From World Cup to Global Goals

You probably have watched or have heard about the final game last night. France beat Croatia to win the World Cup 2018 with 4 goals (4-2). However, do the French perform equally well in terms of Sustainable Development Goals?

In 2018, France is ranked the 5th among 156 countries in the SDG Index. Among the 17 goals, it has achieved Goal 1 (no poverty) only. There are still significant challenges for Goal 12 (responsible consumption and production) and Goal 15 (life on land), and major challenges for Goal 13 (climate action) and Goal 14 (life below water). Want to find out what these mean, what methodologies they use and the ranking of your own countries? Check out the SDG Index Dashboard (click here). 

It's important to know that UN Environment is the custodian agency for 26 SDG indicators (out of a total of 232). Our Science Division, together with colleagues across the house, has been working hard to develop methodologies, collect data and report on these indicators. Visit the Environment Live (click here) to learn more.

France's commitment towards the Sustainable Development Goals is indeed worth celebrating. In 2016, it conducted its first Voluntary National Review, an annual, state-led exercise to evaluate a country's progress towards the 2030 Agenda. In the summary of France's review, it took pride in its achievements in boosting a high living standard and providing basic public services. However, it also highlighted challenges in reducing inequalities, maintaining healthy ecosystems and sustainably managing its natural resources. Click here to learn more about France's review and that of other countries in the last three years.

In collaboration with the Forum for Law, Environment, Development and Governance, UN Environment's Law Division has recently completed an assessment of all the voluntary national reviews submitted in 2016 and 2017. The study found that there is a growing interest of Member States to focus on actions related to environmental dimension of achieving the SDGs. Click here for the short version of the study, and here for the long version.

Finally, watching the final game, I was deeply inspired by the power of youth. The winning French squad has an average age of 26 years, cheered by their 40-year-old President Emmanuel Macron. Globally, young women and men are already taking actions for Sustainable Development Goals, everywhere. Watch their stories (click here) to get inspired!