SDG failure examples for critique

MDG Measurement Case Study: Costa Rica vs. Nigeria

Liverman (2018) argues relative poverty targets are problematic because it is easier to cut poverty from 6% to 3% in Costa Rica than from 80% to 40% in Nigeria.

Issue with Relative Measurement Targets

Focusing on relative percentages rather than absolute numbers ignores the massive scale of human suffering in highly populated countries like Nigeria.

Framing Power: Definition

The ability of multilateral SDG agreements to shape the behavior of diverse actors, including governments, businesses, and NGOs, by providing a shared global language.

Framing Power Example: Tesco PLC

Tesco aligns its corporate business reporting with the UN SDGs to demonstrate sustainability and maintain legitimacy in the eyes of consumers and regulators.

Framing Power Example: UNICEF

The SDGs provide the primary mandate and organizational framework for UNICEF’s global work on child health, education, and protection.

Framing Power Example: UK Government (2016-2019)

The UK government used the SDG framework to organize and report on its domestic and international policy goals during this period.

Framing Power Example: The National Trust

Even heritage and conservation charities in the UK use the universal language of the SDGs to justify their work and funding.

Technical Critique: Big Data and Monitoring (Jerven 2017)

The SDGs rely on Big Data and remote sensing for monitoring progress, which assumes all countries have the technical capacity to track 169 targets.

Inequality Critique (Oxfam 2017)

The SDGs call for income growth for the bottom 40% but fail to challenge the top 1% who have owned more wealth than the rest of the planet since 2015.

Gender Target Paradox

The SDGs critique gender discrimination but state improvements must be in accordance with national law, which may protect existing legal discrimination.