80% of the world's ocean plastics enter the ocean through rivers and coasts. The other 20% comes from marine sources such as fishing nets, ropes, and fleets. To deal with plastic pollution, we need to know where these plastics come from. Previous studies suggested that a very small number of rivers were responsible for the vast majority of ocean plastics: 60% to 90% of the plastics came from just ten rivers.
Higher-resolution mapping and consideration of factors such as climate, terrain, land use, and distance to the ocean suggest that many smaller rivers play a bigger role than we thought. 1,600 of the largest emitting rivers are needed to account for 80% of plastic inputs to the ocean.
It is estimated that 81% of ocean plastics come from Asian rivers. The Philippines alone contributes about a third of the world total. Since the number of contributing rivers is much larger than previously thought, we will need global efforts to improve waste management and plastic collection rather than targeting just a few of the larger rivers.
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Following decades of very fast population growth, there is often concern that population growth is out-of-control: that an end to growth is not in sight.
But we know this is not the case: population growth is slowing and will come to an end. How do we know? The moment in demographic history when the number of children in the world stops increasing is not far away. It is the moment that Hans Rosling famously called ‘peak child’ and it is pre-emptive of the moment in history when the population stops increasing.
Most of the countries of the world are now democracies. The slow increase in the number of democracies in the last two centuries was marked by the First and Second World Wars.
A democracy is a political system with institutions that allow citizens to express their political preferences, has constraints on the power of the executive, and provides a guarantee of civil liberties.
Half of the world’s habitable land is used for agriculture, with most of this used to raise livestock for dairy and meat. Livestock is fed from two sources – lands on which the animals graze and land on which feeding crops, such as soy and cereals, are grown. How much would our agricultural land use decline if the world adopted a plant-based diet?
Research suggests that if everyone shifted to a plant-based diet we would reduce global land use for agriculture by 75%. This large reduction of agricultural land use would be possible thanks to a reduction in land used for grazing and a smaller need for land to grow crops. The research also shows that cutting out beef and dairy (by substituting chicken, eggs, fish, or plant-based food) has a much larger impact than eliminating chicken or fish.
There is a link between good health and political freedom. A study in 2015 shows that countries with the highest democratic index show a reduction in infant mortality.
Conserve And Sustainably Use The Oceans, Seas And Marine Resources - The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 14
The UN explains: "Our oceans — their temperature, circulation, chemistry, and ecosystems — play a fundamental role in making Earth habitable.
Our rainwater, drinking water, weather, climate, coastlines, much of our food, and even the oxygen in the air we breathe, are all ultimately provided and regulated by the sea. Throughout history, oceans and seas have been vital conduits for trade and transportation. Careful management of this essential global resource is a key feature of a sustainable future."
The UN has defined 10 Targets and 10 Indicators for SDG 14. Targets specify the goals and Indicators represent the metrics by which the world aims to track whether these Targets are achieved. Below we quote the original text of all Targets and show the data on the agreed Indicators.
How is the world doing on this goal?
Take Urgent Action To Combat Climate Change And Its Impacts - The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 13
The UN explains: "Affordable, scalable solutions are now available to enable countries to leapfrog to cleaner, more resilient economies. The pace of change is quickening as more people are turning to renewable energy and a range of other measures that will reduce emissions and increase adaptation efforts."
Further data and statistics can be found at the Our World in Data entry on CO2 and Other Greenhouse Gas Emissions.
The UN has defined 5 Targets and 8 Indicators for SDG 13. Targets specify the goals and Indicators represent the metrics by which the world aims to track whether these Targets are achieved. Below we quote the original text of all Targets and show the data on the agreed Indicators.
How is the world doing on this goal?
Ensure Sustainable Consumption And Production Patterns - The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 12
The UN explains: "Sustainable consumption and production is about promoting resource and energy efficiency, sustainable infrastructure, and providing access to basic services, green and decent jobs, and a better quality of life for all. Its implementation helps to achieve overall development plans, reduce future economic, environmental and social costs, strengthen economic competitiveness and reduce poverty."
Definitions of and indicators for sustainable resource consumption are currently limited, as shown in the data available below.
The UN has defined 11 Targets and 13 Indicators for SDG 12. Targets specify the goals and Indicators represent the metrics by which the world aims to track whether these Targets are achieved. Below we quote the original text of all Targets and show the data on the agreed Indicators.
How is the world doing on this goal?
Make Cities Inclusive, Safe, Resilient And Sustainable - The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 11
The UN explains: "The challenges cities face can be overcome in ways that allow them to continue to thrive and grow while improving resource use and reducing pollution and poverty. The future we want includes cities of opportunities for all, with access to basic services, energy, housing, transportation, and more."
The UN has defined 10 Targets and 15 Indicators for SDG 11. Targets specify the goals and Indicators represent the metrics by which the world aims to track whether these Targets are achieved. Below we quote the original text of all Targets and show the data on the agreed Indicators.
How is the world doing on this goal?
Reduce Inequality Within And Among Countries - The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 10
The UN explains: "The international community has made significant strides towards lifting people out of poverty. The most vulnerable nations – the least developed countries, the landlocked developing countries, and the small island developing states – continue to make inroads into poverty reduction. However, inequality still persists and large disparities remain in access to health and education services and other assets."
The UN has defined 10 Targets and 11 Indicators for SDG 10. Targets specify the goals and Indicators represent the metrics by which the world aims to track whether these Targets are achieved. Below we quote the original text of all Targets and show the data on the agreed Indicators.
How is the world doing on this goal?
Industry, Innovation And Infrastructure - The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 9
The UN explains: "Investments in infrastructure – transport, irrigation, energy, and information and communication technology – are crucial to achieving sustainable development and empowering communities in many countries. It has long been recognized that growth in productivity and incomes, and improvements in health and education outcomes require investment in infrastructure."
The UN has defined 8 Targets and 12 Indicators for SDG 9. Targets specify the goals and Indicators represent the metrics by which the world aims to track whether these Targets are achieved. Below we quote the original text of all Targets and show the data on the agreed Indicators.
How is the world doing on this goal?
Decent Work And Economic Growth - The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 8
The UN explains: "Roughly half the world’s population still lives on the equivalent of about US$2 a day. And in too many places, having a job doesn’t guarantee the ability to escape from poverty. This slow and uneven progress requires us to rethink and retool our economic and social policies aimed at eradicating poverty."
The UN has defined 12 Targets and 17 Indicators for SDG 8. Targets specify the goals and Indicators represent the metrics by which the world aims to track whether these Targets are achieved. Below we quote the original text of all Targets and show the data on the agreed Indicators.
How is the world doing on this goal?
Affordable And Clean Energy - The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 7
The UN explains: "Energy is central to nearly every major challenge and opportunity the world faces today. Be it for jobs, security, climate change, food production, or increasing incomes, access to energy for all is essential.
Transitioning the global economy towards clean and sustainable sources of energy is one of our greatest challenges in the coming decades. Sustainable energy is an opportunity – it transforms lives, economies, and the planet."
The UN has defined 5 Targets and 6 Indicators for SDG 7. Targets specify the goals and Indicators represent the metrics by which the world aims to track whether these Targets are achieved. Below we quote the original text of all Targets and show the data on the agreed Indicators.
How is the world doing on this goal?
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A democracy is a political system with institutions that allow citizens to express their political preferences, has constraints on the power of the executive, and provides a guarantee of civil liberties.
80% of the world's ocean plastics enter the ocean through rivers and coasts. The other 20% comes from marine sources such as fishing nets, ropes, and fleets. To deal with plastic pollution, we need to know where these plastics come from. Previous studies suggested that a very small number of rivers were responsible for the vast majority of ocean plastics: 60% to 90% of the plastics came from just ten rivers.
Higher-resolution mapping and consideration of factors such as climate, terrain, land use, and distance to the ocean suggest that many smaller rivers play a bigger role than we thought. 1,600 of the largest emitting rivers are needed to account for 80% of plastic inputs to the ocean.
It is estimated that 81% of ocean plastics come from Asian rivers. The Philippines alone contributes about a third of the world total. Since the number of contributing rivers is much larger than previously thought, we will need global efforts to improve waste management and plastic collection rather than targeting just a few of the larger rivers.
Half of the world’s habitable land is used for agriculture, with most of this used to raise livestock for dairy and meat. Livestock is fed from two sources – lands on which the animals graze and land on which feeding crops, such as soy and cereals, are grown. How much would our agricultural land use decline if the world adopted a plant-based diet?
Research suggests that if everyone shifted to a plant-based diet we would reduce global land use for agriculture by 75%. This large reduction of agricultural land use would be possible thanks to a reduction in land used for grazing and a smaller need for land to grow crops. The research also shows that cutting out beef and dairy (by substituting chicken, eggs, fish, or plant-based food) has a much larger impact than eliminating chicken or fish.
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Given the global crisis on the subject of COVID-19, thestateofdemocracy.org has created a survey of 10 simple questions for our readers. This was done to collect the opinion of the world citizens to support the scientific and government community.
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The UN explains: "Our oceans — their temperature, circulation, chemistry, and ecosystems — play a fundamental role in making Earth habitable.
Our rainwater, drinking water, weather, climate, coastlines, much of our food, and even the oxygen in the air we breathe, are all ultimately provided and regulated by the sea. Throughout history, oceans and seas have been vital conduits for trade and transportation. Careful management of this essential global resource is a key feature of a sustainable future."
The UN has defined 10 Targets and 10 Indicators for SDG 14. Targets specify the goals and Indicators represent the metrics by which the world aims to track whether these Targets are achieved. Below we quote the original text of all Targets and show the data on the agreed Indicators.
How is the world doing on this goal?
The UN explains: "Affordable, scalable solutions are now available to enable countries to leapfrog to cleaner, more resilient economies. The pace of change is quickening as more people are turning to renewable energy and a range of other measures that will reduce emissions and increase adaptation efforts."
Further data and statistics can be found at the Our World in Data entry on CO2 and Other Greenhouse Gas Emissions.
The UN has defined 5 Targets and 8 Indicators for SDG 13. Targets specify the goals and Indicators represent the metrics by which the world aims to track whether these Targets are achieved. Below we quote the original text of all Targets and show the data on the agreed Indicators.
How is the world doing on this goal?
The UN explains: "Sustainable consumption and production is about promoting resource and energy efficiency, sustainable infrastructure, and providing access to basic services, green and decent jobs, and a better quality of life for all. Its implementation helps to achieve overall development plans, reduce future economic, environmental and social costs, strengthen economic competitiveness and reduce poverty."
Definitions of and indicators for sustainable resource consumption are currently limited, as shown in the data available below.
The UN has defined 11 Targets and 13 Indicators for SDG 12. Targets specify the goals and Indicators represent the metrics by which the world aims to track whether these Targets are achieved. Below we quote the original text of all Targets and show the data on the agreed Indicators.
How is the world doing on this goal?
The UN explains: "The challenges cities face can be overcome in ways that allow them to continue to thrive and grow while improving resource use and reducing pollution and poverty. The future we want includes cities of opportunities for all, with access to basic services, energy, housing, transportation, and more."
The UN has defined 10 Targets and 15 Indicators for SDG 11. Targets specify the goals and Indicators represent the metrics by which the world aims to track whether these Targets are achieved. Below we quote the original text of all Targets and show the data on the agreed Indicators.
How is the world doing on this goal?
The UN explains: "The international community has made significant strides towards lifting people out of poverty. The most vulnerable nations – the least developed countries, the landlocked developing countries, and the small island developing states – continue to make inroads into poverty reduction. However, inequality still persists and large disparities remain in access to health and education services and other assets."
The UN has defined 10 Targets and 11 Indicators for SDG 10. Targets specify the goals and Indicators represent the metrics by which the world aims to track whether these Targets are achieved. Below we quote the original text of all Targets and show the data on the agreed Indicators.
How is the world doing on this goal?
The UN explains: "Investments in infrastructure – transport, irrigation, energy, and information and communication technology – are crucial to achieving sustainable development and empowering communities in many countries. It has long been recognized that growth in productivity and incomes, and improvements in health and education outcomes require investment in infrastructure."
The UN has defined 8 Targets and 12 Indicators for SDG 9. Targets specify the goals and Indicators represent the metrics by which the world aims to track whether these Targets are achieved. Below we quote the original text of all Targets and show the data on the agreed Indicators.
How is the world doing on this goal?
The UN explains: "Roughly half the world’s population still lives on the equivalent of about US$2 a day. And in too many places, having a job doesn’t guarantee the ability to escape from poverty. This slow and uneven progress requires us to rethink and retool our economic and social policies aimed at eradicating poverty."
The UN has defined 12 Targets and 17 Indicators for SDG 8. Targets specify the goals and Indicators represent the metrics by which the world aims to track whether these Targets are achieved. Below we quote the original text of all Targets and show the data on the agreed Indicators.
How is the world doing on this goal?
The UN explains: "Energy is central to nearly every major challenge and opportunity the world faces today. Be it for jobs, security, climate change, food production, or increasing incomes, access to energy for all is essential.
Transitioning the global economy towards clean and sustainable sources of energy is one of our greatest challenges in the coming decades. Sustainable energy is an opportunity – it transforms lives, economies, and the planet."
The UN has defined 5 Targets and 6 Indicators for SDG 7. Targets specify the goals and Indicators represent the metrics by which the world aims to track whether these Targets are achieved. Below we quote the original text of all Targets and show the data on the agreed Indicators.
How is the world doing on this goal?
The UN explains: "Clean water is a basic human need and one that should be easily accessible to all. There is sufficient fresh water on the planet to achieve this. However, due to poor infrastructure, investment, and planning, every year millions of people — most of them children — die from diseases associated with inadequate water supply, sanitation, and hygiene."
The UN has defined 8 Targets and 11 Indicators for SDG 6. Targets specify the goals and Indicators represent the metrics by which the world aims to track whether these Targets are achieved. Below we quote the original text of all Targets and show the data on the agreed Indicators.
How is the world doing on this goal?
The UN explains: "Gender equality is not only a fundamental human right but a necessary foundation for a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable world.
Providing women and girls with equal access to education, health care, decent work, and representation in political and economic decision-making processes will fuel sustainable economies and benefit societies and humanity at large."
The UN has defined 9 Targets and 14 Indicators for SDG 5. Targets specify the goals and Indicators represent the metrics by which the world aims to track whether these Targets are achieved. Below we quote the original text of all Targets and show the data on the agreed Indicators.
How is the world doing on this goal?
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