The 2030 Agenda, sustainability, the circular economy, and the energy transition: Four years before the deadline set by the United Nations, the global assessment shows significant progress, but also concerning setbacks.
2030 seemed so far away
When the 193 member states of the United Nations adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in September 2015, fifteen years seemed like a long enough timeframe to change the global course. Today, with less than four years remaining, the question becomes inevitable: How close are we really to the goals we set for ourselves? The answer is complex, because while technology, renewable energy, new materials, and circular economy models are making significant strides, on other fronts—wars, climate change, inequality, and economic hardship—are slowing down—and in some cases reversing—our progress. Not everything is heading in the wrong direction. But we certainly aren’t moving fast enough.
Agenda 2030: Where We Stand Today
The 2026 Sustainable Development Goals Report, published by the United Nations in July, paints a picture that warrants attention.
Of the 139 targets of the 2030 Agenda for which sufficient data is available:
only 15% are currently on track to meet the set goals;
21% show moderate progress; nearly half show marginal progress or no significant progress;
15% have actually regressed compared to 2015 levels.
This picture aptly summarizes the contradiction of our time: we have more tools, more knowledge, and more technology than we did ten years ago, but the geopolitical, economic, and climate context makes practical implementation increasingly complex.
The Progress Made
Let's start with the good news: there is some, and some of it is structural.
1. Renewable energy is driving the transition
The energy transition is one of the most evident signs of progress. According to data from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), 692 GW of new renewable capacity was installed worldwide in 2025 alone, bringing the total capacity to 5,149 GW. Renewable sources accounted for approximately 85.6% of all new electricity capacity installed that year, with solar and wind power leading the growth. This is an important figure because it demonstrates that the energy transition is no longer just an environmental choice: it is increasingly becoming an industrial, economic, and strategic choice.
2. The circular economy becomes part of market rules
In Europe, the principle of circularity is gradually shifting from statements of intent to binding regulations. A particularly important example for the industrial and product supply chain is the new Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), which entered into force on February 11, 2025, and will generally apply starting August 12, 2026. The regulation introduces new requirements regarding packaging design, recyclability, reuse, and waste prevention. For companies, this means beginning to view the product and its packaging as parts of a single system, evaluating the amount of material used, recyclability, the origin of raw materials, and end-of-life management.
3. Let's better measure the actual impact
Significant progress has also been made in the area of measurement. In 2016, the international SDG database included 115 indicators and approximately 330,000 data points. By 2026, the number of indicators had risen to 233, and the available data exceeded 3.2 million. This unprecedented information infrastructure allows us to better understand where we are making progress and where, on the other hand, we are losing ground. The same principle applies to companies: Speaking in general terms about sustainability matters less and less. Instead, material traceability, certifications, supply chain data, and impact measurement are becoming central.
The Setbacks
The picture becomes more complicated when we analyze other indicators.
1. Global emissions continue to rise
While renewable energy generation capacity is growing at a rapid pace, global greenhouse gas emissions continue to reach record levels. According to UN data, in 2024 they reached 57.7 billion metric tons of CO₂ equivalent, a 2.3% increase from the previous year. Climate policies adopted in recent years have helped mitigate the worst-case projections for global warming. But the gap remains significant: even if all currently declared climate commitments were met, the rise in temperatures is still estimated to be between 2.3 and 2.5 °C by the end of the century. The growth of renewables, therefore, represents real progress. But it is not yet enough.
2. Geopolitical Instability and Conflicts
The 2026 Sustainable Development Goals Report identifies the escalation of conflicts as one of the main factors hindering the achievement of the goals. The consequences extend far beyond the territories directly involved: more fragile supply chains, volatility in energy markets, humanitarian emergencies, a slowdown in investment, and public resources being redirected to address new priorities.
Once again, sustainability proves that it cannot be separated from economic and social stability.
3. The Gap Between the Global North and South
The pace of the transition also remains highly uneven. In 2025, Asia accounted for over 74% of the world’s new installed renewable capacity, while Africa, despite significant growth, added just 11.3 GW. Technologies, investments, and infrastructure therefore continue to be concentrated primarily in economies with greater access to capital. And this is precisely where one of the central issues of the 2030 Agenda emerges: can a transition truly be called sustainable if it fails to be inclusive as well?
4. Striking a Balance Between Sustainability and Competitiveness
Another front is also opening up in the European context: with the Omnibus Simplification Package, the European Union has launched a significant overhaul of the rules governing sustainability reporting, due diligence, and taxonomy. The amendments to the CSRD (Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive) and the CSDDD (Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive) were definitively adopted in February 2026 with the aim of reducing administrative burdens and improving the competitiveness of European companies. The issue, therefore, is no longer simply about increasing obligations; the challenge is to find a balance that makes sustainability, transparency, and economic competitiveness compatible with one another.
The Role of Business Decisions
The time remaining until 2030 is now short, but history teaches us that our choices still make a difference. This also includes the decisions made by businesses: what to buy, how much to buy, from whom, using what materials, with what kind of packaging, and with what expected product lifespan. Product design is fundamental: utility, durability, recycled or recyclable materials, certifications, packaging, the quantities actually needed, and end-of-life management remain key elements in creating products with a lower environmental impact. For this reason, even in our daily work, we strive to do our part: by proposing more sustainable solutions, selecting materials and suppliers with greater care, and guiding companies toward choices that, collectively, can contribute to the goals of the 2030 Agenda.
There are no perfect choices, but there are better ones. And that is where we can continue to build change.
