A UN-backed report has identified five man‑made “megatrends” that will dominate global efforts towards putting the world on a more sustainable and prosperous path.
These include climate change and nature degradation, inequalities, urbanisation, rapid population changes and technological revolution. It also warned that these trends could derail the development process if remedial "policy interventions" are not implemented now.
This is the moment for the world to come together
The report, titled Shaping the Trends of Our Time, said that five years into the implementation of the Sustainable Development Agenda, progress is already off-track and, in many instances, may have even been reversed by the Covid-19 pandemic.
“This is the moment for the world to come together to confront the megatrends highlighted in this report through forward-looking policies that are fit for purpose,” said Mukhisa Kituyi, secretary-general of United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.
“A better and fairer society can emerge from the Covid-19 pandemic if global coordinated action is taken to address the fragilities within and among nations to ensure prosperity for all,” added Mr Kituyi.
Policy commitments have not translated into policy actions, the report said.
Sustainable practices happening but too slowly
Sustainable finance is increasing but neither fast enough nor at the necessary scale. The change in our behaviour and mindsets does not yet match our ambitions for sustainable development, it added.
Without an overhaul of the current disjointed policy-making, the achievement of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, the 15-year global objectives to improve the lives of people everywhere, is highly unlikely.
“Decades in the making, these megatrends cannot be easily undone or changed in any significant way in the immediate term,” said Liu Zhenmin, head of the UN Department for Economic and Social Affairs that led the report preparation.
“But they are the result of human activity, and therefore they can be shaped over time by consistent policies.”
For example, decades of targeted policies have contributed to one of the mankind’s biggest shifts in megatrends - the drastic changes in the world population.
From a peak of 2 per cent in the 1960s, average annual growth of the global population has slowed down to 1 per cent at present and is expected to cease entirely by the end of the century.
“Because each megatrend also affects the other megatrends, policy interventions in one area can generate positive and mutually reinforcing impacts in another,” said Mr Zhenmin.
For example, urbanisation brings together all the factors necessary for technological innovation and productivity gains. And although urban centres generate most global greenhouse gas emissions and close to half of all waste, proper planning and control can overcome the damages to the environment, the report added.
It also stressed that the UN has a crucial role in framing the responses to the global megatrends.
TALE OF THE TAPE
Manny Pacquiao
Record: 59-6-2 (38 KOs)
Age: 38
Weight: 146lbs
Height: 166cm
Reach: 170cm
Jeff Horn
Record: 16-0-1 (11 KOs)
Age: 29
Weight: 146.2lbs
Height: 175cm
Reach: 173cm
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
If you go...
Etihad Airways flies from Abu Dhabi to Kuala Lumpur, from about Dh3,600. Air Asia currently flies from Kuala Lumpur to Terengganu, with Berjaya Hotels & Resorts planning to launch direct chartered flights to Redang Island in the near future. Rooms at The Taaras Beach and Spa Resort start from 680RM (Dh597).
The biog
Fatima Al Darmaki is an Emirati widow with three children
She has received 46 certificates of appreciation and excellence throughout her career
She won the 'ideal mother' category at the Minister of Interior Awards for Excellence
Her favourite food is Harees, a slow-cooked porridge-like dish made from boiled wheat berries mixed with chicken
Brief scores
Day 1
Toss England, chose to bat
England, 1st innings 357-5 (87 overs): Root 184 not out, Moeen 61 not out, Stokes 56; Philander 3-46
Pakistan World Cup squad
Sarfraz Ahmed (c), Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Abid Ali, Babar Azam, Haris Sohail, Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Hafeez(subject to fitness), Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Hasan Ali, Faheem Ashraf, Junaid Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Hasnain
Two additions for England ODIs: Mohammad Amir and Asif Ali
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20M3%20MACBOOK%20AIR%20(13%22)
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Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
Mountain%20Boy
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MATCH INFO
Syria v Australia
2018 World Cup qualifying: Asia fourth round play-off first leg
Venue: Hang Jebat Stadium (Malacca, Malayisa)
Kick-off: Thursday, 4.30pm (UAE)
Watch: beIN Sports HD
* Second leg in Australia scheduled for October 10
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Voy!%20Voy!%20Voy!
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