Over 60 percent of UN development targets have been met, report says

China is on track to achieve the targets set in the United Nations' 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, with breakthroughs in many key areas showing a positive impact on global progress, according to a report released on Saturday.

Over the past decade, China has attained dynamic monitoring of more than 90 percent of the Sustainable Development Goal indicators, with 60.5 percent of them close to or already achieved as of 2024, thereby forming a synergistic model of technology, policy and governance, the report said.

"China's advancement of SDG indicators can be attributed to the direct or indirect influence of a series of measures and initiatives implemented by the government, such as the poverty alleviation battle, the 'lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets' ecological concept, and the high-quality development strategy," said Guo Huadong, head of the International Research Center of Big Data for Sustainable Development Goals at the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

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Guo, who is also the leading author of the report and an academician with the Chinese Academy of Sciences, emphasized China's leadership on the global stage in developing renewable energy and public transport.

The report showed that China has the largest number of installed wind turbines, accounting for 39 percent of the global total. In 2024, the country's new wind turbine capacity made up nearly 70 percent of global additions, indicating steady growth. Additionally, between 2015 and 2024, more than 90 percent of urban residents had convenient access to public transport, and all provincial governments had adopted disaster reduction strategies — both sectors having already met the 2030 targets ahead of schedule.

Guo also highlighted the positive influence of China's breakthroughs in key areas on the advancement of global sustainable development goals.

He said Africa has become a new engine driving the global rice expansion, with over half of the countries worldwide that expanded their rice cultivation areas being in Africa. The continent achieved a 15.7 percent increase from 2015 to 2024, contributing an additional 2.2 million hectares, or more than 20 percent of the global net increase.

"China's technological innovation and development assistance are driving the growth of food production in Africa, accelerating the achievement of the global zero hunger target," Guo said.

He added that China's advancements in technological innovation and large-scale production have significantly reduced the costs of photovoltaic systems. As a result, the investment payback period for photovoltaic power generation is now comparable to or even shorter than that of traditional thermal power or hydropower in three quarters of the areas globally. This demonstrates the economic viability of developing photovoltaic power in these regions.

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However, under the combined pressures of intensifying climate change, rising geopolitical tensions, frequent economic shocks and increasing development vulnerability, the report also cautioned that the scale and pace of advancing the 2030 Agenda have fallen far short of expectations. Of the 59 indicators assessed, only 10 are on track, 27 have slowed, five have stalled and 17 have regressed.

Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, former president of Mauritius, said: "As we celebrate the decade of the SDGs, the report presents some fascinating findings showcasing yet again the need for accurate and credible data in order to assess progress on the SDGs and also to make recommendations where there are gaps. The efforts of CBAS are to be commended."

The report, titled "Big Earth Data in Support of the Sustainable Development Goals," was led by the International Research Center of Big Data for Sustainable Development Goals and jointly authored by more than 160 experts from over 40 research institutes. It aims to provide a comprehensive evaluation a decade after the adoption of the 2030 Agenda and offers public data products to support its implementation in all countries, especially developing ones.

Gu Tong contributed to this story.

Contact the writer at limenghan@chinadaily.com.cn