these critical areas can unlock rapid progress.

Wendy Woods

Mobilizing the Private Sector for Sustainability

Companies can advance the SDGs while simultaneously expanding their business, bolstering the bottom line, and managing risk. It’s time to double down on the opportunity.

Maikel Wilms

Digital Can Accelerate Progress on the SDGs

Digital technology has the potential to advance sustainability efforts in a powerful way. To seize that opportunity, countries need to develop a comprehensive digital strategy.

Qahir Dhanani

Closing the SDG Financing Gap Requires Collective Creativity

There is a nearly $4 trillion annual shortfall in SDG-related investments. New approaches—including ways to unlock private sector investment—can close the gap.

Zoë Karl-Waithaka

Rethinking Collaboration to Power SDG Progress

Public-, private-, and social-sector players need to cooperate to achieve the SDGs—but such collaborations often come up short. Here’s how to make them pay off.

Dave Sivaprasad

We Can’t Meet the SDGs Without Adaptation and Resilience

The impacts of climate change—including increased floods, droughts, and fires—may put the SDGs further out of reach. That’s why investments in A&R are so vital.