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The SDGS beyond 2030 - key takeaways from UCD panel discussion

Tuesday, 7 October, 2025

During UCD SDG Week, Una Europa hosted the event, '2030 and Beyond: The Future of the Sustainable Development Goals'. Moderated by UCD's Vice-President for Sustainability, Prof Tasman Crowe, panellists were Dr Sinead Walsh, principal research fellow for climate at ODI Global; Conor Minogue, energy and climate policy lead for the business group Ibec; Prof Enda Murphy, head of planning at UCD School of Architecture, Planning and Environmental Policy; and Prof Lisa Ryan, professor in energy economics in the UCD School of Economics. Below are our key takeaways.

  1. There is limited overall progress. Only 18% of SDG targets are on track, while 20% are regressing - a sign that global efforts are falling far short.
  2. The clear successes are education and energy. Access to education and electricity have improved markedly, thanks to global school completion rates and the spread of off-grid solar power.
  3. Extreme poverty and hunger are rising again, and widening inequality underpins many other SDG failures.
  4. With 169 targets and over 350 indicators, tracking progress is complex. Weak data obscures where genuine improvements are happening.
  5. The SDGs have faced severe headwinds - COVID-19, wars, and a collapse in aid and finance - diverting attention and resources.
  6. A $4.3 trillion annual shortfall threatens the agenda. More innovative finance, wealth taxes and honest debate on global inequality are needed.
  7. Businesses embraced sustainability during the pandemic but now face cost pressures; universities must drive education, research and re-skilling for a sustainable future.
  8. Rising nationalism and aid withdrawal have weakened global cooperation - the very foundation of the SDGs.
  9. The post-2030 framework should focus on fewer, interconnected and realistic goals, prioritising climate, poverty and hunger.
  10. Public engagement is faltering because progress is not communicated through relatable outcomes. Stronger storytelling is vital to show why the SDGs matter to everyday life.

UCD Sustainability

University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland.
E: vpsustainability@ucd.ie