How Deep Tech is closing the gap on the SDGs
Mon, 02/03/2025 - 12:00
The 2030 deadline to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is fast approaching. More needs to be done faster to meet these goals. Deep Tech startups can help to accelerate the pace of change in key sectors like energy and advanced materials. While reporting standards can help align Deep Tech innovations to fulfil SDGs, their lack of interoperability remains a challenge that often leaves gaps.
Seventeen goals, 169 targets, five more years.
As the clock ticks down to 2030, nations around the world are facing a reckoning on their United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The SDGs are a shared blueprint that aims to eradicate poverty, protect the environment, and usher in peace and prosperity for all by 2030. They set out targets in areas such as climate action, affordable and clean energy, and gender equality.
According to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals Report 2024, only 17 per cent of SDG targets are on track, while progress on one third of SDGs has either halted or is regressing.
“These statistics underscore the urgent need for innovative solutions and stronger collective action to accelerate progress and narrow the gaps,” said Ms Weijing Ye, Deep Tech and Innovation Analyst at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Global Centre for Technology, Innovation and Sustainable Development in Singapore.
She noted that research shows 97% of Deep Tech innovations contribute to at least one (SDG), demonstrating the potential of these advanced technologies to drive global sustainable development.
Ms Ye spoke at the inaugural Deep Tech for SDG Series, jointly organised by the UNDP Global Centre and SGInnovate. The series explores how Deep Tech innovations can be applied to some of the most pressing challenges of our time. It serves as a platform to bring together diverse stakeholders from the Deep Tech ecosystem, fostering collaboration to translate these innovations into impactful solutions.