Syllabus: 

GS3: Inclusive Growth and issues arising from it.

Context: 

India, for the first time, breaks into the top 100 of the Sustainable Development Index with the rank of 99 and score of 67, according to the Sustainable Development Report (SDR) 2025 released by the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network. 

More on the News

• The year 2025 marks the 10th anniversary of the adoption of the SDGs. It focuses on “Financing the SDGs by 2030 and Mid-Century”.
• This year, for the first time streamlined SDG Index (SDGi), which uses 17 headline indicators, one per SDG, to track overall SDG progress, was introduced. The purpose is to minimise the statistical biases related to missing time series data across countries.
• A new indicator, “Minimum dietary diversity among children aged 6 months to 23 months”, has been added under SDG 2 (Zero Hunger).
• Conflicts, structural vulnerabilities, and limited fiscal space impede SDG progress in many parts of the world.

Key Findings of the Report

• None of the 17 Global Goals are on track to be fully achieved by 2030, and only 17% of the SDG targets are progressing as planned. 

The following SDGs face major setbacks with little to no progress since 2015:

• SDG 2 (Zero Hunger)
• SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities)
• SDG 14 (Life Below Water)
• SDG 15 (Life on Land)
• SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions)

India’s Progress and Regional Comparison

• India has improved steadily over the past four years, rising from 109th in 2024, 112th in 2023, 121st in 2022, and 120th in 2021.
• India and Neighbouring countries: 

Regional Performances 

European countries: 

• Nordic nations dominate the top ranks:
• Finland (1st)
• Sweden (2nd)
• Denmark (3rd)
• 19 out of the top 20 countries are European.
• Even high-performing nations struggle with climate and biodiversity goals due to unsustainable consumption.

USA and Other Regions

• USA is ranked 44th with 75.2 points. 
• East and South Asia have outperformed all other global regions in terms of SDG progress since 2015, largely due to rapid socioeconomic development.
• The countries in East and South Asia that have demonstrated the fastest progress since 2015 (in points) include:
• Nepal (+11.1)
• Cambodia (+10)
• Philippines (+8.6)
• Bangladesh (+8.3)
• Mongolia (+7.7).

Top Performers in Multilateralism:

• Most committed to UN multilateralism:
• Barbados (1st)
• Jamaica (2nd)
• Trinidad and Tobago (3rd)
• Among G20 nations, Brazil (25th) ranks highest.
• Among OECD countries, Chile (7th) leads. 

Major Reversals in Progress

Five targets show significant reversals in progress since 2015. These are:

• Obesity rate (SDG 2).
• Press freedom (SDG 16). 
• Sustainable nitrogen management (SDG 2).
• The Red List Index (SDG 15).
• The Corruption Perceptions Index (SDG 16).

Sustainable Development Report (SDR) 

• It is a global assessment of countries' progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, since their adoption by the 193 UN member states. This year’s SDG index covers 167 of the 193 UN member states. 
• It is published by the U.N. Sustainable Development Solutions Network.
• The SDG Index score (0- 100) measures the percentage of SDG achievement.
• The gap between a country’s score and 100 indicates the remaining distance to full SDG attainment.
• Agenda 2030: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, also known as Agenda 2030, adopted by the UN, consists of 17 SDGs, which are set to be achieved by 2030.