With the remaining more or less than five years towards the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the progress of its 17 goals seems to be rather slow and stagnated. According to the Sustainable Development Goals Report 2024, the current progress falls far short of what is intended to meet the SDGs, and this is mainly due to the convergence of multiple global crises.
The persistent impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the escalating conflicts caused by war leading to refugee influx, geopolitical tensions, and the greater impact of climate change, to name a few, have severely hindered the process of realizing this global agenda.
From the report, it is identified that only 17% of the SDG targets are on track, almost half of the targets show moderate progress, and more than one-third of the targets have regressed or stalled. It is called a moment of choice and consequence for all of us.
Thus, urgent actions are required, and priorities should be on solving the global conflict by promoting peace through dialogues and diplomacy. Secondly, reducing the gap between rich and poor via reformation of global funding to support the developing countries as well as wealth distribution in a just manner.
Also, the priority should be on surging the implementation on critical aspects such as food, energy, social protection, and digital connectivity. Girls and women should be empowered in terms of education, social issues, economy, politics, and so on, according to human rights as a crucial contribution to SDGs across all targets and goals, especially on gender equality, or more precisely, gender justice.
The Summit of the Future in September 2024 in New York and the upcoming 2025 UN summits could offer key opportunities for acceleration of the progress. For instance, the outcome document of the Summit of the Future is called Pact for the Future, Global Digital Compact, and Declaration on Future Generations.
This document is the declaration of heads of state and government who have pledged to protect the needs of present and future generations through various actions, namely strengthening sustainable development and financing for development, promoting international peace and security, seizing opportunities presented by science, technology, innovation, and digital cooperation, empowering and investing in youth and future generations, as well as transforming global governance.
Commitment and synergy to this SDG’s agenda among international leaders is no longer an option but a necessity. The world is facing a great upheaval, and we risk falling into future crises and breakdowns if nothing is done to solve many unsustainable issues today.
Climate change, for example, can only be addressed via the solidarity of all nations or states for the sake of sustainability. It is our responsibility to keep and maintain this planetary health in its balanced state, or Mizan (equilibrium).
The document entitled Al-Mizan: A Covenant for the Earth is one of the many initiatives at the international level to call for action from Muslims and non-Muslims alike to embrace their role as vicegerents and custodians of the Earth.
The Al-Mizan document provides an Islamic outlook on the environment and how to govern it accordingly without causing harm and damage to this planet. Religion is the key to providing an insightful solution for many environmental issues facing the world today.
In the Quran, Allah mentioned the responsibility to do good deeds and prohibit evil deeds, as in Surah Ali-Imran, verse 104, which states, “Let there be a community among you that calls for what is good, urges what is right, and forbids what is wrong; they are the ones who have success.”
This document was prepared by a group of Muslim scholars and leaders of Islamic organizations who were convened through UNEP’s Faith for Earth Coalition and was presented to the United Nations Environment Assembly in February 2024. Representing Malaysia is Emeritus Professor Datuk Dr. Azizan Baharuddin from Universiti Malaya as a member of the drafting teams.
Emeritus Professor Datuk Dr. Azizan stated that, and the writer rephrased, “a good leader should embody the good qualities or virtuous traits or mahmudah” (in terms of caring and managing the environment), via her sharing in the IKIMfm radio in the Islam and Science slot last February.
Mahmudah is an important concept in Islamic ethics to guide individuals in their actions and to uphold justice with compassion and integrity. It encompasses trustworthy qualities, namely honesty, kindness, humility, patience, gratitude, generosity, forgiveness, integrity, resilience, and compassion.
These traits are extremely important to be portrayed, especially among leaders around the world in their leadership towards achieving the global agenda of SDGs. Hence, leaders should play their roles selflessly and join together for the sake of humanity and the sustainability of this planet Earth, a living place to us all.
