Preface: Transitioning to no poverty by 2030

The first sustainable development goal (SDG 1) is “to end poverty in all its forms everywhere and for all”, which seems to be non-negotiable for the “world we want”, which would provide minimum living standards for all global citizens. However, the question remains: is this goal feasible, especially given the set-backs in the fight against poverty and the unequal access to health resources that we have observed in 2020 and 2021? If yes, how do governments and civil society need to engage and what resources are needed? In this book, we bring together a diverse set of perspectives on SDG 1 from leading scholars around the world. When we first invited scholars in 2019 to reflect on ending poverty by 2030, the world looked very different; or rather, the necessity of global social protection, decent and not only sufficient livings standards and strong international cooperation to fight global poverty became even more apparent—and the pandemic put a spotlight on the lack of these three components. The COVID-19 pandemic and the resultant lockdowns across the world have not only led to millions of lost lives across the world, but have also led to large numbers of people falling once again into extreme poverty.