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Progress summary for SDG targets with a 2020 deadline


By the end of 2020, 21 of the 169 Sustainable Development Goal targets will have matured. This summary reviews progress made towards those targets at the global level based on available data as of June 2020. It takes stock of how far the world has come in meeting these commitments by mid-2020 and provides an assessment in stoplight colours. Of these 21 targets, 12 are linked to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity Aichi Biodiversity Targets. The biodiversity-linked SDG targets are grouped together on this page.

Biodiversity-linked SDG targets with a 2020 deadline 1 Progress Progress analysis
2.5 Maintain the genetic diversity of seeds, plants and animals for food and agriculture
Progress has been negligible in maintaining plant and animal genetic diversity for food and agriculture.The number of local livestock breeds (occurring in only one country) with sufficient material stored to allow them to be reconstituted in case of extinction increased to 101 in 2019 – a tiny proportion of the approximately 7,600 breeds reported globally. According to country reports, 73 per cent of assessed breeds are at risk of extinction. At the end of 2019, global holdings of plant genetic material conserved in gene banks totalled 5.4 million samples, a 1.3 per cent increase from 2018.
6.6 Protect and restore water-related ecosystems
In 2018, slightly more than 2.1 per cent of global land was covered by freshwater bodies. Water-related ecosystems captured by these data (lakes and large rivers) have maintained a consistent spatial area since the base line reference year 2000 (progress indicated in yellow). For other water-related ecosystems, including wetlands, groundwater and open water bodies, global-level data is not yet currently available (progress indicated in grey).
12.4 Responsibly manage chemicals and waste
Parties continue to meet their commitments as required by multilateral environmental agreements in the chemicals and waste cluster, in particular for the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions (progress indicated in yellow). However, between 2010 and 2019, global generation of e-waste – discarded electronic and electrical equipment – grew from 5.3 to 7.3 kilograms per capita, while the environmentally sound recycling of such waste increased at a much slower pace – from 0.8 to 1.3 kilograms per capita (progress indicated in red).
14.2 Protect and restore marine and coastal ecosystems
The global Ocean Health Index appears to have been static over the last eight years. Some regions have low scores on ocean health that are likely worsening.
14.4 Restore fish stocks to sustainable levels
The sustainability of global fishery resources continues to decline, although at a reduced rate, with the share of fish stocks within biologically sustainable levels at 65.8 per cent in 2017, down from 90 per cent in 1974, and 0.8 percentage points lower than 2015 levels.
14.5 Conserve at least 10 per cent of coastal and marine areas
As of December 2019, over 17 per cent (or 24 million square kilometres) of waters under national jurisdiction (0 to 200 nautical miles from shore) were covered by protected areas, more than double the area covered in 2010. The global mean percentage of each marine KBA covered by protected areas increased from 30.5 per cent in 2000 to 46.0 per cent in 2019, but the majority of these sites still have incomplete or no coverage by protected areas.
14.6 End subsidies that contribute to over-fishing and to illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing
As of February 2020, the number of parties to the Agreement on Port State Measures - the first binding international agreement that specifically targets illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing - increased to 66 (including the European Union) from 58 the previous year. Close to 70 per cent of countries reported high scores in implementing the Agreement
15.1 Conserve and restore terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems
In 2020, on average, 44 per cent of each terrestrial and 41 per cent of each freshwater and each mountain KBA were within protected areas, an increase of 12 to 13 percentage points since 2000. However, the majority of KBAs still have incomplete or no coverage by protected areas. Moreover, since 2010, the increase in coverage has slowed considerably compared with the previous decade.
15.2 Promote sustainable management of forests, halt deforestation and re-store degraded forests
The world's forest area continues to shrink, although at a slightly slower pace than in previous decades. From 2015 to 2020, the annual rate of deforestation was estimated at 10 million hectares (progress indicated in yellow). While forest loss remains high, 2020 data show the proportion of forests in protected areas and under long-term management plans, as well as certified forest area, increased or remained stable at the global level and in most regions of the world (progress indicated in green).
15.5 Protect and prevent the extinction of threatened species
Globally, species extinction risk has worsened by about 10 per cent over the last three decades, with the Red List Index declining from 0.82 in 1990 to 0.75 in 2015, and to 0.73 in 2020 (a value of 1 indicates no threat to extinction and a value of 0 indicates all species are extinct).
15.8 Prevent invasive alien species on land and water ecosystems
The overall rate of biological invasions shows no sign of slowing down, with growth in both the number of invasive species and their spread due to increased trade and transport (progress indicated in red). However, preliminary results of a survey carried out by the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Invasive Species Specialist Group show an increased commitment by national governments to prevent and manage the spread of such species (progress indicated in green).
15.9 Integrate ecosystem and biodiversity values in governmental planning and accounts
As of January 2020, 113 parties had assessed progress towards their national targets related to Aichi Biodiversity Target 2. About half of the parties made progress towards their targets, but not at a rate that will allow them to achieve their goals by the end of 2020. In 2017, 69 countries had programmes on the System of Environmental Economic Accounting, a 28 per cent increase since 2014.
1 The full description of the target can be found at https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/post2015/transformingourworld.

Other SDG targets with a     2020 deadline Progress Progress analysis
3.6 Halve the number of global deaths and injuries from road traffic accidents
The death rate due to road traffic injuries decreased slightly – from 18.7 per 100,000 population in 2010 to 18.2 in 2016 – but the number of road traffic deaths continued to rise, reaching 1.35 million in 2016. That year, road traffic injuries were the leading cause of death among children and young adults aged 5 to 29 years. Based on this trend, the world is unlikely to meet this target by the end of 2020.
4.b Expand the number of scholarships to developing countries, especially LDCs, small island developing States and African countries
Official development assistance for scholarships amounted to $1.6 billion in 2018, up from $1.3 billion in 2017. Australia, European Union institutions, France, Japan and Turkey accounted for nearly two thirds of this total. The largest recipient regions were Asia and Africa, and the largest beneficiary countries were the Philippines, Indonesia, Republic of Moldova and Viet Nam.
8.6 Reduce the proportion of youth not engaged in employment, education or training
In 2019, 22 per cent of the world's youth were not employed or engaged in education or training, a share that has changed little since 2005.
8.b Develop and operationalize a global strategy for youth employment
According to 2019 data from 102 countries, 98 per cent had a youth employment strategy or plan to develop one in the near future. Furthermore, almost one third of these countries have formulated and operationalized the global strategy for youth employment.
9.c Increase access to information and communications technology
Coverage by mobile networks is now nearly universal. In 2019, an estimated 96.5 per cent of the global population were covered by at least a 2G network, with 81.8 per cent covered by at least a Long-Term Evolution network.
11.b Implement policies for inclusion, resource efficiency, mitigation and adaption to climate change and promote holistic disaster risk management
As of April 2020, 85 countries – slightly over 40 per cent – reported that they had national disaster risk reduction strategies aligned, to some extent, to the Sendai Framework, with 6 of the countries reporting fully aligned national strategies. In 2018, 55 countries reported that at least some of their local governments had local disaster risk reduction strategies in line with national strategies.
13.a Jointly mobilize $100 billion annually for developing countries for climate change mitigation
The tracking of progress towards the $100-billion goal is still under negotiation within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change process. Biennial reports from the Convention provide additional information on flows from Convention funds, multilateral development banks, bilateral and other channels in climate finance-specific amounts, as well as amounts estimated to be privately mobilized.
17.11 Increase the exports of developing countries and double the share of LDC global exports
The share of LDC exports in global merchandise trade was just above 1 per cent in 2018. This is roughly the same level as 10 years ago, and far from the target of doubling this share by 2020. The share of devel-oping countries in global merchandise and services exports has flattened over the last few years.
17.18 Enhance capacity-building support to developing countries to increase the availability of timely, quality and dis-aggregated data
In 2019, 132 countries and territories reported having national statistical legislation that was compliant with the United Nations Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics, up from 111 in 2018. In addition, most countries reported that they were carrying out a national statistical plan (141 countries and territories in 2019, up from 129 in 2018). However, many also reported that they lacked sufficient funding for full implementation. Only 25 per cent of plans were fully funded in sub-Saharan Africa, compared to 95 per cent in Europe and Northern America.
Legend:
Target is achieved or on track to being achieved
Progress has been made, but is insufficient to meet the target
No progress or moving away from the target
No data or data are insufficient to assess progress

Note: Some targets cover multiple aspects of a development issue. Their assessments are therefore conducted separately and reflected in the bicoloured stoplight.