The 3 Key Challenges to Sustainable Development
Sustainable development has become a priority for countries and organisations worldwide, with the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) serving as a guiding framework. However, achieving these ambitious goals is not without challenges. In this article, we will explore the three main challenges to sustainable development, as outlined by Carol Newman, Professor in Economics at Trinity College, Dublin, and chair of the Trinity International Development Initiative (TIDI).¹ These challenges are instability, implementation, and governance.
Instability
The world is increasingly facing global instability, including financial crises, political turmoil, and climate change, which contribute to growing insecurity. Developing countries are particularly vulnerable to these issues, as they struggle with hunger, poverty, community stability, and limited access to education and healthcare.¹
Climate change is a significant challenge in achieving sustainable development, as it exacerbates existing issues and creates new threats to food security, water resources, and biodiversity.² The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has highlighted the urgency of addressing climate change in order to reduce its impacts on people and ecosystems.³
Implementation
Translating the SDGs into practical and relevant local-level programmes is another critical challenge.¹ The process of designing, financing, and delivering policies that align with the SDGs and meet the needs of specific communities is complex. Critics argue that focusing on broad goals and targets can detract from meaningful community work.¹
Measuring development outcomes is also a challenge, as it requires tracking progress across various aspects of human life, such as income, wealth, and individual development. The Human Development Index is one tool used to measure these outcomes, but determining how macro-level targets translate into real-world programmes and practices remains a topic of debate.¹
Governance
Good governance is essential for sustainable development, as it involves the effective management of a country’s economic and social resources.¹ The World Bank defines good governance as “the manner in which power is exercised in the management of a country’s economic and social resources for development”.⁴ Two key aspects of governance include fostering relationships between the development sector, nation-states, and civil society and facilitating coordination among nation-states to address global concerns.¹
For instance, achieving SDG 13 (climate action) requires cooperation and coordination among countries.¹ This highlights the importance of SDG 17 (partnership for the goals), which calls for a global partnership involving governments, civil society, the private sector, the United Nations system, and other actors to mobilise resources and work together.¹
Addressing these challenges is crucial for achieving sustainable development and reaching the SDGs by 2030. By recognising and actively working to overcome instability, implementation, and governance issues, countries and organisations can make progress towards a more sustainable and equitable world.
Endnotes
These references were last accessed on 15 March 2023.
¹ Newman, C. (2022, 25 October). Key challenges to sustainable development. Future Learn. https://www.futurelearn.com/info/courses/achieving-sustainable-development/0/steps/35495
² United Nations. (2022, 10 November). Goal 13: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts. https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/climate-change
³ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). (2018). Global Warming of 1.5°C. https://www.ipcc.ch/sr15
⁴ The World Bank. (n.d.). Governance. https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/governance
