China and The U.S.: Moving Towards Sustainable Development Goals

Abstract

This article compares the two largest economies of the world and the leading global actors – the United States and China – from the point of view of progress towards the sustainable development goals (SDGs), adopted in 2015 by the UN General Assembly as a ‘plan for achieving a better and more sustainable future for all’. The comparison was based on data from SDG indices developed as part of a project led by Jeffrey Sachs. According to the integral index, China still lags behind the United States, but is rapidly improving its position. Based on the consideration of all 17 SDGs, it is shown that for 3 SDGs, China’s indicators are noticeably superior to the United States, for 5 SDGs, China lags behind the United States, and indicators for the remaining SDGs are close by. The analysis made it possible to conclude that progress towards the SDGs for the USA and China is interconnected. Despite all the differences between the countries under consideration, common areas of success (quality education, poverty eradication, industrialization, innovation and infrastructure) and areas of lag (reducing inequality, preserving marine ecosystems, preserving terrestrial ecosystems) are identified. It is shown that China has historically demonstrated centralized and hierarchical schemes, operating primarily on a top-down basis, which allows for the initial establishment of a holistic and balanced approach and ensuring consistency in the implementation of plans. The US is characterized by a bottom-up approach that allows for greater flexibility, initiative and responsibility at the corporate and local levels. At the same time, US policy in the area of SDGs largely depends on the political attitudes of the administration in power. The multidimensional nature of the mutual dependence of the economies of the United States and China, the direct or indirect influence of these largest economies in the world, necessitate increasing coordination of actions and correlation of policies. The complexity of the transition to sustainable development and the inability of one country to completely solve them on their own leads to the need for coordinated and complementary policies. Therefore, it is necessary to consider ways to achieve the SDGs in the broad context of cooperation between interested countries.