The year 2025 marks a critical juncture for global development. With just five years until the 2030 deadline, only around one-fifth of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) targets are on track. Record-breaking global temperatures and carbon and fossil fuel emissions demonstrate a lack of progress on climate goals and pledges, with 2024 being the hottest year on record. Additionally, the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic are still being felt across societies and sectors, not only impeding health outcomes but also reversing development gains more broadly. […]