The Millennium Development Goals have led to tangible progress in many developing countries. The UN's global Sustainable Development Goals will also require industrialized countries to implement these standards for the first time, beginning in 2016. But most of them are a long way from serving as role models for sustainable development. Also the United States still have a lot to do - for example, reduce waste. This is the result of a comparative study of all 34 OECD states conducted by the Bertelsmann Stiftung on the basis of 34 indicators for the 17 future Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for 2030. The study is the first one worldwide to investigate systematically the present status of each of these countries, both individually and in comparison with one another. This snapshot additionally identifies countries that can serve as role models with regard to particular SDGs, while also pointing out where substantial deficits still exist. Please find the complete study under the following link: http://www.bertelsmann-stiftung.de/en/topics/aktuelle-meldungen/2015/september/industrialized-nations-risk-missing-new-un-sustainable-development-goals/

1. The UN member states have set 17 new
Sustainable Development Goals beginning in 2016.
Due to their economic power, the 34 OECD member states have a
special responsibility to pursue the new goals.
In the US, resources must be used much more efficiently.
Example: reducing waste
SHARE OF GLOBAL ECONOMY
OECD countries
62%
USA 22%
Rest of the
world
38%
0 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 101
Sweden
Norway
Denmark
Finland
Switzerland
Germany
Netherlands
Belgium
Iceland
France
Canada
Austria
Slovenia
Japan
United Kingdom
New Zealand
Luxembourg
Spain
Australia
Ireland
Estonia
Poland
South Korea
Czech Republic
Portugal
Italy
Slovakia
Israel
United States
Greece
Chile
Hungary
Turkey
Mexico
Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Index
© Bertelsmann Stiftung 2015
725kg
293kg
ESTONIA
RANK: 1
USA
RANK: 33
Overall ranking: Scandinavia on top, US among the weakest.
But every country still has a lot to do.
Currently, the US is unlikely to achieve several goals:
END POVERTY
IN ALL ITS FORMS
17.4% OF AMERICANS
LIVE BELOW THE
NATIONAL POVERTY LINE
30th
out of 34
IMPROVE
NUTRITION
HIGHEST INCIDENCE OF
OBESITY: 1/3 AFFECTED
34th
out of 34
COMBAT
CLIMATE CHANGE
16.2 TONS
OF CO2
PER CAPITA
32nd
out of 34
Municipal waste per person