Ambitious - Yes, Unrealistic - Perhaps? --- Thank you all, it is an important diversion.

Over the past 50 years, while it is heartening to see the acknowledgment for course correction and to bring the countries to sign onto SDGs - an achievement unto itself for UN, the reality of tension between economic growth and sustainable development has only grown. There is now a call to revamp or at least revise the SDGs to make them more achievable - "All in all, the goals to eliminate poverty, hunger and inequality, and to promote health, well-being and economic growth are headed for extinction." https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-02002-3 There is also pushback on this in https://irp-cdn.multiscreensite.com/be6d1d56/files/uploaded/200826%20WP_Speaking%20Truth%20to%20Power.pdf, saying - "...goals are achievable but unlikely to be achieved, particularly given the politics of the rich countries and of major countries to join in an internationally coordinated response...mobilize the 2% of world gross product to achieve the SDGs, including the 0.4% in transfers to the poorest countries". COVID-19 has been a reality-check, bringing forth the socioeconomic disparities and resulting fragility as well as the critical importance of science to the rescue and the gain from collective international action or the loss from lack of it. Strengthens the case for Science Diplomacy!

Source author: Vid Nukala Vid.Nukala@gmail.com