SDGs deliver, urgent scaling needed

💡 The 2026 UN High-Level Political Forum reinforced a clear message: achieving the SDGs requires stronger partnerships, better data, and more effective multilateral cooperation. Throughout the forum, Joakim Harlin, Chief Manager of the UNEP-DHI Centre contributed to several discussions advancing water and sustainable development: 🔹 Advancing Gender Indicators for SDG Implementation and Accountability (VNR Lab)  Highlighted the need to embed gender-responsive and intersectional indicators across all SDGs and use data as a tool for implementation and accountability.   🔹 Building Impact-Driven Partnerships for Water and Sustainable Development  Explored how governments, the UN, and the private sector can work together to transform SDG 6 commitments into practical, finance-ready and scalable solutions ahead of the 2026 UN Water Conference.  🔹 Discussion on Roberto Lenton's Confronting Water Insecurity  Examined lessons from the evolution of global water governance and the need for stronger institutions, leadership, and multilateral cooperation to address water insecurity.  As we look ahead to the 2026 UN Water Conference, the 2027 SDG Summit, and beyond, one message stands out: accelerating progress on water and sustainable development will depend on our ability to work together across sectors, disciplines and borders. #HLPF2026 #SDG6

 The High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF 2026) is underway at UN Headquarters in New York, 7–15 July 2026, convened under the auspices of ECOSOC with just five years remaining until 2030. Theme: "Transformative, equitable, innovative and coordinated actions for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its SDGs for a sustainable future for all." Five SDGs under in-depth review: SDG 6, SDG 7, SDG 9, SDG 11, and SDG 17. 36 countries presenting Voluntary National Reviews. According to the SDG Report 2026 (released 7 July 2026): - Only 36% of 139 SDG targets on track or making moderate progress - 49% advancing too slowly - 15% have regressed below 2015 baselines https://lnkd.in/gQFTdD8j #hlpf2026 #2030agenda #developmentconnect #globalgoals #srilanka

🌎 New survey findings featured in the Sustainable Development Report 2026 (#SDR2026) reveal broad support for maintaining the SDG framework beyond 2030. At the same time, respondents highlighted significant disparities across regions and countries in governance, policy effort, and implementation capacity. East and South Asia reported some of the most optimistic assessments of national and local #SDG performance. Across the surveys, financing, governance, and the use of science and data emerged as the areas most in need of strengthening to accelerate SDG implementation. The findings draw on input from over 1,000 respondents across 127 countries, alongside contributions from the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network's partners in 64 countries and the European Union. 📖 Read the report: https://lnkd.in/esUmFdTJ 💡 Explore the SDG Index & Dashboards: https://lnkd.in/eqiKbGH #SDR #SDR2026 #SDGIndex #SDGs #GlobalGoals #SustainableDevelopment SDG Transformation Center

Check out this International Institute for Sustainable Development summary of the 2026 SDG Report, released during the opening of last week's #HLPF. It finds only 36% of targets with data are on track, while data now cover nearly every SDG indicator, up from half in 2015. https://ow.ly/AFUF50ZnS86

The Sustainable Development Report 2026 was recently published, providing the most up-to-date assessment of global progress as the SDGs enter their "homestretch". How is Ireland performing on this global stage? 🇮🇪 Ireland is currently ranked 25th in the world with an overall SDG Index score of 80.0. Since 2015, the country has seen a positive score increase of 4.5 percentage points. The Highlights: 🌟 Ireland has successfully achieved its goals for No Poverty (SDG 1) and Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8), staying on track to maintain these achievements. The Challenges: ⚠️ However, major challenges remain in areas such as Responsible Consumption and Production (SDG 12), Climate Action (SDG 13), and Life on Land (SDG 15). 🌍 Notably, Ireland’s International Spillover Index score of 47.9 is significantly lower than the OECD average of 67.7, indicating that national actions are having negative impacts on other countries. With the final SDG Summit approaching in September 2027, world leaders must rethink global cooperation to advance the 2030 agenda and beyond. Full report available at https://lnkd.in/dhQTzD7Y #SustainableDevelopment #Sustainability #GlobalGoals #SDR2026.

United Nations Sustainable Development Report, 2026 https://lnkd.in/dpcwxn6d Produced by the SDSN’s SDG Transformation Center, the SDR has provided the most up-to-date data for tracking and ranking the performance of all UN Member States on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) since 2016. This year’s launch comes at a critical juncture: Amid rising geopolitical tensions, increasing global instability, and stalled SDG progress, formal UN discussions on the post-2030 development agenda are set to begin in 2027, alongside the transition to a new UN Secretary-General. This year’s SDR features the SDG Index and Dashboards, which rank all UN Member States on their progress toward the SDGs; the Index of Countries’ Support for UN-Based Multilateralism (UN-Mi), which tracks countries’ engagement with the UN system; and two new surveys: 1) The “SDSN Expert Survey on Government Efforts for the SDGs” and 2) a large-scale public survey spanning 127 countries on “SDG Challenges and Means for Implementation.” The report finds that progress on the SDGs remains significantly off track, with only 16% of targets projected to be achieved by the deadline. Yet, the vast majority of UN Member States remain committed to the SDG framework. Divya Namboothiri

We welcome UNIDO's continued recognition that inclusive and sustainable industrialisation is fundamental to building resilient economies and creating long-term prosperity. Accelerating #SDG9 means turning innovation into practical solutions that deliver lasting environmental, social and economic impact. 4 Earth Global converts hard-to-recycle waste into permanently recyclable building materials, we're helping create local industries, quality jobs for women and youth, and affordable infrastructure that enables communities to live, learn and work with dignity. #UNIDO #HLPF2026 #SDG9 #SustainableIndustrialization #CircularEconomy #GreenManufacturing #Infrastructure #JobCreation #Innovation #4EarthGlobal

🇺🇳 The next decade of sustainable development will be shaped by how we align digital transformation with the SDGs Since its inception, CODES (Coalition for Digital Environmental Sustainability) has worked to bridge digital innovation and sustainable development. At United Nations #HLPF2026, we are hosting an official side event with International Science Council to advance this mission. Join us for a high-level discussion on the key questions facing digital and sustainable development: 📅 Thursday, 16 July 2026 | 13:15-14:30 📍 UN Headquarters, New York (Conference Room 4) The event will explore: • How digital can accelerate SDG progress while mitigating environmental and social costs - i.e. this year’s highly impacted #focusSDGs water, energy, infrastructure and cities • Ways to strengthen the alignment between digital governance and the SDG framework - i.e. has the #GlobalDigitalCompact positively impacted the #HLPF? • Options for strengthening digital in the #Beyond2030 sustainable development agenda - i.e. can we collaborate towards a common vision? We look forward to your participation in this important conversation. #HLPF2026 #DigitalTransformation #SDGs #SustainableDevelopment #UN #CODES #PartnershipForTheGoals

📍 Join us today at the United Nations High-Level Political Forum 2026 for a side event on digital environmental sustainability and SDG implementation, hosted by CODES (Coalition for Digital Environmental Sustainability) and the International Science Council. Digital technologies, including AI, Digital Public Infrastructure and smart systems, can become powerful accelerators of sustainable development. But this requires governance frameworks that ensure innovation remains inclusive, rights-based and aligned with planetary boundaries, while actively addressing the growing energy, water, material and e-waste footprints of digitalization. 📅 Thursday, 16 July 2026 🕐 13:15–14:30 ET 📍 United Nations Headquarters, Conference Room 4, New York 👉 Get the full details here: https://lnkd.in/gE4bQZrS #HLPF2026 #DigitalTransformation #SDGs #SustainableDevelopment #UN

#CODES at this year’s High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development #HLPF2026 🇺🇳🗽🌎 Really looking forward to engage on-site and support connecting the two mega transformations of our Century - digital and sustainability! We must use the momentum of the #GlobalDigitalCompact and the outcomes of the first #IISPAI report and of the UN #GlobalDialogue on AI Governance to strengthen the perception of digital risk and opportunities for the 2030 Agenda. The HLPF is - or should be - the forum to take up that momentum! With the discussions on a #Beyond2030 architecture starting, now is the time to power up our efforts to fulfill the #2030Agenda as good as we can. All need to invest in shaping a #SustainableDigitalAge - it doesn’t come by accident I promise. If you happen to be at HLPF in New York, please join our discussions and reach out for a meeting! 🙋🏽♂️ #PartnershipForTheGoals!