Setting the 2045 Agenda for the Sustainable Development Goals

As the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) deadline approaches, global progress remains uneven, with key targets on poverty reduction, climate action, and equality lagging behind. Setting a forward-looking 2045 Agenda is both timely and essential, allowing the international community to recalibrate priorities, integrate lessons learned, and address emerging challenges such as digital equity and global health resilience. This topic is polarized, with some nations advocating for ambitious, transformative goals and binding commitments, while others emphasize sovereignty, developmental disparities, and the importance of incremental progress. Establishing the 2045 Agenda will require balancing universal aspirations with regional contexts and fostering accountability mechanisms that ensure no nation is left behind.

Key questions for debate include: How can the new agenda better integrate climate action with social justice? Should it introduce stricter enforcement of commitments or emphasize national flexibility? Past experiences, such as the delayed adoption of the Paris Agreement targets, underscore the challenges of securing consensus on bold, collective actions. Current crises—such as the ongoing energy transition struggles and inequities highlighted by COVID-19—showcase the need for stronger global frameworks. A successful 2045 Agenda must address these tensions, fostering collaboration to achieve a sustainable and equitable future.