THE FUTURE IS NOW
SCIENCE FOR ACHIEVING SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
This report was written in 2019 by a group of scientists for the United Nations. This Global Sustainable Development Report is a stark reminder of the dangers we face if we do not act quickly and purposefully. It also shows that we are at risk of irreversible destruction of the natural systems that protect us. There are only 10 years left to achieve the 2030 Agenda, but no country is yet convincingly able to meet the basic human resource needs at a sustainable global level of resource use. All countries, to varying degrees, are far from the main goal of balancing human well-being with a healthy environment.
This report examines the effects of poverty reduction and inequality and ensuring access to energy, transportation, waste management, food, water and sanitation, education, health care, etc., not only for urban populations but also for regions. It also deals with urban and rural areas.
Every successful path to the 2030 agenda is taken through sustainable cities. At the current rate of growth, by 2030, 60 percent of the world’s population will live in cities, close to 5 billion, and by 2050 that ratio will be close to 70 percent. By 2030, the world is projected to have 43 megacities (cities with more than 10 million people). There are nine new 10 megacities that will be added from now on in developing countries. However, the majority of future urban dwellers do not live in large cities with sufficient resources, but in secondary cities and areas without clear boundaries and adequate infrastructure. One in eight people lives in 33 major cities, with almost half of the world’s urban population living in towns with a population of less than 500,000 or in secondary cities. The World Bank’s report on competitive cities shows that a number of secondary cities beat many large cities in terms of job growth, productivity, and foreign direct investment. These include: Saltillo, Mexico; Meknes and Tangier, Morocco; Coimbatore, India; Gaziantep, Turkey; Bucaramanga, Colombia; Onitsha, Nigeria; And Changsha are China.
Our world as we know it and the future we want is at stake. Despite significant efforts over the past four years, we are not succeeding in achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. We must enter the implementation phase quickly because we are entering a crucial decade for the people and the planet.
This evidence-based and action-oriented report further highlights the essential role of science in ending hunger, tackling climate change, reducing inequality, and accelerating progress toward sustainable development goals.
Most importantly, it emphasizes the need for a holistic and comprehensive approach:
1.Strengthening human well-being and abilities
2.Shift towards a sustainable and equitable economy
3.Creating sustainable food systems and healthy eating patterns
4.Achieving energy decarburization and global access to energy
5.Promoting sustainable urban and semi-urban development
6.Ensuring global public environmental security
Scientific expertise, innovation and remarkable results can be achieved in all these fields, but the determining factor will always be the political will.
