Finland ranks first in UN sustainable development progress, says Orpo

Prime Minister Petteri Orpo has said Finland remains the top-performing country in meeting the United Nations’ sustainable development goals, despite global delays in achieving them.

Speaking from New York at the UN High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, Orpo said UN member states had only completed 35 percent of the 17 targets set out in the 2030 Agenda. He said Finland had reached 86 percent of its goals, making it the world leader for the fifth year in a row.

“The pandemic and global conflicts have slowed progress,” Orpo told Yle by phone from the event, which is held annually to assess country-level performance.

The 17 sustainable development goals include targets such as eradicating hunger and poverty, ensuring access to education and healthcare, and increasing the availability of clean water and energy. The UN adopted the agenda in 2015 with the aim of achieving the goals by 2030.

Orpo is leading Finland’s delegation at the two-day event, held on Monday and Tuesday, and is scheduled to present a voluntary national review of Finland’s progress.

The review highlights gender equality, education, health, and wellbeing as key factors behind Finland’s results. According to the document, these areas have received sustained investment, allowing the country to advance where others have stalled.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres has previously estimated that only 20 percent of participating countries remain on track to meet the goals by the deadline. A further 15 percent show moderate progress, while over one-third have stagnated or regressed.

Orpo said the UN forum is focused on three main themes: ecological sustainability, social sustainability and economic sustainability. He added that this year’s session places additional emphasis on the global status of women and girls.

Domestically, Finland’s own climate and energy goals have met resistance within the government. Earlier this month, Minister of Climate and the Environment Sari Multala of the National Coalition Party expressed support for a European Union climate proposal. Members of the Finns Party, part of the governing coalition, voiced opposition.

Despite the division, Orpo told Yle that the government remains committed to the aims of its policy programme.

“Negotiations will continue in the autumn,” he said. “It’s mainly a question of the methods used to reach the targets. I believe solutions will be found within the government.”

The government programme includes targets aligned with the UN’s agenda, particularly in clean energy, social equity, and environmental protection.

Finland’s voluntary national review will be shared with other UN member states at the forum, which brings together leaders, policymakers and civil society groups to track development results and address shortcomings.

HT

_{Images are for reference only.Images and contents gathered automatic from google or 3rd party sources.All rights on the images and contents are with their legal original owners.}