At the mid-point of the SDG 2030 Agenda, progress on many targets, such as poverty, food security, health and employment, has slowed. Tighter financial conditions, geopolitical tensions and the increasing impact of climate-fuelled events are exacerbating unequal economic growth and prompting questions on the trade-off between immediate security and investment in achieving the SDGs. What is the outlook for the global economy and what tools are available to policy-makers to accelerate progress on the global development agenda?