2022 HDR and SDR Reach Similar Conclusions 

On 8 September 2022, the Human Development Report 2022 was released with the conclusion that global human development has declined for the second year in a row. The HDR is published annually by UNDP and measures a nation’s health, education, and standard of living. For the first time since the index was launched 32 years ago, the overall index score has fallen for the last two years due to the pandemic, economic crises, and the effects of climate change.

SDSN reached similar conclusions in the latest edition of the 2022 Sustainable Development Report (SDR), released in June. As detailed in the 7th edition of the SDR, peace, diplomacy, and international cooperation are fundamental conditions for the world to progress on the SDGs. The concurrent crises in climate and biodiversity, global health, and geopolitical insecurity and conflict have diverted policy attention and priorities away from medium and long-term goals such as the SDGs and the Paris Climate Agreement. This shift of focus towards short-term issues threatens to slow down or even stall the adoption of ambitious and credible national and international plans but also squeezes available international funding for sustainable development.

Despite these difficult times, the SDGs should remain our roadmap for achieving sustainable development by 2030. They remain the only common language and vision across all UN member states on the triple bottom line of sustainable development: economic, social and environmental. Guillaume Lafortune, Vice President & Head of the Paris Office, Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) comments “Multiple crises are major setbacks for sustainable development and human development globally. Yet, despite the complexity and uncertainty of our times, the SDGs should remain the roadmap to 2030 and beyond. They still are the future we want."