Sustainable Development Goals

End poverty in all its forms everywhere

What do we aim to achieve with SDG1?

• By 2030, no one in the world should have to live in extreme poverty – that is, on less than the equivalent of US$2.15 a day.
• The number of people living in poverty, as measured by national definitions, is to be at least halved.
• Everyone should be covered by social security benefits.
• Everyone should have equal rights and opportunities when it comes to accessing essential services, wealth and natural resources.
• The aim is to strengthen the resilience of people living in poverty to climate-related extreme events and economic, social and environmental shocks.

Facts and figures

Where do we stand?

For more than 20 years, the number of people living in poverty worldwide has fallen steadily. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, extreme poverty rose again for the first time, and progress in the fight against poverty was partially undone. Rising inflation and Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine have exacerbated the situation.

Since then, the recovery has been uneven: whilst extreme poverty has fallen back to pre-pandemic levels in most countries, low-income countries have not yet recovered from the shock. According to estimates, around 23 million more people were living in extreme poverty in 2022 than in 2019. Furthermore, the pandemic has further exacerbated global income inequality. Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia are particularly affected, as are the Middle East and North Africa.

Climate change also prevents many countries from successfully and sustainably reducing poverty. Natural disasters hamper economic and social development and push millions of households into poverty. The least developed countries are particularly hard hit: their disaster-related losses are six times higher than the global average.

Women, children, people with disabilities, LGBTIQ+⁠(view the glossary entry for this term) individuals and other disadvantaged groups are particularly hard hit by poverty.

Unless efforts to tackle poverty are significantly stepped up, fewer than a third of countries are likely to succeed in halving their national poverty rate by 2030.

What do we need to do?

Through the “Leave No One Behind” principle of the 2030 Agenda, the international community is committed to paying particular attention to people affected by poverty. Economic growth must be inclusive so that everyone benefits from it. At the same time, targeted measures are needed to reduce inequality and discrimination and to strengthen climate resilience⁠(view the glossary entry for this term).

Key priorities include the expansion of social security systems, progressive taxation and improved access to basic services. Ensuring human rights, such as the right to education, healthcare, food, land and sanitation, is of particular importance.

Good governance is also important, as is greater participation by people living in poverty in political decision-making and in social, economic and cultural life.

In many countries, inclusive growth requires improved rural development. A further prerequisite is equal access to economic resources, markets, technologies and financial services.

Germany’s commitment to SDG 1

To successfully eradicate poverty in all its forms, a holistic approach is needed.

In the context of bilateral cooperation, the BMZ has allocated around 2.5 billion euros annually since 2016 to projects aimed at reducing poverty, for example in the fields of education, health, social protection, government and civil society, agriculture and transition assistance.

To support regions affected by poverty, the BMZ focuses its efforts there in particular. Initiatives such as the BMZ’s Special Initiative on the Transformation of Agricultural and Food Systems and the Special Initiative on Refugees and Host Countries therefore concentrate on regions with high levels of poverty.

Source: https://www.bmz.de/de/agenda-2030/sdg-1

End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture

What do we aim to achieve with SDG2?

• Everyone should always have enough food.
• Everyone should be able to eat a healthy and balanced diet.
• Everyone should be covered by social security benefits.
• The aim is to increase agricultural productivity and boost the incomes of smallholder farmers.
• Food production needs to become more sustainable.
• The genetic diversity of cultivated plants, farm animals and domesticated animals, and their wild relatives should be preserved.
  

Facts and figures

Where do we stand?

With just a few years remaining before the 2030 Agenda expires, the international community has not come any closer to achieving the goal of ending hunger, food insecurity and all forms of malnutrition. In fact, hunger and food insecurity increased sharply from 2020 onwards in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic – supply chains were disrupted, sources of income were lost and many farmers were no longer able to produce enough food. Among children in particular, all forms of malnutrition have worsened as a result of the pandemic.

Since then, the figures have remained almost as high as ever: one in eleven people worldwide suffer from hunger, and almost one in three people are affected by food insecurity. Most of those suffering from hunger (384 million) live in Asia. Africa accounts for the largest proportion of the population – there, around one in five people suffer from hunger. Forecasts indicate that by 2030, more than 580 million people will still be chronically undernourished, with more than half of them in Africa.

Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, significant disruptions to logistics and food supply chains led to higher prices for food, energy and fertilisers. These record prices have eroded purchasing power and reduced access to food, thereby having a negative impact on food security. One positive development was an increase in public spending on agriculture.

According to the United Nations SDG Progress Report, the world is still “some way off” achieving productive and sustainable agriculture. Whilst Europe and North America are on the right track, the least developed countries do not yet meet many of the criteria established by experts.

In addition to conflicts and economic crises, climate change also has a negative impact on food security. Increasingly frequent extreme weather events (droughts, floods, cyclones) repeatedly destroy entire harvests and livestock – and with them the livelihoods of smallholder farmers.

What do we need to do?

Studies show that it is possible to feed everyone – even today. The natural resources and the knowledge required to do so are already available.

More investment is needed – in education, in sustainable agriculture, in infrastructure and in local value creation.

The United Nations has set out three measures for implementing SDG 2:

Limiting extreme fluctuations in food prices

Increase investment in rural infrastructure and agricultural research

Address trade restrictions and distortions in global agricultural markets and abolish all agricultural export subsidies with a similar effect

Germany’s commitment to SDG 2

The sustainable transformation of agricultural and food systems is one of the four key priorities of German development policy. In recent years, the BMZ has invested around two billion euros annually in global food security and rural development; in 2022, this figure rose to around 3.5 billion euros.

Germany responded promptly to the looming food crisis resulting from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine: as early as March 2022, an additional 430 million euros was pledged to provide effective support to the countries hardest hit.

Under the German presidency, the G7 countries announced further financial aid in June 2022. Together, they will provide an additional 4.5 billion dollars to support, among other things, the Alliance for Global Food Security. At the summit, Germany pledged a contribution of 450 million euros. In November 2022, the Bundestag approved a further 495 million euros for relevant measures by the BMZ. This means that the Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development invested just under 1.4 billion euros extra in global food security in 2022.

A key instrument of Germany’s development policy engagement is the BMZ Special Initiative ‘Transformation of Agricultural and Food Systems’. It operates in partner countries that are particularly affected by hunger and malnutrition and comprises around 300 projects. The initiative focuses on supporting smallholder farming in Africa.

Source: https://www.bmz.de/de/agenda-2030/sdg-2

Ensure a healthy life for people of all ages and promote their well-being

What do we aim to achieve with SDG 3?

• The aim is to reduce maternal and child mortality.
• Everyone should be protected against communicable diseases (such as AIDS or tuberculosis) and non-communicable diseases (such as cancer or diabetes).
• Everyone should have access to essential healthcare services without facing financial hardship. This includes sexual and reproductive health services, medicines and vaccines.
• All girls and women should have the right to self-determination in family planning. Their access to contraception must be guaranteed.
• The aim is to reduce the risk of national and international health crises.

Facts and figures

Where do we stand?

The world is at risk of failing to meet SDG 3. Whilst significant progress has been made in global healthcare, the COVID-19 pandemic has severely hampered progress towards the targets, and other ongoing crises are exacerbating existing inequalities in healthcare.

More than half of the world’s population still lacks access to basic healthcare services. The maternal mortality rate remains more than three times the 2030 target. Although child mortality was lower than ever in 2022, progress has slowed. Unless care is improved rapidly, 35 million children will not live to see their fifth birthday by 2030.

Another challenge is the shortage of skilled workers: an ageing healthcare workforce must meet the growing needs of an ageing population.

The coronavirus pandemic has also made it clear that the resilience of public health systems must be significantly strengthened in order to prevent future pandemics or to be able to respond to them appropriately.

What do we need to do?

To safeguard the health and well-being of all people and achieve the goals set out in SDG 3, the United Nations recommends the following measures:

• Align national health policy with the needs of all sections of society; ensure affordable healthcare for all
• Maintaining and expanding access to essential services, including in the area of sexual and reproductive health
• Increased public funding for healthcare and health-related issues, as well as close global and regional cooperation
• Strengthen disease prevention systems and promote equitable access to vaccines
• Reduction of environmental and air pollution
• Embedding the One Health approach: prevention and interdisciplinary collaboration, particularly between human and veterinary medicine and environmental sciences

Germany’s commitment to SDG 3

Annual funding for the health sector has been steadily increased in recent years. With over one billion euros, Germany is one of the largest international donors.

The BMZ focuses on the following priority areas:

• Supporting low-income countries in developing and financing equitable and resilient health systems to ensure equal access to (basic) health services
• Establishing local vaccine and pharmaceutical production and logistics
• Improving pandemic preparedness and resilience
• Embedding the One Health approach
• Promoting sexual and reproductive health and rights

The BMZ supports its partner countries through bilateral cooperation, with a geographical focus on sub-Saharan Africa. At the multilateral level, its partners include the Gavi Vaccine Alliance, the Pandemic Fund and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM). Internationally, the German Government is also committed to strengthening the World Health Organisation (WHO) both politically and financially.

Source: https://www.bmz.de/de/agenda-2030/sdg-3

Ensure inclusive, equitable and high-quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all

What do we aim to achieve with SDG 4?

• Equal access to education for all
• Access to early childhood education that prepares children for primary school
• All girls and boys should complete free, equitable and high-quality primary and secondary education.
• Access to high-quality vocational and higher education
• More young people and adults should have the technical skills that enable them to find employment, secure decent work and become entrepreneurs.
• All young people and a large proportion of adults should acquire literacy and numeracy skills.
• All learners should acquire the skills needed to promote sustainable development.

Facts and figures

Where do we stand?

Progress towards achieving SDG 4 has been slow since 2015. Currently, half of all countries are seeing stagnant or even declining trends.

It is true that completion rates have improved across all levels of education in recent years. And in many regions of the world, a higher proportion of girls than boys now complete primary and secondary school (exceptions: Central and South Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa). However, even before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, progress towards SDG 4 had slowed significantly.

Recent analyses show a significant decline in maths and reading skills across numerous countries, suggesting that, in addition to the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, other factors such as crises and conflicts are having a negative impact on global education. Many countries also lack well-trained teachers and adequate educational infrastructure. Whilst digital technologies have expanded educational opportunities, they have also exacerbated inequalities. In particular, low-income and socially disadvantaged groups continue to have only limited access to education.

The United Nations’ 2024 SDG Progress Report also points out that significant gaps in data on learning outcomes make it considerably more difficult to assess global and regional trends. The report also identifies clear shortcomings in the areas of sustainability and climate change, which are reportedly not adequately addressed in teaching and teacher training.

What do we need to do?

Education is a human right and the key to sustainable development: a well-educated population is the foundation for combating poverty and inequality, as well as for sustainable economic growth and social development. Education has a positive impact on health, empowers women and enables social and economic participation.

Consequently, faster progress on SDG 4 could accelerate the achievement of the 2030 Agenda as a whole. To this end, countries would need to allocate more funding to education, teacher training and inclusive, accessible schools. They would also need to make greater use of modern technologies to bridge the digital divide.

The United Nations has set out three measures for implementing SDG 4:

• Building a school infrastructure that provides safe, non-violent, inclusive and effective learning environments
• Expand the range of scholarships available for higher education, vocational training and programmes in information and communication technology, technology, engineering and the natural sciences
• Increasing the supply of qualified teachers through teacher development

Germany’s commitment to SDG 4

The Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) supports free, high-quality and inclusive educational programmes across the entire education spectrum – from early childhood education through primary and secondary education, vocational training and further education, and practice-oriented higher education, right through to adult education. It supports formal education in state institutions as well as out-of-school educational programmes and informal lifelong learning in everyday life.

The BMZ supports basic education primarily through multilateral channels via the Global Partnership for Education fund. This fund promotes the development of strong and resilient education systems in countries affected by extreme poverty or conflict. The BMZ has also championed the establishment of a special funding mechanism for girls’ education (Girls’ Education Accelerator).

A particular priority for the BMZ is ensuring that children have access to education even in conflict zones, during protracted crises and whilst displaced. The BMZ is the largest donor to the Education Cannot Wait fund, which operates at the intersection of humanitarian aid, development cooperation and peacebuilding.

Vocational training is a key component of German development cooperation. Bilateral and regional projects support the establishment and expansion of practice- and labour market-oriented vocational training in almost all partner countries. Through programmes run by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, universities and researchers from partner countries develop solutions to global challenges for the future.

Source: https://www.bmz.de/de/agenda-2030/sdg-4

Achieving gender equality and self-determination for all women and girls

What do we aim to achieve with SDG 5?

• By 2030, all forms of discrimination against women and girls everywhere in the world should be eliminated.
• All forms of violence against and exploitation of women and girls must be eliminated.
• Child marriage, early and forced marriage, and female genital mutilation must be eradicated.
• Unpaid care work and housework should be recognised.
• Women should be able to participate on an equal footing in political, economic and public life.
• Women and girls should have unhindered access to sexual and reproductive health and the associated rights.
• Women and girls should be granted equal rights to and access to land, property and financial services.
• The use of information and communication technologies should be encouraged in order to support women in exercising their autonomy.
• Policies and legislation should be adopted to promote gender equality.

Facts and figures

Where do we stand?

The international community is still a long way from achieving gender equality by 2030. Women’s equal participation in public life has still not been realised. They remain significantly under-represented in leadership and decision-making positions. In contrast, they perform a significantly larger share of unpaid domestic, care and support work – spending two and a half times as much time on it each day as men.

Too many girls and women are unable to exercise their right to self-determination over their sexual and reproductive health. Harmful practices such as female genital mutilation and child marriage are declining, but not as quickly as the population is growing. Violence against women persists; women with disabilities are disproportionately affected.

SDG 5 is also one of the Sustainable Development Goals for which data is particularly scarce: for the 2024 Progress Report, reliable comparative data covering the period since 2015 was available for only around 20 per cent of countries. For four of the nine targets, progress could not be presented due to a lack of data.

It will take strong and sustained political will, comprehensive reforms and significantly greater investment at national, regional and global levels to eliminate discriminatory social norms and legislation and achieve SDG 5.

What do we need to do?

Gender equality and sustainable development go hand in hand. That is why we are committed to working with women and girls, in all their diversity, to achieve the following:

• Economic empowerment, as well as access to and ownership of productive resources such as land
• A life free from social, physical, psychological and structural violence
• Access to family planning and education, enabling people to lead self-determined lives
• Protection in armed conflicts and active involvement in peace processes
• Reducing the digital gender gap
• Equal participation in decision-making processes at all levels relating to climate change

Germany’s commitment to SDG 5

Under various international agreements, Germany has committed itself to promoting gender equality and ensuring that the rights of women and girls, in all their diversity, are upheld.

Since 2023, the BMZ has had a strategy for feminist development policy. The aim is to guarantee women the same rights and access to resources as men, and to work towards ensuring that women are equally represented in political and economic decision-making processes. By 2025, over 90 per cent of the Development Ministry’s newly committed project funding is to be channelled into initiatives that promote gender equality.

Source: https://www.bmz.de/de/agenda-2030/sdg-5

Ensure access to water and sanitation for all and promote their sustainable management

What do we aim to achieve with SDG 6?

• Everyone should have access to clean and affordable drinking water.
• Everyone should have access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene.
• The aim is to improve water quality worldwide through treatment and safe reuse.
• Water use efficiency is to be significantly improved across all sectors.
• Integrated water resource management should be implemented at all levels.
• Water-based ecosystems should be protected and restored.

Facts and figures

Where do we stand?

It is true that the proportion of the population with access to safely managed drinking water and sanitation has risen in recent years. However, the pace of progress is still insufficient. If the current trend continues, by 2030 two billion people will still lack secure access to clean drinking water, three billion people will be living without adequate sanitation, and 1.4 billion people will lack basic hygiene facilities (including, for example, the ability to wash their hands with soap).

In 2022, around half of the world’s population suffered from severe water scarcity for at least part of the year, and a quarter from ‘extremely high’ water stress. The regions most affected are North Africa, as well as West, South and Central Asia. Climate change is exacerbating these problems and, according to the United Nations, poses a significant risk to social stability in these regions.

The United Nations describes the lack of early warning systems for floods and droughts, as well as the absence of joint strategies for disaster risk reduction and adaptation to climate change in relation to transboundary water bodies, as alarming.

One of the challenges facing SDG 6 is the lack of reliable data. There are significant gaps in the monitoring of industrial wastewater and in reporting on its treatment. According to 2023 data from 120 countries, only around half of the approximately 91,000 water bodies surveyed were of good quality.

What do we need to do?

One of the key challenges of the 21st century is to ensure a sustainable water supply and to provide a growing global population with as much clean water as it needs for its basic needs and for its social and economic development.

If the international community is to achieve SDG 6, it would need to increase the rate of progress sixfold in terms of drinking water supply, fivefold in terms of sanitation, and threefold in terms of basic hygiene facilities.

To tackle climate change, water scarcity and other crises, a comprehensive, cross-sectoral and cross-border approach to the sustainable and efficient management of water resources is required. Countries that systematically take their water resources into account in climate planning and financing are more resilient to the impacts of climate change.

Cooperation between countries that share transboundary waters must also be significantly strengthened. Sub-Saharan African states have made remarkable progress in this regard: 16 countries in the region have concluded agreements that now cover 90 per cent of transboundary river basins.

Germany’s commitment to SDG 6

The aim of the BMZ’s work is to improve access to safe and affordable drinking water and sanitation in partner countries and to help ensure that water resources are managed sustainably.

The water sector makes use of the full range of instruments available under German development cooperation. This includes bilateral technical and financial cooperation programmes, as well as special initiatives, transitional assistance measures and cooperation with multilateral organisations, private sector entities and non-governmental organisations.

In order to enhance the effectiveness of German development cooperation in the water sector, the BMZ is focusing specifically on cross-cutting links and interfaces with other issues. This applies in particular to the SDGs relating to the following topics:

• Education, health and food security
• Agriculture and Energy
• Sustainable economic development, employment promotion and vocational training
• Environment and climate change
• Good governance and urban development, as well as displacement and migration

Source: https://www.bmz.de/de/agenda-2030/sdg-6

Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all

What do we aim to achieve with SDG 7?

• Everyone should have access to affordable, reliable and modern energy.
• The share of renewable energy in the global energy mix is set to increase significantly.
• The global rate of improvement in energy efficiency is to be doubled.
• International cooperation should be strengthened to facilitate access to research and technology in the fields of renewable energy, energy efficiency and advanced and clean technologies for fossil fuels, and to promote investment in clean energy.
• The infrastructure is to be expanded and modernised in order to provide modern and sustainable energy services for all in developing countries.

Facts and figures

Where do we stand?

Although the energy supply situation has improved in many parts of the world, the total number of people without access to electricity actually rose in 2022 for the first time in ten years, due to population growth. The COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine had a negative impact on global energy markets, leading to a sharp rise in prices, particularly for natural gas.

Without faster progress, around 660 million people will still lack access to electricity by 2030. Some 1.8 billion people will continue to rely on technologies and fuels that are harmful to the environment and health, such as wood, charcoal, dung and crop residues, for cooking. This particularly affects women and children, who in many countries are responsible for collecting fuel and cooking. Most households without electricity and without access to clean cooking facilities are located in rural areas of sub-Saharan Africa.

At the same time, far fewer renewable energy power generation facilities are being installed in developing countries than in industrialised nations. International support for the expansion of renewable energy in developing countries amounted to US$15.4 billion in 2022. Whilst this represents a significant increase compared to 2021, it is still well below the peak of US$28.5 billion reached in 2016.

Globally, the electricity sector has taken a leading role in the transition to wind and solar energy. In contrast, the shift towards renewable energy in heating and transport – which account for four-fifths of total energy consumption – continues to be slow.

What do we need to do?

In order to achieve universal access to clean energy by 2030, effective policy measures and a favourable regulatory framework are needed to:

• to speed up the expansion of electricity grids and storage facilities
• to improve energy efficiency, for example through energy-saving systems and processes
• to significantly increase investment in renewable energy and energy efficiency
• to promote innovative solutions, such as the use of ‘green’ hydrogen

Countries such as China and India, which already have high energy consumption and are set to see it rise further in the future, must be included in the structural transformation.

Digitalisation offers great potential in this regard: information and communication technologies are driving change in the energy sector, both in grid-connected and decentralised supply. Innovative technologies and business models (such as blockchain, virtual power plants, smart grids, electric mobility, battery storage and power-to-X), as well as consumption- and time-based electricity tariffs, must be promoted and expanded worldwide.

Germany’s commitment to SDG 7

By the end of 2023, the Energising Development (EnDev) energy partnership had provided access to electricity or modern cooking energy for 31.6 million people, nearly 103,000 small and medium-sized enterprises, and just under 34,000 social institutions such as schools and health centres worldwide.

Global Energy Transition (GET.pro) supports the energy transition in Africa and creates an attractive investment climate for renewables. This will mobilise billions in investment and provide up to 20 million people with access to sustainable energy.

Source: https://www.bmz.de/de/agenda-2030/sdg-7

Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all

What do we aim to achieve with SDG 8?

• The economy in less developed countries is expected to grow by at least seven per cent annually.
• To achieve a higher level of economic productivity and greater participation of women in the economy.
• Improved access to financial services tailored to the needs of small and medium-sized enterprises, particularly those run by women.
• Strengthen domestic financial institutions and expand access to banking and insurance services.
• Decouple economic output and prosperity from resource consumption.
• Achieve decent work and full employment for all.
• The abolition of forced labour and human trafficking.
• End child labour by 2025.
• Promotion of sustainable tourism.

Facts and figures

Where do we stand?

Achieving SDG 8 presents the international community with major challenges. The ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, rising living costs, tensions in the global trading system and the growing debt burden of developing countries could significantly hamper economic growth.

Although the economies of the least developed countries have largely recovered from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, the 3.4 per cent growth recorded in 2023 was still well below the target of seven per cent.

Global unemployment reached a historic low of five per cent in 2023. However, women and young people continue to lag significantly behind. At 13 per cent, global youth unemployment was more than three times higher than that of adults (3.7 per cent).

The goal of decent work for all is also still a long way off. Many countries restricted the formation of trade unions and the right to collective bargaining. Informal employment has hardly declined: in 2023, 58 per cent of the global workforce was engaged in informal employment without social protection – virtually the same figure as in 2015. In the least developed countries, the figure stood at around 89 per cent, and for women it was even higher than 90 per cent.

What do we need to do?

• Promoting private enterprise and innovation, improving the business climate
• Mobilise private and public investment in the ‘green’ economy to accelerate socio-ecological structural change
• Ensuring access to financial services for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, with a particular focus on female entrepreneurs
• Decoupling economic growth from resource consumption, for example by improving resource efficiency in production and consumption
• Strengthening human rights and social and environmental standards in global supply chains, for example through the implementation of the German Supply Chain Act
• Tackling the root causes of child labour, for example by promoting a sustainable economy and strengthening education systems
• Seizing the opportunities presented by digital and green transformation to promote decent work
• Better integrating refugees and internally displaced persons, as particularly vulnerable groups, into the labour market

Germany’s commitment to SDG 8

Germany supports its partner countries in establishing socially, economically and environmentally sustainable economic processes. It creates the right conditions to enable the private sector to play an effective and responsible role. Through development partnerships, the BMZ works closely with the private sector (develoPPP) and supports partner countries in integrating more successfully into the global economic system (Aid for Trade).

Through the development organisation sequa, support is provided for the establishment of vocational and training facilities, as well as for the ongoing training and further education of skilled workers.

In addition, the special initiative “Good Jobs for Socially Just Transition” is creating new jobs in Africa in partnership with businesses.

Source: https://www.bmz.de/de/agenda-2030/sdg-8

Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation, and foster innovation

What do we aim to achieve with SDG 9?

• Building high-quality, sustainable and resilient infrastructure
• Promoting inclusive and sustainable industrialisation
• Improve access to financial services for small industrial and other enterprises and increase their integration into value chains and markets
• Modernising infrastructure and upgrading industries to make them sustainable
• To promote the development of the manufacturing sector in developing countries in a way that is socially responsible and environmentally and economically sustainable
• Improving research and expanding the technological capabilities of industrial sectors in all countries
• Expanding access to information and communication technologies and supporting innovation

Facts and figures

Where do we stand?

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted how important industrialisation, technological innovation and a resilient infrastructure are to achieving the SDGs. Economies with strong industrial sectors and efficient infrastructure suffered less damage and recovered more quickly. Industries with a higher level of technological advancement proved to be particularly resilient.

Growth in the manufacturing sector has been stagnating at around 2.7 per cent since 2022. The causes include the ongoing effects of the pandemic, geopolitical tensions, inflation and logistical challenges. Its share of employment has recently fallen in most regions of the world and currently stands at around 14 per cent.

In many countries, small businesses form the backbone of the economy. They create jobs and help to reduce economic and social disparities. However, they continue to face significant challenges: rising operating costs for energy and transport, high interest rates and, particularly in low-income countries, limited access to credit.

What do we need to do?

• Expansion and modernisation of sustainable infrastructure, particularly in the energy and transport sectors
• Promoting the energy transition and improving energy efficiency in the private sector
• Support in the formulation and implementation of local industrial policy and related reforms
• Promoting industrialisation beyond the manufacturing sector
• Promoting sustainable investment by the private sector
• Greater investment in agricultural research and support for innovation in the agricultural and food sectors
• Establishing local financial systems tailored to specific needs, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises
• Expansion and regulation of digital infrastructure, as well as the expansion of digital services in the fields of healthcare, public administration and education
• Boosting innovation through collaboration with universities and the scientific community

Germany’s commitment to SDG 9

Together with its partners, Germany supports the development and expansion of socially, economically and environmentally sustainable infrastructure in countries of the Global South. For example, at their 2022 summit under Germany’s presidency, the G7 countries launched the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGII) to help bridge the significant investment gap in sustainable infrastructure in low- and middle-income countries.

Through its ‘Global Gateway’ strategy, the European Union and its member states are contributing to PGII: by 2027, up to €300 billion is set to be mobilised for private and public investment to drive forward infrastructure development, particularly in the Global South.

In the context of bilateral cooperation, the BMZ focuses in particular on improving rural infrastructure to enhance energy supply and facilitate access to knowledge networks and markets. It supports sectors of the economy that offer significant potential for growth, value creation and employment. Particular attention is paid to young, dynamic companies.

Source: https://www.bmz.de/de/agenda-2030/sdg-9

Reducing inequality within and between countries

What do we aim to achieve with SDG 10?

• The income of the poorest 40 per cent of the population is set to grow at a faster rate than the respective national average by 2030.
• Everyone should have equal opportunities, regardless of age, gender, sexual orientation, disability, ethnicity, religion, background or social and economic status.
• Abolition of discriminatory laws and policies
• Reducing inequalities even more effectively through social, budgetary, fiscal and wage policies that target poverty
• Greater say for developing countries in international financial and economic organisations
• Orderly, safe, responsible and regular migration and mobility

Facts and figures

Where do we stand?

With regard to SDG 10, the international community is on track to meet only around ten per cent of the targets. For more than 75 per cent of the targets set, there has been either no progress or insufficient progress, and for more than 20 per cent, the situation is actually deteriorating. To achieve SDG 10, greater efforts are needed to end discrimination and tackle the root causes of wage disparities and unequal access to resources.

Since 2000, two-thirds of countries have managed to reduce the proportion of their population living on less than half the median income. Globally, this proportion stood at 12.1 per cent most recently. The highest levels of income inequality are found in the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean.

Employees’ wages have not risen at the same rate as productivity. The wage share continues its long-standing decline. This affects poorer and disadvantaged workers in particular, who are dependent on their earnings from work. Wealthy individuals, by contrast, have benefited from rising returns on capital, which has exacerbated inequality within societies.

One in three of the 75 most vulnerable countries is now poorer than it was before the COVID-19 pandemic. Half of the so-called IDA countries are over-indebted or at risk of over-indebtedness. Climate change and violent conflicts are also major drivers of inequality. The number of people forced to flee persecution, conflict, human rights violations or disasters has risen to a record high: by the end of 2024, one in 67 people worldwide was a refugee.

What do we need to do?

High levels of inequality hinder opportunities for development and the realisation of human rights. It undermines social cohesion and the functioning of democracies, and can thus lead to social unrest, political instability and violent conflict. Reducing inequality is therefore one of the key challenges facing humanity in the years ahead.

Various studies show that economic growth alone does not necessarily lead to less inequality. What is crucial is that growth is designed to be inclusive and that significant inequalities are addressed through appropriate tax and fiscal policies.

Government revenue should be used to ensure that everyone has access to basic services such as education and healthcare, as well as to social security systems. Corruption, tax avoidance and the political and social exclusion of disadvantaged individuals and groups must be tackled head-on.

To eliminate inequality between countries, we need a fair distribution of resources, investment in school and vocational education, and international cooperation to establish fair trade and financial systems. To this end, developing countries’ participation in international economic decision-making processes must be strengthened.

Germany’s commitment to SDG 10

The BMZ supports partner countries in making their public finance systems transparent and fair, promoting decent work, ensuring equitable access to education, healthcare, water and food, establishing and expanding social security systems, and ensuring political participation for all.

Another priority is to protect people living in poverty from the effects of climate change and to ensure that environmental and climate protection measures are implemented in a socially responsible manner.

In addition, the BMZ is working to harness the potential of regular migration for development in partner countries.

Source: https://www.bmz.de/de/agenda-2030/sdg-10

Designing inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable cities and communities

What do we aim to achieve with SDG 11?

• Everyone should have access to adequate housing and basic services.
• Everyone should have access to safe, affordable and sustainable transport systems.
• Inclusive and sustainable urban planning should be promoted.
• World cultural and natural heritage sites should be better protected.
• The aim is to reduce the number of people affected by disasters.
• The environmental impact caused by cities is to be reduced, with a particular focus on air quality and waste management.
• Universal access to safe green spaces and public spaces should be ensured.

Facts and figures

Where do we stand?

Whilst in 1950 only 30 per cent of the world’s population lived in cities, by 2023 this figure had risen to 57 per cent. The rapid shift towards an increasingly urbanised world is taking place with regional variations. Whilst 75 per cent of the population in the European Union and more than 80 per cent in Latin America and North America live in cities, South Asia (36 per cent) and sub-Saharan Africa (43 per cent) remain predominantly rural.

In Africa in particular, the urban population is set to almost triple in the coming decades. Two-thirds of the infrastructure needed by 2050 has not yet been built there. Urban growth is often accompanied by unplanned and uncontrolled urban sprawl: rather than becoming denser within their boundaries, cities are expanding further and further into previously undeveloped areas – with negative consequences for the environment.

At present, the international community is a long way from achieving the goal of sustainable cities. In many developing countries, the slum population is growing – and the goal of providing adequate housing for all by 2030 is seriously at risk. To achieve SDG 11, we need more skilled personnel and funding for urban planning, the expansion of critical infrastructure, better waste management and efficient transport systems.

Although air pollution has decreased in most regions, it remains well above the levels recommended for the protection of public health.

What do we need to do?

The SDGs can only be achieved with the help of cities: 65 per cent of the SDG targets depend on action taken by local authorities. This is particularly true when it comes to implementing climate targets and reducing emissions.

From a German perspective, three key tasks are of particular importance:

• Recognising and empowering cities as agents of development
• Creating liveable cities for everyone
• Implementing integrated urban development

The COVID-19 pandemic has shown that local authorities continue to provide essential services even in times of crisis. Cities must therefore become more resilient to crises and also adapt to changing climatic conditions. This requires investment – for example in green urban infrastructure – as well as educational opportunities and employment prospects.

Germany’s commitment to SDG 11

The BMZ is currently providing over 22 billion euros in funding for sustainable urban development (through financial and technical cooperation). This helps to create liveable cities that protect the climate and are resilient and sustainable. The aim is to provide city dwellers with a safe and healthy living environment, access to essential services, employment and social life, as well as sustainable housing.

The key to this is ensuring that urban transport is low-emission, safe and accessible to all. Through the Transformative Urban Mobility Initiative (TUMI), the BMZ has been making a significant contribution to this since 2016. To date, 2.8 billion euros have been made available, enabling 26.5 million people to use improved transport systems every day.

German local authorities are also working alongside their twin towns in developing countries, for example through some 80 local climate partnerships aimed at reducing CO₂ emissions, adapting to climate change and preserving biodiversity.

Source: https://www.bmz.de/de/agenda-2030/sdg-11

Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns

What do we aim to achieve with SDG 12?

• Natural resources should be used sustainably and efficiently.
• Waste should be avoided or recycled, and hazardous waste should be disposed of safely.
• The aim is to reduce food waste.
• Companies should be encouraged to minimise their social and environmental risks.
• Consumers should be better informed about sustainable consumption.
• Public authorities should give preference to sustainable products when procuring goods and services.
• The use of chemicals should become more environmentally friendly.

Facts and figures

Where do we stand?

The global community is still a long way from halving per capita food waste and losses by 2030. To achieve SDG 12, policymakers must do more to promote sustainable economic practices and drive innovation. The global economy must decouple its growth from resource consumption at a much faster rate. It is therefore essential to provide greater support for circular economy models, sustainable production processes and responsible consumption. This requires a legal framework, financial incentives and transparent information for the public.

Although far more companies publish sustainability reports today than they did ten years ago, overall, the business sector’s reporting on its contributions to the SDGs still needs to improve considerably.

What do we need to do?

For the sake of humanity’s future, we must use existing resources more responsibly and consume more consciously.

• In its National Programme for Sustainable Consumption, the German government has set out measures across many areas of daily life, such as diet and transport, to limit the negative social and environmental impacts of consumption.
• Incentives must be created and rules established for businesses to ensure compliance with sustainability and human rights standards throughout the supply chain.
• Consumers need to be better informed so that they can make sustainable purchasing decisions.
• The federal government, the Länder and local authorities must promote sustainable production methods through their procurement and contracting practices. They purchase goods and services worth over 350 billion euros annually.

Germany’s commitment to SDG 12

For many of the products we consume, the supply chains span the globe. The BMZ’s work to promote sustainable consumption and production patterns is therefore equally diverse:

• Establish binding requirements for all businesses, such as the Supply Chain Act, the Packaging Act and the Circular Economy Act
• Establish voluntary partnerships between public, civil society and private sector stakeholders, such as the Alliance for Sustainable Textiles or the Sustainable Cocoa Forum, in order to establish high environmental and social standards
• Providing guidance to consumers, for example through the siegelklarheit.de portal and the government-backed ‘Grüner Knopf’ textile label

Source: https://www.bmz.de/de/agenda-2030/sdg-12

Take immediate action to tackle climate change and its impacts

What do we aim to achieve with SDG 13?

• Limiting the global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius, achieving global greenhouse gas neutrality by mid-century
• Improving the political framework for climate action in emerging and developing countries
• Ensuring that international financial institutions are compatible with the Paris climate goals
• Mobilising private-sector funding for global climate action
• Support 50 emerging and developing countries in setting and implementing ambitious climate targets by 2025
• Protect 500 million poor and vulnerable people from climate risks by 2025

Facts and figures

Where do we stand?

In the 2024 SDG Progress Report, the United Nations warns: “The global community is at a critical juncture.” The climate crisis is accelerating rapidly. Both global annual average temperatures and greenhouse gas emissions reached record levels in 2023. In 2024, the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) recorded a further rise in global warming – meaning that the past ten years have been the warmest since weather records began more than 170 years ago.

For the first time, data from 2024 indicated that the global average temperature was more than 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. This does not yet mean that this temperature target of the Paris Climate Agreement must already be deemed to have been missed – the targets set are based on long-term measurements spanning decades. However, the WMO describes the extraordinary series of temperature records as a clear warning sign. “Current national policies are steering the world towards a three-degree Celsius rise in temperature,” warn the United Nations.

Extreme weather events such as heatwaves, droughts, floods, fires and tropical cyclones affected the lives of millions of people in 2023 and caused economic losses running into the billions. According to the WMO, the number of recorded disasters has increased fivefold over the past 50 years. If current trends continue, there could be 560 medium to large-scale disasters every year by 2030.

Despite numerous national, regional and global commitments to reduce the use of climate-damaging fossil fuels, very little is being done to achieve this. In response to the rise in energy prices caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, subsidies for oil, coal and gas have even risen to a record level of 1.53 trillion US dollars (2022).

What do we need to do?

In order to still meet the targets of SDG 13, all countries must submit and implement ambitious climate action plans, transition their economies to climate-friendly energy sources, and end subsidies for fossil fuels.

If global warming is to be limited to 1.5 degrees Celsius, greenhouse gas emissions must be reduced by more than 40 per cent by 2030. To keep the economic and social costs of climate change at a manageable level, the international community would need to achieve climate neutrality by 2050.

Developed countries had committed to providing developing countries with US$100 billion annually between 2020 and 2025. According to the OECD, this commitment was met for the first time in 2022. However, according to United Nations estimates, this support must be massively scaled up: by 2030, developing countries will need almost six trillion US dollars to effectively reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to the consequences of climate change.

In order to minimise the impact of disasters, national strategies for long-term risk reduction must be developed, multi-hazard early warning systems must be established, and comprehensive resilience plans must be drawn up.

Germany’s commitment to SDG 13

Industrialised countries such as Germany are the main contributors to climate change. They must therefore lead by example when it comes to climate protection: under the European Green Deal, Europe is set to become the first climate-neutral continent by 2050.

Germany supports developing and emerging countries worldwide in reducing their greenhouse gas emissions and adapting to the inevitable consequences of climate change. In 2023, the German government committed a total of around 5.66 billion euros in budgetary funds for climate protection and adaptation measures – 78 per cent of which came from the BMZ’s budget.

Through climate and development partnerships, the BMZ supports selected partner countries in achieving their climate targets and making progress in implementing the 2030 Agenda – both bilaterally and multilaterally within the framework of the G7 (Just Energy Transition Partnerships, JETPs).

The Global Climate Risk Shield helps countries to establish a comprehensive system for managing climate risks and to develop contingency plans that can be implemented swiftly in the event of a climate disaster. The Shield was launched in 2022 at the COP27 climate conference by the G7 countries in collaboration with the V20.

Source: https://www.bmz.de/de/agenda-2030/sdg-13

Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources in the context of sustainable development

What do we aim to achieve with SDG 14?

• The aim is to significantly reduce marine pollution and plastic waste.
• Healthy and biodiverse marine and coastal ecosystems should be sustainably managed, protected and restored.
• Ocean acidification should be reduced as much as possible.
• Fish stocks should be managed sustainably, and overfishing, illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing, and destructive fishing practices should be brought to an end.
• At least ten per cent of the world’s oceans should be designated as marine protected areas and managed more effectively.
• Subsidies that contribute to overcapacity, overfishing and illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing should be abolished.
• In particular, small island states and least developed countries should be able to derive greater economic benefits from the sustainable use of the oceans and coasts.
• The aim is to deepen scientific knowledge and expand research capabilities, and to ensure technology transfer.

Facts and figures

Where do we stand?

The destruction of the oceans – the Earth’s largest ecosystem – has shown no sign of abating in recent years. The oceans are under threat from increasing acidification, declining fish stocks and rising levels of plastic pollution. Furthermore, excessive inputs of nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus from agriculture are causing increased algae growth – resulting in oxygen depletion and a loss of marine biodiversity.

Although progress has been made in recent years in expanding marine protected areas and combating illegal and unregulated fishing, the United Nations states that global efforts must be stepped up. Good or moderate progress has been recorded for only around 30 per cent of the assessable targets under SDG 14. For 30 per cent of the targets, only negligible progress has been made, whilst for 40 per cent, the situation is actually deteriorating.

At the same time, there is a lack of up-to-date and internationally comparable data. Although the data situation has improved significantly over the past five years, fewer than 40 per cent of countries still provide reliable trend data on SDG 14.

What do we need to do?

Healthy oceans and coasts ensure our survival and provide a livelihood for many people. We can only tackle the wide range of challenges involved in protecting and sustainably using the oceans if we take more cross-border and cross-sectoral action. We must:

• Place at least 30 per cent of the world’s marine areas under equitable and effective protection by 2030, as agreed in the Global Biodiversity Framework
• Restoring fish stocks and managing them sustainably. The World Bank estimates that overfishing results in the loss of more than 80 billion US dollars in potential revenue each year.
• Strengthen fisheries management, control and monitoring, thereby combating illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing
• Rapidly adopt and bring into force international agreements, such as the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies, the Agreement on Marine Biodiversity beyond National Jurisdiction, and the global agreement to combat plastic pollution
• Promoting better cooperation between marine research and sustainable maritime policy
• Allocate more funding to ‘Life below water’. More than 150 billion US dollars are needed each year for investment in improving the enabling environment, measures for the sustainable management and protection of the oceans, and capacity building.

Germany’s commitment to SDG 14

The BMZ works in more than 30 partner countries to promote better protection and sustainable use of the oceans. It supports partners in reducing marine litter and strengthens nature-based marine solutions for the conservation of biodiversity, food security and climate protection.

The BMZ is committed to designating equitable and effective marine protected areas and to expanding the knowledge base so that partner countries can shape their marine policies responsibly. The Blue Action Fund helps to conserve biodiversity in the world’s oceans.

In addition, the BMZ supports sustainable small-scale fisheries and aquaculture, which both protect marine resources and ensure a nutritious diet and local livelihoods.

Source: https://www.bmz.de/de/agenda-2030/sdg-14

Protect and restore terrestrial ecosystems and promote their sustainable use; manage forests sustainably; combat desertification; halt and reverse land degradation; and halt biodiversity loss

What do we aim to achieve with SDG 15?

• Preserve, restore and sustainably use intact terrestrial ecosystems and their services
• Reducing the degradation of natural habitats and the loss of biodiversity
• Effectively enforce good environmental legislation
• End deforestation and manage and restore forests sustainably
• Combating desertification and restoring damaged land and soil
• Put an end to poaching and the illegal trade in protected species
• Incorporate ecosystem and biodiversity values into planning, strategies and accounting systems
• Promoting access to genetic resources and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits

Facts and figures

Where do we stand?

Deforestation, species extinction and the destruction of ecosystems are continuing to advance and pose a serious threat to the planet and to humanity. Every day, up to 150 plant and animal species disappear from the Earth. Due to human influence, species extinction is occurring 100 times faster than it would naturally. The expansion of agriculture is responsible for almost 90 per cent of forest loss.

The United Nations warns that SDG 15 will not be achieved unless our relationship with the natural environment changes dramatically. The destruction of natural ecosystems and biodiversity threatens current and future generations. If SDG 15 is not achieved, around 80 per cent of all other SDGs are also at risk, such as food security, clean water and the fight against climate change. Without the preservation of tropical forests, the 1.5-degree target cannot be achieved.

It is true that international commitment to the conservation of biodiversity is growing. A key example of this is the adoption of the Global Biodiversity Framework at the 15th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity in Montreal in 2022. However, the United Nations warns that swift action is now essential. What is needed, they say, are intensified efforts and a comprehensive and coordinated approach at local, national and global levels.

What do we need to do?

• Place at least 30 per cent of terrestrial ecosystems under protection
• Restore degraded ecosystems, particularly forest landscapes
• Mobilising private-sector capital for forest conservation
• Abolish subsidies that harm the climate and biodiversity – both here and in our partner countries
• Increase biodiversity conservation in agriculture and other managed ecosystems
• Reduce environmental pollution, in particular halve the use of pesticides and the input of plastic waste by 2030
• Wild animals and plants should only be traded legally and used sustainably
• Ensure that indigenous and other local communities receive a fair share of the profits
• Take account of human rights, and in particular the rights of indigenous peoples, in the context of nature conservation, and ensure that the principle of free, prior and informed consent is implemented as a binding requirement worldwide

Germany’s commitment to SDG 15

In 2023, the German Government allocated a total of 1.36 billion euros to the conservation of species and ecosystems in developing and emerging countries. Of this amount, 1.04 billion euros went towards projects agreed by the BMZ with its partner countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America, as well as towards its contributions to multilateral climate and environmental funds and development banks.

In 2022, the German government pledged to increase Germany’s international biodiversity funding to 1.5 billion euros annually by 2025 – double the average of around 750 million euros invested between 2017 and 2021. The funds form part of the German government’s international climate finance.

The BMZ’s activities focus on strengthening and expanding protected areas, the sustainable use of biodiversity, forest conservation, combating wildlife crime, and ensuring deforestation-free supply chains for globally traded agricultural commodities. The Legacy Landscapes Fund helps to finance and safeguard protected areas in the long term.

Source: https://www.bmz.de/de/agenda-2030/sdg-15

Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, ensure access to justice for all, and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels

What do we aim to achieve with SDG 16?

• Significantly reduce all forms of violence and violence-related mortality everywhere.
• End the abuse and exploitation of children and all forms of violence against children.
• Promote the rule of law at national and international level and ensure equal access to justice for all.
• Significantly reduce illicit financial and arms flows, as well as organised crime.
• Significantly reduce corruption and bribery in all their forms.
• Ensure that decision-making at all levels is needs-based, inclusive, participatory and representative.
• Ensure public access to information and protect fundamental freedoms.

Facts and figures

Where do we stand?

Lasting peace and the prevention of violent conflicts are essential for achieving all the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda. Yet conflicts and organised violent crime persist throughout the world. In many countries, citizens do not have safe and equal access to justice. In almost every region of the world, young people and women are significantly under-represented in parliaments relative to their share of the population.

Structural injustices and shortcomings in the protection of human rights hinder the development of peaceful and inclusive societies. And in the face of global political instability, fluctuating commodity prices and high levels of debt, governments around the world are finding it difficult to ensure reliable budget planning and to prepare for future crises.

One challenge in assessing progress remains the availability of data: in 2024, only just over 20 per cent of countries had submitted robust and internationally comparable data on SDG 16 to the United Nations.

In order to achieve SDG 16 by 2030, the capacity of state institutions to reduce inequalities and ensure justice for all must be strengthened. Only in this way can public trust in the state be strengthened or restored.

What do we need to do?

Peaceful and inclusive societies, together with good governance, are the fundamental prerequisites for sustainable development worldwide. Development policy can make a significant contribution to conflict resolution and peacebuilding, democratisation, the rule of law and the protection of human rights.

• Governments, civil society and the public must work together to find lasting solutions to reduce violence, establish justice and the rule of law, involve the public in political decision-making processes, combat corruption and ensure inclusive opportunities for participation.
• Corruption, bribery, theft and tax evasion, as well as other illicit financial flows, must be reduced. These undermine national and global development efforts and destabilise societies.
• The international arms trade must be drastically reduced in order to prevent conflicts. Government military spending rose to a new record high of US$2.72 trillion in 2024 – the sharpest annual increase since the end of the Cold War.
• Democracy and the rule of law do not come about overnight – peace and justice are tasks that span generations and require time and perseverance.

Germany’s commitment to SDG 16

By global standards, Germany has for many years been one of the largest donors in the fields of good governance, crisis prevention, peacebuilding and crisis management. Specifically, in our partner countries we support the promotion of the rule of law, democratic participation, effective, accountable and inclusive institutions, sound financial governance and effective anti-corruption policies.

To this end, we make use of digital formats and tools (e-governance) wherever possible and appropriate. In countries where cooperation with state partners is not possible, German development cooperation supports civil society actors who advocate for the rights of citizens in their country.

Source: https://www.bmz.de/de/agenda-2030/sdg-16

Strengthen implementation mechanisms and revitalise the global partnership for sustainable development

What do we aim to achieve with SDG 17?

• Global challenges require a joint global effort.
• The structure of the international system (the financial system, the global market, knowledge and technology) must be designed in such a way that people in all countries benefit from it and have equal access to it.
• Developing countries should be empowered to achieve their development goals using their own financial resources and to monitor their progress independently.
• All donor countries should allocate 0.7 per cent of their gross national income to poorer countries.
• All stakeholders in society – the business sector, academia, organised civil society and local authorities – should play their part in achieving the SDGs.
• Migrants should not have to pay high fees for sending money to their families in their home countries.
• Partnerships with private companies should be encouraged and supported.
• States and local authorities should make a national contribution towards achieving the SDGs and fulfil their international responsibilities through the exchange of expertise, partnership work and public relations activities.

Facts and figures

Where do we stand?

The 17th Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) forms the foundation for achieving all the other SDGs: a shift towards sustainable development can only be achieved through a strong global partnership involving the joint efforts of all states, civil societies, economies and individuals. In light of increasing geopolitical tensions, there is an even more urgent need for close cooperation to close growing funding gaps, consolidate economic recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic and, in particular, support the least developed countries.

Official development assistance reached a record high in 2023 – primarily due to aid for Ukraine, short-term humanitarian aid and increased contributions to international organisations. In 2024, however, it fell by 7.1 per cent. The share of official development assistance in gross national income remains well below the target of 0.7 per cent. In 2024, only four countries met this target: Denmark, Luxembourg, Norway and Sweden.

Global foreign direct investment fell by two per cent in 2023. In developing countries, the decline was as much as seven per cent. According to the United Nations, an additional four trillion US dollars would need to be invested there each year to achieve the SDGs – 2.2 trillion US dollars for the energy transition alone.

What do we need to do?

Whether or not Goal 17 is achieved will determine the fate of all the other goals. Without financial resources – which, given the enormous challenges, cannot come solely from public funds – and without access to knowledge and technology, none of the other 16 goals can be achieved. This highlights the need for all sectors of society to act together. The United Nations has drawn up a list of measures to this end:

• Strengthening public finance systems to fund the SDGs
• Promoting trade and investment aligned with the SDGs for sustainable recovery
• Compliance with development funding commitments (0.7 per cent of the gross national income of rich countries)
• An immediate reduction in the costs of remittances sent by migrants to their home countries
• Investment in national data and statistics systems to improve data availability and quality

UN Secretary-General António Guterres has urged countries to significantly step up their efforts to implement the 2030 Agenda and to mobilise at least an additional US$500 billion annually for this purpose (SDG stimulus).

Germany’s commitment to SDG 17

With around 30 billion euros, Germany was the second-largest donor country in terms of official development assistance (ODA) in 2024, behind the US. In terms of economic strength, Germany ranked fifth. At 0.67 per cent of its gross domestic product, Germany failed to meet the agreed target of 0.7 per cent in 2024 for the first time since 2020.

German development cooperation is currently working with around 30 countries in the field of fiscal policy. It supports them in mobilising more domestic revenue and utilising domestic resources more effectively – in particular through the fair collection of taxes and duties and appropriate budgetary and social policies.

The BMZ is also committed to building global partnerships, for example by supporting development partnerships with German and European companies, so that they invest in developing countries and create jobs and training opportunities there. Furthermore, the BMZ supports local authorities’ engagement in development policy: 270 German cities and local authorities belong to the ‘Club of Agenda 2030 Municipalities’ network (as of April 2025).

Source: https://www.bmz.de/de/agenda-2030/sdg-17