Only 17 percent of SDGs on track, new U.N. report reveals

With just six years remaining to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), global progress is alarmingly insufficient with only 17 percent of the targets are currently on track, according to a new U.N. report released on Friday.

The 2024 Sustainable Development Goals Report revealed that nearly half of the 17 goals are showing "minimal or moderate progress," while over a third are either "stalled or regressing."

These goals, adopted by U.N. member states in 2015, aim to bring peace and prosperity to people and the planet.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stressed accelerated actions for the Sustainable Development Goals because "We don't have a moment to lose."

The report noted that in 2022, an additional 23 million people were pushed into extreme poverty, and over 100 million more were suffering from hunger compared to 2019. Civilian deaths in armed conflict also skyrocketed last year. Furthermore, 2023 was the warmest year on record, with global temperatures nearing the critical 1.5 degrees Celsius threshold.

Addressing the press, Li Junhua, U.N.under-secretary-general for economic and social affairs, said the international community should actively cope with climate change and drive SDG with green transition. He encouraged countries to provide green energy products for developing countries.

"First of all, from the U.N. secretariat, we absolutely believe all kinds of green energy products is [are] good public products, or public goods. And we absolutely believe that the green transition is one of the key areas to accelerate the implementation of the 2030 agenda to achieve our targets. So in this regard, I guess all the countries need to do their maximum efforts to provide the green energy products to all the customers, particularly [for] developing countries," Li said.

Only 17 percent of SDGs on track, new U.N. report reveals

Only 17 percent of SDGs on track, new U.N. report reveals

Only 17 percent of SDGs on track, new U.N. report reveals

Only 17 percent of SDGs on track, new U.N. report reveals

The Fengyun-3F (FY-3F) satellite officially commenced operational services on Monday following ground and application system in-orbit testing reviews and operational trial runs, according to its ground application system operator, China Meteorological Administration (CMA).

The FY-3F satellite will take over the in-orbit duties of the FY-3C satellite and provide services in areas such as weather forecasting, climate prediction, disaster monitoring, and environmental monitoring.

Equipped with 10 operational instruments, the satellite is able to conduct full-spectrum, high-spectral, and quantitative observations. These capabilities significantly enhance the precision of observing global atmospheric and surface environmental conditions, including atmospheric temperature and humidity profile information, trace gases, and Earth's radiation balance.

During its in-orbit testing and trial operation phases, the satellite-ground system operated reliably, ensuring smooth testing progress. It has already shown practical benefits by effectively monitoring weather events such as recent heavy precipitation in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, according to the CMA.

It will integrate into the operational network alongside with other Fengyun meteorological satellites in orbit, leveraging synergistic observational advantages to support precise monitoring operations.

The satellite was launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on Aug 3, 2023.

China's Fengyun-3F satellite begins operational services