A new report released today by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) reveals that for every US$1 received in funding between 2022 and 2024, UNDP promoted nearly US$60 in public and private investments aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)-a catalytic effect that has mobilized a total of US$870 billion for sustainable development in emerging economies.
The publication also highlights UNDP's ambition to mobilise US$1 trillion in SDG-aligned investments by the end of 2025. It details how UNDP collaborates with governments, financial institutions, and private-sector partners to reduce investment risks, strengthen public financial systems, and unlock capital for inclusive and green growth in over 170 countries and territories.
"Strategic development assistance can unlock transformative investments-shifting the system from short-term crisis response to long-term resilience and prosperity", UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner. "This report shows that development assistance, when deployed strategically, can be a powerful catalyst for long-term investments that deliver financial returns as well as meaningful social and environmental impact".
The report arrives amid growing global discussions on development finance ahead of the Hamburg Sustainability Conference (HSC) and the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FFD4) in Seville. It addresses a stark reality: the world faces an annual US$4.2 trillion SDG financing gap, despite the existence of more than US$450 trillion in global wealth. This persisting gap leaves poverty, inequality, and climate vulnerability largely unaddressed.
The UNDP is also scaling up the use of Integrated National Financing Frameworks (INFFs) to help countries align their financial strategies with the Sustainable Development Goals. With 86 countries now using INFFs, and over 50 actively reforming financing policies based on their frameworks, this approach is becoming a cornerstone of development finance. In countries like Cabo Verde, Colombia, Ethiopia, and Gabon, INFFs are guiding tax reforms, budget alignment, and investment prioritisation, while helping governments mobilise domestic and international resources to fund national sustainability plans.
Through initiatives like the SDG Investor Maps, SDG Impact Standards, and blended finance mechanisms, UNDP has helped align $380 billion in private sector investment and $430 billion in public budgets with the SDGs.
Regional initiatives featured in the report highlight how UNDP's approach is tailored to country contexts-from clean energy and agriculture in Africa, to climate bonds in Asia-Pacific, and gender-inclusive finance in Europe and Central Asia. Country case studies from Cabo Verde, Colombia, Ethiopia, and Gabon illustrate how public-private collaboration, data transparency, and policy reform can unlock financing for sustainability even in fragile contexts.
"With the 2030 deadline fast approaching, what's needed now is not just policy ambition, but financial action," said Marcos Neto, Assistant Secretary-General and Director of UNDP's Bureau of Policy and Programme Support. "UNDP will continue to partner across sectors and borders to help developing countries build the financial foundations for a resilient, equitable, and sustainable future."
