'Wealthy countries have neglected the global SDG agenda'

Last week, the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released its report that detailed the devastating consequences of greenhouse gas emissions, and warned that the world needs to change course to avoid irreversible damage. It said global warming is already causing unprecedented changes to climate and called for more funding, especially for developing countries to adopt a low-carbon pathway to development. Professor Jeffrey D. Sachs, director, Centre for Sustainable Development, Columbia University, tells Mint in an interview what needs to be done to reverse the direction before it is too late. He was a keynote speaker at a side event on green development held as part of 2nd Sherpa meeting of India’s G20 presidency. Edited excerpts:

- N. Madhavan

The world has faced multiple global crises in recent years. How are they impacting sustainable development?

The Ukraine war, Western sanctions regime, covid, climate change and US-China tensions are all worsening the global trajectory on sustainable development. The G20 is a vital process to get back on track.

The latest report by IPCC paints a grim picture on funding for sustainable development. How can this be reversed?