Shocks making it harder to meet Sustainable Development Goals

Can we still meet the SDGs? | GZERO Media

After the pandemic and now the global food crisis, meeting the UN's Sustainable Goals by the 2030 deadline will be a tall order.

But actually it's previous systemic challenges aggravated by those crises that are undermining the push to achieve the SDGs, Kathryn Hollifield, from the World Bank's Global Agriculture and Food Security Program, explained during a livestream discussion on the global food crisis hosted by GZERO Media in partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

To get the job done in time, she recommends moving on from global commitments to making progress at then national and local levels.

"Let's get off the global stage for a minute and focus on getting support to the ground and having our teams on the ground talk to each other," Hollifield said.

More from GZERO Media

Last week, I had the privilege and pleasure of serving as commencement speaker for graduates of the School of Liberal Arts at Tulane University, my alma mater. And the venue was the Louisiana Superdome, a little bigger of a house than I’m used to.

As AI and data centers drive record-breaking power demand, Enbridge is stepping up to deliver reliable, always-on energy. From natural gas to renewables, Enbridge’s diverse mix supports the tech powering our lives. “Big tech wants partners who can deliver,” says CEO Greg Ebel. “They know we get things done.” With data needs growing fast, Enbridge is ready to fuel the future—securely, sustainably, and at scale. Read more.

Russian President Vladimir Putin visits the Kursk-II nuclear power plant under construction, in the Kursk region, Russia, on May 21, 2025.
Kremlin.ru/Handout via REUTERS

Russian President Vladimir Putin took a victory lap in Kursk, a Russian city that the Ukrainian army held for over six months. The Kremlin will look to build on this win to boost its bargaining position with Ukraine.

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks next to U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), on the day of a closed House Republican Conference meeting on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 20, 2025.
REUTERS/Ken Cedeno

Republicans have a math problem—and it’s turning into a political one. As the party in full control of government moves to advance its sweeping policy agenda, internal divisions are surfacing over what to prioritize: tax cuts or budget cuts.