In accordance with the “Sustainable Development Report 2020- The Sustainable Development Goals and Covid-19”, comprising of SDG index 2020, there will be severe negative impacts on most of the United Nations (UN)-mandated Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) due to COVID-19 pandemic. India, which has ranked at 117th position with a score of 61.92 is also facing major challenges in 10 of the 17 SDGs including zero hunger, good health, gender inequality among others. The index has been topped by Sweden.
- The report contains data on changes over time in 17 SDG indicators, the future of the SDGs amidst Covid-19, as well as calculations for trajectories until 2030.
- The 2020 report has reviewed the performance of 193 UN Member States out of which 166 were ranked under SDG index 2020. Following table shows top 3 countries under it:
| Rank | Country | Score (out of 100) |
|---|---|---|
| 117 | India | 61.92 |
| 1 | Sweden | 84.72 |
| 2 | Denmark | 84.56 |
| 3 | Finland | 83.77 |
As per 2020 report COVID-19 had negatively affected several SDGs including:
- SDG 1 (no poverty)
- SDG 2 (zero hunger)
- SDG 3 (good health and wellbeing)
- SDG 8 (decent work and economic growth)
- SDG 10 (reduced inequalities)
Meanwhile, the pandemic had brought “immediate relief” in following SDGs:
- SDG 12 (responsible consumption and production)
- SDG 13 (climate action)
- SDG 14 (life below water)
- SDG 15 (life on land)
The report identifies five key measures that global cooperation should include:
- Disseminate best practices rapidly.
- Strengthen financing mechanisms for developing countries.
- Address hunger hotspots.
- Ensure social protection.
- Promote new drugs and vaccines.
SDG Annual Report:
Since its launch in 2016, this annual report provides the most up-to-date data to track and review the performance of all 193 UN member states on the 17 SDGs.
SDG Report 2020:
It was written by lead author Jeffrey Sachs and a team of independent experts working at the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) and Bertelsmann Stiftung (foundation in Germany), and published by Cambridge University Press. The report outlines the likely short-term impacts of Covid-19 on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and describes how the SDGs can frame the recovery. The report also tracks progress by countries towards the SDGs.
