2025 is a pivotal year for the global community. This year is mid-point for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. As the world takes stock of the milestones and gaps in meeting the SDGs, challenges like climate change, COVID-19 pandemic, wars in Ukraine and Gaza and heightened US-China rivalry have seriously impacted progress—and even resulted in reversal of gains achieved since the SDGs were adopted in 2015.

According to the Sustainable Development Report 2024, there has been some progress in ASEAN in several areas but challenges remain in eradicating poverty. Broadly, with the region being vulnerable to disasters, ASEAN along with other countries in the Asia Pacific must build their resilience, protecting people’s lives and livelihoods and reduce economic losses of those devastated by disasters. As a whole, in the wider Asia-Pacific, only 11 per cent of the measurable targets are on track.  On  achieving  zero  hunger,  ASEAN  countries  fared  worse,  with undernourishment and food security needing to be more urgently addressed. In the area of health security, there have been positive improvements particularly for maternal and child mortality. However, globally, while majority of the health indicators are moving in the right direction, none of the other health-related indicators have been achieved, and is unlikely to be reached by 2030. Of great concern are the SDGs on climate action, life below water and life on land. The Asia and the Pacific SDG Progress Report 2024 highlighted that there has been a regression in Southeast Asia and the Asia-Pacific as regards to climate action.

Meeting the SDGs is critical to ASEAN. At the ASEAN Workshop on Sustainable Development 2025, ASEAN Secretary-General Dr Kao Kim Hourn reaffirmed ASEAN’s commitment to sustainable development, and emphasised the importance of sustainable financing. This article will broadly discuss selected SDGs such as food, health and climate security.

ASEAN 2025 Agenda and SDGs

With geopolitical fault lines and US-China rivalry deepening, the ongoing Myanmar crisis, and disputes in the South China Sea, ASEAN continues to face challenges to its unity and centrality. Plans to develop an ASEAN-wide digital payment system, and a power grid will allow for regional integration, vital to the security of the region. ASEAN has also urged the Myanmar government to prioritise ending the civil war, and to adhere to the five-point consensus.

Confronted with geopolitical tensions, and bloc politics by major powers, ASEAN’s integration is key to regional security  and  allows  for  cooperation  and  sustainable development. ASEAN has put in place regional initiatives to tackle food insecurity, during times of crisis. For example, the ASEAN Plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve (APTERR), which includes cooperation among ASEAN member states, China, Japan and South Korea, has been utilised actively, with countries contributing rice to countries that require help. However, the region faces multiple challenges, as ASEAN’s food production levels are unable to meet increased demand, resulting in a need to import from outside the region. In addition, climate change impacts in Southeast Asia such as changing weather patterns and extreme weather events have further aggravated food insecurity. Regional supply chains can be strengthened, as only 20 – 30 per cent of ASEAN trade in food and agricultural products are from intra-regional trade.

The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the need to develop regional capacities and collaboration in preparation for future pandemics. ASEAN has taken further steps to build these capacities. In 2022, the ASEAN Centre for Public Health Emergencies and Emerging Diseases (ACPHEED) was established, and the One Health Network and Joint Plan of Action was launched in June 2024. However, there remain disparities as regards to achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC).  While  most  ASEAN  member  countries  have progressed slightly in 2021, as compared to 2015, Myanmar had a decreased score, and Vietnam remained the same.

At a regional level, ASEAN is gradually developing a power grid that can help facilitate a regional market for power trading, distributing renewable energy more efficiently. This cooperation can be effective and instrumental to lessen the region’s dependence on fossil fuels and coal. As of 2023, coal generated about half of the region’s electricity. Within Southeast Asia’s energy mix, coal has risen from 9 percent in 2000 to 28 percent in 2023. It remains to be seen the impact of the ASEAN power grid on the energy transition, and if this would result in a shift away from fossil fuels. Ahead of the 2030 milestone, integrating climate, peace and security in the ASEAN agenda would allow for the region to identify potential at-risk areas, and signal the urgency to prioritise climate security and action in national and regional policies.

Can ASEAN lead the way?

In a fractured world, with the intensification of rival blocs, ASEAN’s relevance will continue to be tested. ASEAN member states need to continue to engage and work with all countries,  and  maintain  an  inclusive  approach  to development and peace in spite of worsening geopolitical rivalry between major powers. The clarion call to strengthen its unity during the recent ASEAN foreign ministers’ retreat held on 19 January 2025 in Langkawi, Malaysia, is a welcome one. ASEAN leadership on the global stage, will hinge on its solidarity, and its ability to demonstrate its effectiveness as a regional bloc in addressing the challenges it faces in sustainable  development  and  advancing  its  values  of comprehensive and cooperative security. More can certainly be done to strengthen intra-regional cooperation to better address the gaps in achieving the SDGs in ASEAN.