Seeking Sustainable Development Sustainedly

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development， adopted by the UN in September 2015， represents a new framework for the world to achieve sustainable development， and projects a shared vision for all of humanity. However， as the COVID-19 pandemic weighs down the world， it has become even harder to realize the Sustainable Development Goals （SDGs）. The 2020 global GDP is predicted to shrink by 5.2 percent， plunging 60 million people into extreme poverty. This will reverse the declining trend of the global poverty headcount ratio， which had been sustained for 20 years.

Meanwhile， the decrease in economic activity due to the pandemic has also eased pressure on the environment， which has been evident in the improved air quality. In early April， global daily carbon dioxide emissions fell by 17 percent over the 2019 average. Its predicted that the overall carbon dioxide discharges in 2020 will drop by four to seven percentage points compared with last year.

The COVID-19 pandemic is forcing humanity to confront daunting challenges that lie ahead and give serious thought to ways of meeting the SDGs and reaching the goals set out in the Paris Agreement. To this end， multilateralism and international cooperation lead the way.