Ten years on from the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the vision of improving lives everywhere in harmony with our planet is under unprecedented strain. Their creation was a milestone of global unity which stands in stark contrast to today’s more divided world.
But while today’s politics are more fractured, the story of green growth and development is far from over. Instead, a new era is emerging—one shaped less by sweeping international accords and more by markets, technology, and innovative partnerships and coalitions.
The progress is real. Without decarbonization commitments, according to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), global warming was likely to exceed 4 degrees Celsius by 2100. Instead, we’re now on track for less than half that. Alongside this, notable successes have been secured such as Article 6 at COP29, where it was also agreed that financing to developing countries be tripled. Businesses have responded by embedding sustainability at the core of their strategies—driven not just by regulation, but by risk management, customer demand, and shareholder expectations.
International negotiations alone cannot deliver the pace of change required. The debate surrounding the COP process underscores how complex the international context has become. Country priorities are shifting, which in turn are creating a difficult environment for forward-thinking, collaborative policy ideas.
While it’s difficult to imagine landmark international agreements on the scale of the SDGs, one can anticipate change. There is no one right way forward, but four key transformations are likely to make a powerful difference. First, will be a greater role for the private sector, particularly public-private collaboration; second, different types of dialogue, trust-building and non-government entities will create the momentum for progress bilaterally and in regional blocks; third, ever-stronger linkages between the green transition and digital technologies; and fourth, the emergence of nature as a new strategic investment frontier.
Policy action remains vital, but energy is moving toward networks of businesses, industries, and regions that see opportunity in boldly leading the green growth agenda. We’re likely to see pockets of activity, where businesses, industries, and sectors see value in being aligned. A great example of this is the First Mover’s Coalition, a global coalition of businesses whose goal is to use their purchasing power to decarbonize the world’s heavy-emitting industrial sectors. These businesses are both committed and sufficiently large to be able to share the risk and place themselves at the forefront of change.
From this has developed an associated initiative, the First Mover’s Coalition for Food, the aim of which is to accelerate the adoption of sustainable production methods and technologies for agricultural commodities. This has particular resonance for COP30 host Brazil where 66% of its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are associated with land use change. Another is the growth of industrial clusters, where multiple industries develop localized clean energy value chains for shared use.
Environmental regulation has grown exponentially in the past decade, and businesses are in the frontline of navigating this. This creates pressure for change, which we’ll see non-government entities increasingly satisfy. An example of this is carbon accounting standards. Earlier in September, the organizations that produce two of the major sets of tools used—the GHG protocol and the ISO 1406x series—partnered to create one set of tools, and with it, a universal benchmark and language against which to measure GHG emissions. This example potentially marks the start of consolidation of standards and tools bringing greater consistency, transparency, and uniformity. This is exactly the kind of evolution that allows markets to scale solutions.
And then there is technology. The past decade has seen extraordinary advances, but the real accelerator is convergence. This element of technology convergence is not only transforming industries but unlocking new economic and societal value. AI, in particular, is opening up possibilities few could have imagined even two years ago. With agentic AI enabling autonomous decision-making throughout complex systems, cities could soon orchestrate logistics in ways that simultaneously cut pollution, improve health, and lower costs. The speed and scale of what these tools can achieve is changing the equation. A glance at this year’s top 10 technologies underscores this–and the level of granularity we’ve achieved—with applications as diverse as osmotic power systems and autonomous biochemical sensing.
But the aim for sustainable prosperity is not only to be solved with technology – investment into greener infrastructure, nature and nature-based solutions is also on the rise. Private finance for nature reached over $102 billion in 2024. Among the notable transactions is DP World’s U.S. $100 million blue bond, MENA region’s first corporate blue bond issuance. It channels capital into blue economy priorities including sustainable shipping, greener port infrastructure, pollution reduction, and initiatives that protect marine and water ecosystems. The field is young, but its trajectory is clear. More work needs to be done to put in place tools and strategies that reduce the financial risks and uncertainties associated with investing into this sector, as well as to develop market demand, but the coming decade can be expected to herald a dramatic re-evaluation of nature’s worth and its opportunities.
According to the World Economic Forum’s latest Global Risks Report, the gravest threats over the next decade are environmental, from extreme weather and biodiversity loss to resource shortages and pollution. Yet the responses of the past decade offer hope.
The story of the next decade will not be about a single treaty or moment of unity. Instead, it will be written by coalitions, innovators, and businesses that choose to lead. They will set the pace, capture the opportunities, and prove that action on climate and nature is not just survival—it is strategy.
The post A Decade Since the SDGs, a Green Growth Agenda is Growing appeared first on TIME.
