Innovation for every drop
Humanitarian aid — Middle East and Northern Africa
How the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Water Award is advancing global solutions to water scarcity through innovation, recognition, and impact
Industry, innovation and infrastructure
Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation
Targets
Indicators
Target
9.1
Develop quality, reliable, sustainable and resilient infrastructure, including regional and transborder infrastructure, to support economic development and human well-being, with a focus on affordable and equitable access for all
Indicators
9.1.1
Proportion of the rural population who live within 2 km of an all-season road
9.1.2
Passenger and freight volumes, by mode of transport
Target
9.2
Promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and, by 2030, significantly raise industry’s share of employment and gross domestic product, in line with national circumstances, and double its share in least developed countries
Indicators
9.2.1
Manufacturing value added as a proportion of GDP and per capita
9.2.2
Manufacturing employment as a proportion of total employment
Target
9.3
Increase the access of small-scale industrial and other enterprises, in particular in developing countries, to financial services, including affordable credit, and their integration into value chains and markets
Indicators
9.3.1
Proportion of small-scale industries in total industry value added
9.3.2
Proportion of small-scale industries with a loan or line of credit
Target
9.4
By 2030, upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable, with increased resource-use efficiency and greater adoption of clean and environmentally sound technologies and industrial processes, with all countries taking action in accordance with their respective capabilities
Indicators
9.4.1
CO2 emission per unit of value added
Target
9.5
Enhance scientific research, upgrade the technological capabilities of industrial sectors in all countries, in particular developing countries, including, by 2030, encouraging innovation and substantially increasing the number of research and development workers per 1 million people and public and private research and development spending
Indicators
9.5.1
Research and development expenditure as a proportion of GDP
9.5.2
Researchers (in full-time equivalent) per million inhabitants
Target
9.a
Facilitate sustainable and resilient infrastructure development in developing countries through enhanced financial, technological and technical support to African countries, least developed countries, landlocked developing countries and small island developing States
Indicators
9.a.1
Total official international support (official development assistance plus other official flows) to infrastructure
Target
9.b
Support domestic technology development, research and innovation in developing countries, including by ensuring a conducive policy environment for, inter alia, industrial diversification and value addition to commodities
Indicators
9.b.1
Proportion of medium and high-tech industry value added in total value added
Target
9.c
Significantly increase access to information and communications technology and strive to provide universal and affordable access to the Internet in least developed countries by 2020
Indicators
9.c.1
Proportion of population covered by a mobile network, by technology
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Redefining sustainable water management for a water-scarce world
Cities — Middle East and Northern Africa
Through innovation, foresight, and rigorous alignment with global standards, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) is pioneering a future-ready water management model that safeguards reliability, sustainability, and resilience, contributing meaningfully to the achievement of SDG 6
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Bridging the divide: using technology and AI to close the development gap
Data and monitoring — Global
Digital innovation can drive progress toward the SDGs – yet the countries that stand to gain the most often face the highest barriers to adoption. We need a more inclusive model of technology transfer to close, not widen, the global development gap
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Can the circular economy revive the SDGs?
Climate — Global
With the Sustainable Development Goals at risk of falling short by 2030, a circular economy model could be the revitalizing force we need. By embracing the mutually reinforcing approach of sustainability and circularity, we can accelerate progress toward existing targets – and inspire a transformative vision for the decades ahead
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Green tech: disrupting the status quo to slow climate change
Climate — Global
Addressing climate change requires a paradigm shift: disruptive, decarbonizing technologies across agriculture, industrials, buildings, energy, and transportation, backed by strong government investment. By fostering exploratory innovation in each sector, we can create the comprehensive solutions for the sustainable transformation we need
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Advancing the Global Agenda through adopting Circular Economy
Economic development — Middle East and Northern Africa
Circular economy principles are a driving force behind Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA)’s ongoing commitment to sustainability. The power of the circular economy to revolutionize how we produce, consume, and manage resources is a critical tool in achieving the UN’s Agenda 2030
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Investing to avert a sanitation crisis
Health — Global
Demographics and climate change are combining to create an impending sanitation crisis in many poorer regions of the world. Averting it means investing now in safe, climate-resilient sanitation as a foundation for health, dignity, and prosperity
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Inequality is the defining challenge of our time
Financing — Global
Inequality is undermining progress across the SDGs, distorting economies, politics, and societies alike. Tackling it will require structural economic transformation, political will, and stronger global coordination
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Science-based policymaking – bridging the gulf between promise and reality
Global governance — Global
We have built an intricate understanding of the dynamics between climate change, environmental systems, and resource use. We have also made huge strides in developing tools to analyze and model data. Why, then, are we not using this science to direct policy?
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Trade at a turning point: why COP30’s new climate-trade forum could reshape global action
Climate — Global
With trade measures rising and global warming accelerating, COP30 in Belém, Brazil, introduced a new forum to rebuild trust between climate and trade communities. Its promise – and its challenges – will shape the next phase of global climate cooperation
