These should be a wake-up call for the Marcos administration to accelerate progress in almost all fields of endeavor
If the Philippines has been exerting every effort to comply with the development targets set by the United Nations back in 2015, why is it that after eight years, we have failed to keep our commitments to the UN Sustainable Development Goals?
A little historical background may be useful here.
In 2015, UN member-states, including the Philippines, adopted the SDGs as a universal target to end poverty, protect the environment, ensure that by 2030 everyone can enjoy good health and education as well as live in peace and prosperity.
“Leave no one behind. That defining principle of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is a shared promise by every country to work together to secure the rights and well-being of everyone on a healthy, thriving planet,” the UN said.
“But halfway to 2030, that promise is in peril,” it said, adding the SDGs are “disappearing in the rear-view mirror, as is the hope and rights of current and future generations.”
The 2030 Agenda is a roadmap with 17 SDGs.
In the latest assessment by the UN, the Philippines occupied the 98th spot among 166 countries in 2022, slipping three places compared to its 95th position among 163 countries in 2021.
Despite this slight drop in rankings, the country’s Index Score improved, increasing from 66.64 percent in 2021 to 67.14 percent in 2022.
Data from the 2023 Sustainable Development Report revealed that 34.7 percent of SDG targets for the Philippines have either been achieved or are on the right track.
Approximately 37.5 percent have made limited progress, while 27.8 percent of the targets have even deteriorated.
Out of the 17 SDGs, the Philippines was able to achieve significant advance in only one: encouraging more sustainable consumption and production patterns through various measures, including specific policies and international agreements on the management of materials that are toxic to the environment.
The country is also on track or is currently gaining ground in efforts to reduce solid and electronic waste and minimize sulfur dioxide and nitrogen emissions.
For the goal of clean water and sanitation, the Philippines is on track in meeting UN criteria, but significant challenges remain, specifically in achieving these targets by 2030:
universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all;
(2) access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all, paying special attention to the needs of women and girls and those in vulnerable situations;
(3) improved water quality by reducing pollution, eliminating dumping and minimizing the release of hazardous chemicals and materials, halving the proportion of untreated wastewater, and substantial increase in recycling and safe reuse globally;
(4) substantial increase in water-use efficiency across all sectors and sustainable withdrawals and supply of freshwater to address water scarcity and substantially reduce the number of people suffering from water scarcity.
The UN data also showed, however, the Philippines continues to face challenges in the field of climate action since its efforts to combat climate change and its impacts were considered inadequate.
The country is also facing significant challenges in these major areas: No poverty; Zero hunger; Quality education; Gender equality; Clean water and sanitation; Affordable and clean energy; Industry, innovation and infrastructure; Sustainable cities and communities; and Partnership for the goals.
The Philippines likewise faces major challenges in attaining these goals: Good health and well-being; Decent work and economic growth; Reduced inequalities; Life below water; Life on land; and Peace, justice, and strong institutions.
These should be a wake-up call for the Marcos administration to accelerate progress in almost all fields of endeavor if it hopes to achieve upper middle-income status and reduce poverty to single-digit level by 2028. And a whole-of-government approach is needed to attain these key objectives four-and-a-half years from now.
After all, as the UN says, at the midpoint of the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals, “a sobering reality emerges: the world is falling short in meeting most of these goals by 2030…A fundamental shift is needed—in commitment, solidarity, financing, and action—to put the world on a better path.
“And it is needed now because…we are leaving more than half the world behind.”
(Email: ernhil@yahoo.com)
