UN's Pact for the Future

NOW IT'S YOUR TURN!

The world is at a pivotal moment, and the leaders have responded by adopting a historic "Pact for the Future" during the recent UN Summit of the Future in New York at the end of last month. This pact could be the key to unlocking a brighter, more sustainable future—but it won’t happen unless we take action.

Our house is on fire—climate change, resource conflicts, and economic instability are pushing us to the brink. We cannot afford to delay any longer. The choices we make now will determine the world we leave for future generations.

The Pact for the Future addresses these challenges in several key ways:

1️⃣ Renewing Multilateralism: It lays the groundwork for a much-needed reform of global governance, including potential changes to the UN Security Council. Stronger global cooperation is essential to tackle the crises we face.

2️⃣ Reaffirming the SDGs and Paris Agreement: The pact urges the world to increase the pace of the green transition and double down on our commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

But this Pact holds even more potential than just addressing today’s challenges—it takes a bold step forward by committing to a post-GDP world. This is game-changing. For the first time ever, world leaders acknowledge that GDP alone cannot measure the true progress of a society. Our current economic system is the root of the multiple crises we are experiencing, and this recognition is the first step toward healing our planet and our societies🌍

🔑 A Declaration for Future Generations 🔑
Included in the Pact is a powerful Declaration on Future Generations. This declaration emphasises the need for new, sustainable metrics and pledges intergenerational equity—a commitment to ensuring that today’s decisions benefit not just us, but future generations. It holds governments accountable, mandating long-term, cross-sectoral thinking beyond traditional political boundaries. That means we as citizens need to help our politicians to be bold and ambitious for the sake of our common future.

📢 But this change won’t happen on its own. Bold decisions require bold leadership—and leaders need the courage to follow through on their promises. That’s where grassroots movements come in. As citizens, it is our duty to push our politicians, governments, and institutions to take responsibility for their commitments. We must ensure that these bold ideas don’t become just words on paper, but real actions that lead to a sustainable, fair, and just future.

Yes, the Pact is far from perfect as many articles have astutely pointed out ( Reuters article on how the Pact fails to protect future generations, Outcome of the summit for future, Nach Dank Seiten article on how the implementation of the pact is still a mystery). It may be incremental, and it lacks clear details on how these ideas will be implemented. But like the Agenda 2030 from 2015, it provides a critical starting point. 

🌱 What does this mean for you? 🌱

At Gaia Education, we’ve been committed to contributing to the SDGs since 2016. We believe that now is the time to reignite the global movement for sustainability. From community projects to national policies, from local action to global impact, we all have a role to play. The future is shaped by every decision we make today.

🔧 Start your journey now! 🔧

We have developed a brand new SDG Toolkit for Designing Community Projects, an essential resource to help you and your community implement the SDGs at every level, in all groups, institutions, projects, communities and organisations. From small grassroots efforts to large-scale initiatives, this toolkit provides everything you need to start making a difference, right now.

Access SDG toolkit