Digital technologies — especially connectivity, big data, and artificial intelligence, among others, are transforming every facet of the economy. With public sector expenditure in most countries accounting for anywhere from one-third to two-thirds of gross domestic product (GDP), it has become an imperative for governments to actively drive digitization efforts. Governments are beginning to play a key role in the digitization of their country’s economy which is impacting industry and […]

This Progress Report is presented to the Secretary-General by the Task Force Co-Chairs. Although still at an exploratory stage, it points to progress in harnessing digitalization for the acceleration of financing of the SDGs and to a small number of areas that offer scope for opportunities at scale. The Task Force will publish the final report in early 2020.

Around the world, nearly 1 billion people live without access to electricity, and about 840 million more live with unreliable and intermittent service from electric grids. For many of them, fossil fuel backup generators are the only source of power. But these machines offer a problematic, intermediate solution: their cost of operation is high, they fill neighborhoods and cities with noise pollution, and the exhaust is hazardous to health and […]