The urgency of unity: A call for collective action to achieve the SDGs by 2030

The urgency of unity: A call for collective action to achieve the SDGs by 2030 | Photo: Rahul Saraf

A defining moment for humanity

As we stand in 2025, the world is at a crossroads. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), adopted a decade ago, were envisioned as a universal blueprint to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure prosperity for all by 2030. These 17 interconnected goals address pressing challenges, hunger, inequality, climate change, and more, offering a shared vision for a better future. Yet, with only five years remaining, progress is faltering. The 2023 UN SDG Report revealed that only 12% of the SDG targets are on track, with nearly half showing minimal or no progress. Conflicts, economic disparities, and environmental crises threaten to unravel decades of gains.

The SDGs are not just policy objectives; they are a moral compact, a promise to future generations that we can build a world where no one is left behind. But this promise is at risk. Social fragmentation, misinformation, and apathy are eroding our ability to act collectively. The urgency of this moment demands unity across all sectors, citizens, institutions, businesses, and governments, to overcome these barriers and deliver on the SDGs. As UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned, “Our world needs collective action now more than ever. The SDGs are our shared roadmap, but they require all hands on deck.”

The barriers to progress: Fragmentation, misinformation, and apathy

The path to 2030 is obstructed by forces that divide rather than unite. Social fragmentation, whether driven by political polarization, cultural divides, or economic inequality, has fractured societies. In many nations, trust in institutions is at historic lows. A 2024 global survey by Edelman found that 63% of people believe their governments are less trustworthy than a decade ago. This distrust fuels division, making it harder to rally communities around common goals like reducing poverty or combating climate change. When citizens view each other as adversaries rather than partners, collective action becomes nearly impossible.

Misinformation compounds this challenge. The spread of false narratives, about climate science, public health, or economic policies, undermines informed decision-making. For instance, skepticism about climate change, often amplified by vested interests, has delayed critical environmental policies. The World Health Organization has noted that misinformation during the COVID-19 pandemic cost lives by eroding trust in vaccines. In the context of the SDGs, misinformation distorts priorities, diverting attention from evidence-based solutions. When communities are misled about the causes of poverty or environmental degradation, they are less likely to support systemic change.

Apathy, too, is a silent killer of progress. In an era of information overload, many feel overwhelmed by the scale of global challenges. Why act when problems like hunger or biodiversity loss seem distant or intractable? This sense of disconnection is particularly acute among younger generations, who, despite their passion for justice, often feel powerless against entrenched systems. Apathy breeds inaction, and inaction widens the gap between where we are and where we need to be by 2030. As Greta Thunberg once said, “You are never too small to make a difference.” Yet too many remain on the sidelines, unsure of their role in the larger fight.

These barriers, fragmentation, misinformation, and apathy, are not insurmountable. They are human-made and can be overcome through human will. But this requires a deliberate shift toward unity, where every sector of society plays its part.

The power of cooperation: Lessons from success

Despite the challenges, there are shining examples of what collective action can achieve when society unites. These successes offer hope and a blueprint for scaling up efforts toward the SDGs.

In Rwanda, a nation once torn apart by genocide, community-led initiatives have transformed access to education (SDG 4). The government, working with local organizations and international partners, has prioritized universal primary education, achieving a 98% enrollment rate by 2023. This was no top-down mandate; it involved parents, teachers, and local leaders collaborating to rebuild schools, train educators, and ensure girls have equal access. Rwanda’s success shows that when communities and governments align around a shared goal, progress is exponential.

On the environmental front, Costa Rica’s reforestation efforts demonstrate the impact of cross-sector collaboration (SDG 13). In the 1980s, deforestation had reduced the country’s forest cover to 26%. Through partnerships between government, businesses, and indigenous communities, Costa Rica implemented payment-for-ecosystem-services programs, incentivizing landowners to preserve forests. By 2025, forest cover exceeds 50%, and the country is on track to be carbon-neutral by 2050. This model of cooperation, blending policy, private investment, and local knowledge, offers a replicable strategy for climate action globally.

Access to clean water (SDG 6) provides another compelling case. In Bangladesh, NGOs like BRAC have worked with communities and government agencies to install over 500,000 deep tube wells, providing safe drinking water to millions in arsenic-affected areas. This initiative succeeded because it empowered local women to maintain the wells, ensuring sustainability. By fostering trust and shared responsibility, Bangladesh turned a public health crisis into a story of resilience.

In India, the Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) has advanced gender equality and decent work (SDG 5 and SDG 8) by organizing over 2 million women in the informal sector. SEWA’s model combines grassroots advocacy with partnerships with government and businesses to provide microfinance, skills training, and social security. This has empowered women to gain economic independence, lifting families out of poverty and challenging patriarchal norms. SEWA’s success underscores the power of collective organizing and cross-sector collaboration to drive systemic change.

In Denmark, public-private partnerships have accelerated the transition to renewable energy (SDG 7). The country’s wind energy sector, which now accounts for over 50% of its electricity, is a result of collaboration between government policies, private investment, and community support. Local cooperatives own nearly half of Denmark’s wind turbines, ensuring that citizens directly benefit from the shift to clean energy. This model of inclusive innovation shows how aligning economic incentives with environmental goals can create sustainable progress.

These examples, spanning education, climate action, water access, gender equality, and clean energy, illustrate a common thread: progress accelerates when citizens, institutions, businesses, and governments work together. No single sector can solve these challenges alone. Businesses bring innovation and resources, governments provide policy frameworks, citizens drive grassroots momentum, and institutions ensure accountability. Unity is not just a feel-good ideal; it is a practical necessity.

A call to shared responsibility

With 2030 looming, the time for half-measures is over. The SDGs are a shared responsibility, and their success hinges on our ability to act as a global community. This requires commitment at every level, from the individual casting a vote or reducing their carbon footprint to the corporation rethinking its supply chain or the government enacting bold policies. No one is exempt from this responsibility, and no one is too small to contribute.

At the local level, civic engagement is the foundation of change. Community-led initiatives, like those in Rwanda, Bangladesh, India, and Denmark, show that ordinary people can drive extraordinary outcomes. Citizens must hold leaders accountable, demand transparency, and participate in solutions, whether through volunteering, advocacy, or sustainable choices. Businesses, too, have a critical role. By aligning their practices with the SDGs, through fair wages, green technologies, or inclusive hiring, they can turn profit into purpose.

Governments must lead by example, enacting policies that prioritize long-term sustainability over short-term gains. And institutions, from universities to NGOs, must bridge divides, fostering dialogue and countering misinformation with facts.

This collective effort is not just about meeting targets; it is about leaving a legacy for future generations. The choices we make today will shape the world our children inherit, whether it is one of opportunity and resilience or one of scarcity and division. The SDGs are a reminder that our fates are intertwined. A farmer in sub-Saharan Africa, a factory worker in Asia, a student in Europe, all are part of the same ecosystem. As the African proverb says, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”

Our shared legacy

The clock is ticking. The SDGs are not a distant dream but an urgent mandate. We cannot afford to let division, misinformation, or apathy derail our collective future. The successes in Rwanda, Costa Rica, Bangladesh, India, and Denmark prove that unity is our greatest asset. By working together, across borders, sectors, and generations, we can turn the tide on poverty, inequality, and climate change.

This is a call to action for every reader. Reflect on your role in this global mission. Act with purpose, whether by supporting local initiatives, challenging misinformation, or advocating for systemic change. The SDGs are not the responsibility of a single nation or sector; they are a shared promise to build a world that works for everyone. Let us commit, today, to forging that world together, for ourselves, for our communities, and for the generations yet to come.