Global Goals Overviews

1. NO POVERTY

This goal seeks to reduce the number of people who are living in poverty worldwide. To do this, we must work together to develop new systems and policies that provide resources to the poor and vulnerable so that they can have equal access to basic services and technology.

Nearly half of the world’s population lives in poverty (less than $2.50/day) and each day, 22,000 children die due to poverty. Many of these deaths are from preventable diseases such as diarrhea and pneumonia – but the families are too poor to afford treatment.

It would take around $60 billion per year to end extreme global poverty. That’s less than ¼ of the income of the 100 richest people in the world.

2. ZERO HUNGER

This goal seeks to eradicate world hunger and malnutrition by providing universal access to safe and nutritious food. To do this, we must use sustainable practices, increase the productivity of farmers and fishers, and ensure that food can be traded worldwide.

Over 800 million people worldwide do not have enough food to eat even though the world produces enough food to feed all 7 billion people.

Mothers who are undernourished during pregnancy have children who are also undernourished. Every year, 17 million children are born undernourished due to the mother’s lack of nutrition.

3. GOOD HEALTH AND WELL-BEING

This goal seeks to improve worldwide health and well-being by promoting healthy lifestyles, preventative measures, and healthcare for everyone. To do this, we must fight diseases, promote mental health and substance abuse, achieve universal access to healthcare, and improve early warning systems for global health risks such as the current pandemic.

Over 6 million children under the age of 5 die each year – almost all of them could be saved with access to simple and affordable interventions.

Depression affects around 300 million people worldwide, and that number is projected to increase. Less than half of those people have access to adequate treatment for the disease.

4. QUALITY EDUCATION

This goal seeks to provide inclusive and equitable education to everyone by ensuring access to free K-12 education and affordable post-secondary education. To do this, we must eliminate all discrimination in education, build and upgrade schools, expand scholarships for developing countries, and increase the number of quality teachers in developing countries.

Worldwide almost 60 million children are not able to attend primary school (K-8). Almost 65 million are not able to attend high school. It would take $39 billion each year to send all adolescents to school.

53% of the world’s out-of-school children are girls and ⅔ of the illiterate people in the world are women.

5. GENDER EQUALITY

This goal seeks to empower girls and women and ensure equal opportunities and rights by ending gender discrimination and ending violence and exploitation against women. To do this, we must develop and strengthen laws and policies regarding gender equality, provide universal access to reproductive health, and promote the empowerment of women through technology.

113 countries do not have laws to ensure equal pay for men and women. 104 countries ban women from certain jobs. 29 countries restrict the hours women can work. 18 countries allow men to prohibit their wives from working. 17 countries limit when and how women can travel outside the home.

200 million fewer women than men have access to the internet worldwide. In the US, women earn more bachelor’s degrees than men, but only 18% of the computer science degrees.

6. CLEAN WATER AND SANITATION

This goal seeks to stop unnecessary disease and death by providing access to clean water and sanitation for all. To do this, we must improve water quality, waste water treatment, water-use efficiency, and access to sanitation and hygiene.

Worldwide, 844 million people do not have access to clean water. 2.3 billion people live without access to basic sanitation. Adequate water, sanitation, and hygiene has the potential to prevent at least 9.1% of global diseases and 6.3% of all deaths.

Women and girls spend an estimated 200 million hours hauling water every day. The average woman in rural Africa walks 6km every day to haul 40 pounds of water.

7. AFFORDABLE AND CLEAN ENERGY

This goal seeks to protect our planet from climate change by utilizing renewable energy sources, which are more affordable and cleaner than fossil fuels. To do this, we must expand and upgrade energy services in developing countries, ensure universal access to modern energy, improve energy efficiency, and promote research in clean energy.

The level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is the highest it has been in human history, which traps more heat in the lower atmosphere. The United Nations have warned that carbon pollution must be cut in half in the next 10 years to avoid catastrophic, irreversible damage to the planet.

20 of the warmest years on record have occurred in the last 22 years. These rising temperatures are leading to longer and hotter heat waves, more droughts, heavier rainfall, and more powerful storms.

8. DECENT WORK AND ECONOMIC GROWTH

This goal seeks to promote sustainable economic growth throughout the world by increasing the number of decent and fulfilling jobs and ensuring safe and secure work environments for all. To do this, we must promote policies to help create jobs and grow enterprises, provide opportunities for young people to work, learn, and train, ensure universal access to banking, and promote sustainable tourism that creates jobs and focuses on local culture and products.

About 172 million people worldwide were without work in 2018, which is about 5%. Even without the pandemic, that number was expected to increase by 1 million each year. In the US, the unemployment rate in January of this year was 3.6%. In April, it reached 14.7%.

About 48% of women are employed, compared with 75% of men. 85 million women are not used to their potential in their jobs compared to 55 million men.

9. INDUSTRY, INNOVATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE

This goal seeks to build up the basic physical and organizational needs of a society (such as roads, power, transportation, and communication) by promoting innovative sustainable technology. To do this, we must upgrade current infrastructure, research new technology, help developing countries, and ensure universal and affordable access to information and communication technology.

2.6 billion people in developing countries do not have access to constant electricity. More than 4 billion people do not have access to the internet.

Industrialization has a positive impact on society by multiplying jobs. Every one job in manufacturing creates 2.2 jobs in another sector.

10. REDUCED INEQUALITIES

This goal seeks to close the gap between the richest and poorest in the world and to make all individuals self-sufficient by reducing income inequalities, ending all forms of discrimination, and adopting policies that promote equality. To do this, we must have more representation from developing countries in decision-making, facilitate safe and responsible migration policies, and encourage investment in less developed countries.

In 1980, the top 1% had 16% of the global income. In 2016, that number rose to 22%. If nothing changes to reduce inequalities, the number will rise to 39% by 2050. To put this data another way…the 80 richest people on earth have the same amount of wealth as the 3.5 billion poorest people.

In most developed countries, the official unemployment rate for people with disabilities is at least twice that for those without disabilities. In Latin America, about 80-90% of people with disabilities are unemployed or out of work.

11. SUSTAINABLE CITIES AND COMMUNITIES

This goal seeks to build modern and sustainable cities and communities by reducing the environmental impact of cities, providing access to safe and inclusive public green spaces, and supporting the least developed countries in their building. To do this, we must ensure universal access to safe and affordable housing and transportation systems, protect the local culture and heritage, and reduce the negative effects of natural disasters.

Cities take up only 3% of the Earth’s land, but account for 60-80% of energy consumption and at least 70% of carbon emissions. By 2030, 60% of the world’s population will live in cities.

Worldwide, over 1 billion people live in slums, and the number continues to rise. Cities generate about 80% of the global GDP (the total value of all finished goods and services worldwide), but slums lower a city’s value and lower life expectancy.

12. RESPONSIBLE CONSUMPTION AND PRODUCTION

This goal seeks to reverse the harm we have caused the planet by using and producing resources in a sustainable way. To do this, we must reduce food and goods waste, responsibly manage chemical and waste, and encourage companies to adopt sustainable practices.

1.3 billion tons of food is wasted every year while almost 2 billion people go undernourished. 2 billion people are overweight or obese.

If people everywhere switched to energy efficient light bulbs, the world would save $120 billion every year.

13. CLIMATE ACTION

This goal seeks to combat the impact of climate change and protect the planet by modernizing our infrastructure. To do this, we must change national policies, improve climate education, and follow through on the climate-related commitments we have already made through the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Humans are estimated to have caused the global temperature to rise 1°C since pre-industrial times. That number will continue to rise, but to keep it below 1.5°C, the global carbon dioxide emissions must drop by 45% by 2030 and reach 0 by 2050.

If the world takes major action on climate change, the economic benefits could reach $26 trillion by 2030. By 2030, the energy sector alone will create around 18 million more jobs focused on sustainable energy.

14. LIFE BELOW WATER

This goal seeks to protect, conserve, and sustainably use oceans, seas, and marine resources by eliminating pollution and overfishing. To do this, we must protect and restore marine and coastal ecosystems, support small scale fishers, implement and enforce international sea law, and increase research and technology for ocean health.

The ocean covers 75% of the Earth’s surface. As much as 40% of the ocean is affected by pollution and other human activities. An average of 13,000 pieces of plastic litter can be found on every square kilometer of ocean.

More than 3 billion people rely on marine and coastal biodiversity for their livelihoods. Due to improper marine management, overfishing occurs, which results in economic losses.

15. LIFE ON LAND

This goal seeks to restore and protect the world’s terrestrial ecosystems by focusing on sustainable use and conservation of our forests, wetlands, mountains, and drylands. To do this, we must end deforestation and poaching, increase financial resources and government policies related to ecosystems, and protect natural habitats of threatened species.

Rainforests only cover 2% of our planet’s surface, but are home to nearly 50% of all species on Earth. Humans destroy over 200,000 acres of rainforest every day.

Forests are home to more than 80% of all terrestrial species of animals, plants, and insects. Of the 8,300 animal breeds known, 8% are extinct and 22% are at risk of extinction.

16. PEACE, JUSTICE AND STRONG INSTITUTIONS

This goal seeks to eliminate persecution, injustice, and abuse in the world by promoting peace and justice throughout the world. To do this, we must reduce violence, corruption, and organized crime, ensure diverse representation in decision-making, and provide public access to information and fundamental freedoms.

1 billion people are legally “invisible”, including 625 million children who do not have birth certificates.

In developing countries, corruption, bribery, theft, and tax evasion cost the countries $1.26 trillion per year.

17. PARTNERSHIPS FOR THE GOALS

This goal seeks to build a global partnership focused on support, empathy, and cooperation. To do this, we must assist developing countries financially and technologically, increase fair trade globally, and acquire and learn from reliable data.

Achieving the Global Goals will require a $5-$7 trillion total investment each year.

In 2016, only 6 countries met the goal to keep development assistance at or above .7% of the gross national income.