UNEP Foresight Report 2024:
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) released a report titled “Navigating New Horizons: A Global Foresight Report on Planetary Health and Human Wellbeing, 2024.
Key Highlights of the Report:
- 85% of the 169 SDG targets are off track and 37% of the targets have shown no progress or have regressed since 2015, as of the latest 2023 SDG Progress Report.
- 42.85% of the targets for SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), SDG 13 (Climate Action), SDG 14 (Life Below Water), and SDG 15 (Life on Land) are either stagnating or regressing.
- 60% of environmental indicators remain either deteriorating or unclear in their status.
- The UNEP report identified 8 critical shifts with 18 potential signals of change.
- Rapidly Changing Relationship Between Humans and Environment: Human activities are predicted to affect over 90% of land by 2050. Up to 46% of species may face extinction.
- Global temperatures are projected to rise 2.1-3.9°C by 2100.
- Greenhouse gas emissions, mainly from fossil fuels, are driving these changes, with developed nations responsible for most emissions.
- The global competition for critical resources is reshaping international security. Demand outpaces supply, amplifying volatility and potential conflicts, especially in regions with concentrated reserves.
- The most fundamental resources, water and food, face growing threats from climate change and unsustainable management, disproportionately affecting vulnerable populations.
- The key drivers of rapid advancement of digital technologies and AI include mobile devices, internet access, and the growth of AI that offer prospects for progress, their environmental implications require consideration.
- There are over 8.89 billion mobile subscriptions, with around 5.6 billion users owning a device. As per ITU reports, 67.4% of the world’s population were internet users in 2023.
