Africa: Experts Expose Critical Gap in Global Sustainable Development Agenda

A new report from the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) and the NYU Center for Environmental and Animal Protection (CEAP) warns that the current UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) systematically neglect animal welfare and health — a gap undermining progress on human health, environmental protection and social equity.

Despite growing international support for a One Health approach, which recognizes the interlinkages between human, animal, and environmental health, the current SDGs remain incomplete without the systematic inclusion of animal health and animal welfare. This omission matters because the SDG framework is the main international framework for achieving sustainable development in the 2015–2030 period.

The report to be published 9 December, Integrating Animal Health and Welfare into the 2030 Agenda and Beyond, warns that neglecting animal health and welfare can increase major global risks such as zoonotic disease emergence, antimicrobial resistance, biodiversity loss, and ecosystem degradation, while forgoing solutions that can benefit humans and animals at the same time.

The report comes during the 7th UN Environment Assembly , a biennial global gathering of ministers of the environment, in Nairobi, Kenya, dedicated to tackling global sustainable challenges.

“If we want a coherent and effective sustainable development agenda, we can no longer treat animal welfare as an afterthought,” said Cleo Verkuijl, a Senior Scientist at SEI and co-lead author of the report. “Improving the wellbeing of animals can help tackle the root causes of many global crises – from pandemics to climate change – while improving livelihoods and public health.”

The report identifies three pathways to integrate animal welfare into global governance:

Strengthen animal welfare within current SDG implementation , for example by incorporating wildlife coexistence into urban planning (SDG 11).
Introduce new SDG targets and indicators that reflect human-animal-environment interconnections, such as metrics to reduce zoonotic disease spillover or track the phase-out of harmful agricultural subsidies.
Consider a dedicated SDG on animal health and welfare , elevating the issue to the level of other global priorities and reinforcing One Health principles.

“The world is not on track to meet the 2030 Agenda,” said Jeff Sebo, Director of CEAP and co-lead author of the report. “As UNEA-7 brings leaders together in Nairobi, we have an opportunity to take practical steps to embed animal health and welfare into global policy, strengthen action for the next five years, and shape a post-2030 agenda that benefits humans, animals, and the environment.”

Priority areas for action include transforming industrial animal agriculture and fishing systems; embedding animal welfare in conservation and anti-trafficking measures; assessing welfare impacts in infrastructure and technological innovation; and strengthening education and research that support holistic, One Health-aligned solutions.

The report further argues that even as we learn more about the critical role of animals in sustainable development, new societal developments with significant implications for animals – from artificial intelligence to deep-sea exploration – are rapidly outpacing governance structures, highlighting the need for forward-looking One Health–aligned approaches.

Momentum for action is already building. The UN Environment Assembly has recognized animal welfare’s relevance to sustainable development, and recent global initiatives – including the establishment of the One Health High-Level Expert Panel and the Pandemic Agreement – reinforce the importance of a coordinated global response on these issues.

A detailed Technical Supplement accompanies the report, offering suggested refinements to SDGs 1–17 and proposing potential targets and indicators for a dedicated SDG 18 on animal health and welfare.

By the numbers

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