essay about 17 sustainable development goals

45,000+ students realised their study abroad dream with us. Take the first step today

Here’s your new year gift, one app for all your, study abroad needs, start your journey, track your progress, grow with the community and so much more.

Verification Code

An OTP has been sent to your registered mobile no. Please verify

Thanks for your comment !

Our team will review it before it's shown to our readers.

Essay on Sustainable Development: Samples in 250, 300 and 500 Words

• Updated on  
• Nov 18, 2023

On 3rd August 2023, the Indian Government released its Net zero emissions target policy to reduce its carbon footprints. To achieve the sustainable development goals (SDG) , as specified by the UN, India is determined for its long-term low-carbon development strategy. Selfishly pursuing modernization, humans have frequently compromised with the requirements of a more sustainable environment.

As a result, the increased environmental depletion is evident with the prevalence of deforestation, pollution, greenhouse gases, climate change etc. To combat these challenges, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change launched the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) in 2019. The objective was to improve air quality in 131 cities in 24 States/UTs by engaging multiple stakeholders.

‘Development is not real until and unless it is sustainable development.’ – Ban Ki-Moon

Sustainable Development Goals, also known as SGDs, are a list of 17 goals to build a sustained and better tomorrow. These 17 SDGs are known as the ‘World’s Best Plan’ to eradicate property, tackle climate change, and empower people for global welfare.

This Blog Includes:

What is sustainable development, essay on sustainable development in 250 words, 300 words essay on sustainable development, 500 words essay on sustainable development, what are sdgs, introduction, conclusion of sustainable development essay, importance of sustainable development, examples of sustainable development.

As the term simply explains, Sustainable Development aims to bring a balance between meeting the requirements of what the present demands while not overlooking the needs of future generations. It acknowledges nature’s requirements along with the human’s aim to work towards the development of different aspects of the world. It aims to efficiently utilise resources while also meticulously planning the accomplishment of immediate as well as long-term goals for human beings, the planet as well and future generations. In the present time, the need for Sustainable Development is not only for the survival of mankind but also for its future protection. 

To give you an idea of the way to deliver a well-written essay, we have curated a sample on sustainable development below, with 250 words:

To give you an idea of the way to deliver a well-written essay, we have curated a sample on sustainable development below, with 300+ words:

We all remember the historical @BTS_twt speech supporting #Youth2030 initiative to empower young people to use their voices for change. Tomorrow, #BTSARMY 💜 will be in NYC🗽again for the #SDGmoment at #UNGA76 Live 8AM EST welcome back #BTSARMY 👏🏾 pic.twitter.com/pUnBni48bq — The Sustainable Development Goals #SDG🫶 (@ConnectSDGs) September 19, 2021

To give you an idea of the way to deliver a well-written essay, we have curated a sample on sustainable development below, with 500 + words:

Sustainable Development Goals or SDGs are a list of 17 goals to build a better world for everyone. These goals are developed by the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations. Let’s have a look at these sustainable development goals.

• Eradicate Poverty
• Zero Hunger
• Good Health and Well-being
• Quality Education
• Gender Equality
• Clean Water and Sanitation
• Affordable and Clean Energy
• Decent Work and Economic Growth
• Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
• Reduced Inequalities
• Sustainable Cities and Communities
• Responsible Consumption and Production
• Climate Action
• Life Below Water
• Life on Land
• Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
• Partnership for the Goals

Essay Format

Before drafting an essay on Sustainable Development, students need to get familiarised with the format of essay writing, to know how to structure the essay on a given topic. Take a look at the following pointers which elaborate upon the format of a 300-350 word essay.

Introduction (50-60 words) In the introduction, students must introduce or provide an overview of the given topic, i.e. highlighting and adding recent instances and questions related to sustainable development. Body of Content (100-150 words) The area of the content after the introduction can be explained in detail about why sustainable development is important, its objectives and highlighting the efforts made by the government and various institutions towards it.  Conclusion (30-40 words) In the essay on Sustainable Development, you must add a conclusion wrapping up the content in about 2-3 lines, either with an optimistic touch to it or just summarizing what has been talked about above.

How to write the introduction of a sustainable development essay? To begin with your essay on sustainable development, you must mention the following points:

• What is sustainable development?
• What does sustainable development focus on?
• Why is it useful for the environment?

How to write the conclusion of a sustainable development essay? To conclude your essay on sustainable development, mention why it has become the need of the hour. Wrap up all the key points you have mentioned in your essay and provide some important suggestions to implement sustainable development.

The importance of sustainable development is that it meets the needs of the present generations without compromising on the needs of the coming future generations. Sustainable development teaches us to use our resources correctly. Listed below are some points which tell us the importance of sustainable development.

• Focuses on Sustainable Agricultural Methods – Sustainable development is important because it takes care of the needs of future generations and makes sure that the increasing population does not put a burden on Mother Earth. It promotes agricultural techniques such as crop rotation and effective seeding techniques.
• Manages Stabilizing the Climate – We are facing the problem of climate change due to the excessive use of fossil fuels and the killing of the natural habitat of animals. Sustainable development plays a major role in preventing climate change by developing practices that are sustainable. It promotes reducing the use of fossil fuels which release greenhouse gases that destroy the atmosphere.
• Provides Important Human Needs – Sustainable development promotes the idea of saving for future generations and making sure that resources are allocated to everybody. It is based on the principle of developing an infrastructure that is can be sustained for a long period of time.
• Sustain Biodiversity – If the process of sustainable development is followed, the home and habitat of all other living animals will not be depleted. As sustainable development focuses on preserving the ecosystem it automatically helps in sustaining and preserving biodiversity.
• Financial Stability – As sustainable development promises steady development the economies of countries can become stronger by using renewable sources of energy as compared to using fossil fuels, of which there is only a particular amount on our planet.

Mentioned below are some important examples of sustainable development. Have a look:

• Wind Energy – Wind energy is an easily available resource. It is also a free resource. It is a renewable source of energy and the energy which can be produced by harnessing the power of wind will be beneficial for everyone. Windmills can produce energy which can be used to our benefit. It can be a helpful source of reducing the cost of grid power and is a fine example of sustainable development. 
• Solar Energy – Solar energy is also a source of energy which is readily available and there is no limit to it. Solar energy is being used to replace and do many things which were first being done by using non-renewable sources of energy. Solar water heaters are a good example. It is cost-effective and sustainable at the same time.
• Crop Rotation – To increase the potential of growth of gardening land, crop rotation is an ideal and sustainable way. It is rid of any chemicals and reduces the chances of disease in the soil. This form of sustainable development is beneficial to both commercial farmers and home gardeners.
• Efficient Water Fixtures – The installation of hand and head showers in our toilets which are efficient and do not waste or leak water is a method of conserving water. Water is essential for us and conserving every drop is important. Spending less time under the shower is also a way of sustainable development and conserving water.
• Sustainable Forestry – This is an amazing way of sustainable development where the timber trees that are cut by factories are replaced by another tree. A new tree is planted in place of the one which was cut down. This way, soil erosion is prevented and we have hope of having a better, greener future.

Related Articles

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a set of 17 global goals established by the United Nations in 2015. These include: No Poverty Zero Hunger Good Health and Well-being Quality Education Gender Equality Clean Water and Sanitation Affordable and Clean Energy Decent Work and Economic Growth Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure Reduced Inequality Sustainable Cities and Communities Responsible Consumption and Production Climate Action Life Below Water Life on Land Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions Partnerships for the Goals

The SDGs are designed to address a wide range of global challenges, such as eradicating extreme poverty globally, achieving food security, focusing on promoting good health and well-being, inclusive and equitable quality education, etc.

India is ranked #111 in the Sustainable Development Goal Index 2023 with a score of 63.45.

Hence, we hope that this blog helped you understand the key features of an essay on sustainable development. If you are interested in Environmental studies and planning to pursue sustainable tourism courses , take the assistance of Leverage Edu ’s AI-based tool to browse through a plethora of programs available in this specialised field across the globe and find the best course and university combination that fits your interests, preferences and aspirations. Call us immediately at 1800 57 2000 for a free 30-minute counselling session

Team Leverage Edu

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Contact no. *

Thanks a lot for this important essay.

NICELY AND WRITTEN WITH CLARITY TO CONCEIVE THE CONCEPTS BEHIND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY.

Thankyou so much!

Leaving already?

8 Universities with higher ROI than IITs and IIMs

Grab this one-time opportunity to download this ebook

Connect With Us

45,000+ students realised their study abroad dream with us. take the first step today..

Resend OTP in

Need help with?

Study abroad.

UK, Canada, US & More

IELTS, GRE, GMAT & More

Scholarship, Loans & Forex

Country Preference

New Zealand

Which English test are you planning to take?

Which academic test are you planning to take.

Not Sure yet

When are you planning to take the exam?

Already booked my exam slot

Within 2 Months

Want to learn about the test

Which Degree do you wish to pursue?

When do you want to start studying abroad.

September 2024

January 2025

What is your budget to study abroad?

How would you describe this article ?

Please rate this article

We would like to hear more.

• Search Menu
• Sign in through your institution
• Accident and Trauma
• Anaesthesia
• Cardiothoracic Surgery
• Cardiovascular Disease
• Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
• Critical Care/Intensive Care/Emergency Medicine
• Dermatology
• Endocrinology
• Environment and Disease
• Gastroenterology
• General Practice
• Geriatric Medicine
• Haematology
• Health Policy
• Health Economics
• Infectious Diseases
• Liver Disease
• Neonate Medicine
• Neurophysiology
• Neurosurgery
• Obstetrics and Gynaecology
• Occupational Health
• Occupational Medicine
• Ophthalmology
• Otolaryngology
• Paediatric Medicine & Surgery
• Palliative Medicine
• Perioperative Medicine
• Public Health Medicine
• Renal Medicine
• Respiratory Medicine
• Rheumatology
• Sports Medicine
• Transplantation
• Tropical Medicines
• Advance articles
• Editor's Choice
• Author Guidelines
• Submission Site
• Open Access
• About British Medical Bulletin
• Editorial Board
• Advertising and Corporate Services
• Journals Career Network
• Self-Archiving Policy
• Dispatch Dates
• Journals on Oxford Academic
• Books on Oxford Academic

Article Contents

Introduction, sources of data, areas of agreement, areas of controversy, growing points, areas timely for developing research, conflict of interest statement.

• < Previous

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and their implementation: A national global framework for health, development and equity needs a systems approach at every level

• Article contents
• Figures & tables
• Supplementary Data

Stephen Morton, David Pencheon, Neil Squires, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and their implementation: A national global framework for health, development and equity needs a systems approach at every level, British Medical Bulletin , Volume 124, Issue 1, December 2017, Pages 81–90, https://doi.org/10.1093/bmb/ldx031

• Permissions Icon Permissions

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a set of global goals for fair and sustainable health at every level: from planetary biosphere to local community. The aim is to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity, now and in the future.

The UN has established web-sites to inform the implementation of the SDGs and an Inter-Agency and Expert Group on an Indicator Framework. We have searched for independent commentaries and analysis.

The goals represent a framework that is scientifically robust, and widely intuitive intended to build upon the progress established by the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). There is a need for system wide strategic planning to integrate the economic, social and environmental dimensions into policy and actions.

Many countries have yet to understand the difference between the MDGs and the SDGs, particularly their universality, the huge potential of new data methods to help with their implementation, and the systems thinking that is needed to deliver the vision. The danger is that individual goals may be prioritized without an understanding of the potential positive interactions between goals.

There is an increasing understanding that sustainable development needs a paradigm shift in our understanding of the interaction between the real economy and quality of life. There would be many social, environmental and economic benefits in changing our current model.

We need to develop systems wide understanding of what supports a healthy environment and the art and science of making change.

Summary of the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals, linked to the five Areas of Critical Importance (5P’s)

Examples of targets and indicators (for Goal 2) 26

UN Graphical Illustration of the 17 SDGs.

The Sustainable Development Goals (adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in September 2015) run from 2016 to 2030 and are formally the goals of the United Nations’ ‘Transforming our world; the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development’, an agenda which sets out the vision, principles and commitments to a fairer and more sustainable world for all. The practical and political importance of the SDGs, and the challenges associated with them, can only truly be appreciated by understanding what preceded them. The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were in place from 2000 to 2015 and consisted of eight international development goals. The first three goals covered poverty, education and gender equality; the next three goals addressed ‘health outcomes’ covering child mortality, maternal health and ‘HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases’. The remaining two goals addressed environmental sustainability and global partnership for development. These eight MDGs were supported by a total of 21 individual targets.

The MDGs, although a move in the right direction, were subject to certain criticisms. One was that there was insufficient analysis to justify why these goals were selected as priorities and insufficient information available to be able to compare performance, especially in tackling inequalities within countries. 1 This highlighted the perennial challenge in such initiatives of balancing political consensus with scientific validity. Nevertheless, based on data compiled by the Inter-Agency and Expert Group on MDG indicators, 2 the UN could demonstrate considerable success on some goals, especially on reducing extreme poverty (numbers of people living on less than $1.25 per day), reducing both child and maternal mortality, increasing access for people living with HIV to antiretroviral treatment and reducing new HIV infections. However, the report recognized that ‘progress has been uneven across regions and countries’ in the implementation of the MDGs.

Perhaps most importantly, the Millennium Development Goals focussed primarily on the needs of developing countries reinforcing a binary view of rich and poorer countries, of donors and recipients and implying that the global challenge is a problem of development which international aid can help address, rather than a set of shared problems which only collective action globally can resolve.

The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with 169 targets are broader in scope and go further than the MDGs by addressing the root causes of poverty and the universal need for development that works for all people. The goals cover the three dimensions of sustainable development: economic growth, social inclusion and environmental protection.

Building on the success and momentum of the MDGs, the new global goals cover more ground, with ambitions to address inequalities, economic growth, decent jobs, cities and human settlements, industrialization, oceans, ecosystems, energy, climate change, sustainable consumption and production, peace and justice.

The new Goals are universal and apply to all countries, whereas the MDGs were intended for action in developing countries only.

A core feature of the SDGs is their strong focus on means of implementation: the mobilization of financial resources; capacity-building and technology; as well as data and institutions.

The new Goals recognize that tackling climate change is essential for sustainable development and poverty eradication. SDG 13 aims to promote urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.

The UN resolution refers to five ‘areas of critical importance’; sometimes known as the 5 ‘P’s, these are People, Planet, Prosperity, Peace and Partnerships (see Table 1 ). The goals were launched with the strap-line of ‘Ensuring that no-one is left behind’ with its implication that development and levelling up will be the keys to progress by 2030. How this aspiration is reconciled with maintaining ecosystems and tackling climate change will be a challenge in itself. However, the SDGs do have a clear goal on climate action (Goal 13), which has been strengthened subsequently by the Paris Agreement of the 21st Conference of Parties (COP21) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). However, the SDGs are voluntary commitments by governments in contrast to the formal Paris Agreement which is legally binding now that it has been signed by 55% of parties and that those who have signed are responsible for more than 55% of greenhouse gas emissions. Also adopted in March 2015, and with a similar timescale, was the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (2015–30) which succeeded the Hyogo Framework for Action (2005–15); the Sendai Framework was agreed by 187 countries and was endorsed by the UN General Assembly in June 2015.

There is a wealth of published material on sustainable development in general and on the SDGs in particular from the UN, from international non-governmental organizations, and from many other concerned and committed organizations and individuals more locally. It is easy to get lost in all of this so we have been selective in the sources we have used. Most importantly, there is a widely held view that much more innovative ways to both collecting data and using data, from crowd sourcing to the use of big data, need to be used if the mechanisms for implementing and delivering the SDGs are to take full advantage of the data revolution.

There is a dedicated United Nations website on sustainable development ( http://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/ ) as well as a sustainable development knowledge platform ( https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/ ) with updates on the High Level Political Forum, on individual topics and milestones, and a directory of resources including recent publications. Both sites have much supporting material on the SDGs and also on the challenge of integrating the three dimensions of sustainable development (economic, social and environmental).

The formal resolution adopted by the UN General Assembly in September 2015 was published on 21 October 2015. 3 In the same year the United Nations Statistical Commission created an Inter-Agency and Expert Group on SDG Indicators (IAEG-SDGs), which will coordinate proposals of a global indicator framework. 4 This should be properly recognized by all countries and associated organizations who are working towards consistent methods of tracking progress so that duplication can be avoided, gaps identified, and resources directed most effectively. While work continues on international action to support the SDGs, all countries are ‘expected to take ownership and establish a national framework for achieving the 17 goals’. The UN states that countries have the ‘primary responsibility for follow-up and review’ and this ‘will require quality, accessible and timely data collection’. In the UK, for example, the Office for National Statistics (ONS), has been working with the UK Stakeholders for Sustainable Development (UKSSD) to consult on national indicators for the SDGs. And some countries (notably Sweden, Germany, Colombia, the Philippines and Czechia) already have national institutional arrangements. 5

There is general agreement on the breadth and depth of the goals. There are clear obligations and responsibilities for all member states (for which they will be held to account) and a recognition that cross systems approaches to implementation will be needed. This is a significant change from the MDG process and requires explicit contributions from every country, particularly in developing and aligning the complex analytical tools to assess progress and assist decision making. The UN report on ‘critical milestones’ 6 refers to ‘an overarching vision and framework’. Getting accountability structures fit for purpose is already a key challenge. 7 A recent review in Nature 8 identifies that this requires a ‘new coherent way of thinking’ and that while it is implicit in the SDG logic that the goals depend on each other, no-one has specified exactly how. To help, different models have been developed, 9 including both scenario analysis and quantitative modelling. Some of these can be used as top-down macro-framework level tools and some as sectoral models for option level impact analysis. This independent review 7 of 16 countries who volunteered for national review (by the High Level Political Forum) noted a range of different approaches to deal with the complexity of the implementation process. Some countries with existing national sustainable development strategies have built on these and tried to align existing objectives with the new goals. Other countries have developed new national SDG Implementation Plans. Some have linked the SDGs to financial planning for sustainable development or sought to integrate SDGs either in sectoral planning (nutrition, education etc.) or in local government planning frameworks.

Other areas of agreement include the need to integrate the three dimensions of sustainable development (economic, social and environmental), 10 , 11 the importance of raising awareness and creating ownership and the need for stakeholder engagement. 7 , 8 This is especially important to address the widespread misbelief that sustainable development concerns only the environmental dimension and conflicts with necessary ‘economic growth’. No strategy, not even one agreed by all member states of the United Nations, can immediately address historical cultures; yet, it remains one of the most fundamental challenges (and opportunities) for us all to address. The reality is that addressing all three dimensions collaboratively will yield the greatest benefits, whilst the alternative—addressing them separately and in competitive isolation—will deliver much less and with greater risks.

The agreement on the need for ‘systems thinking’, and integration across the three dimensions, is welcome, but the difficulties inherent in this approach should not be under-estimated. This has been illustrated by recent worked examples and case studies.

One worked example 8 concludes that action on the route to zero hunger in sub-Saharan Africa interacts positively with Goal 1 (poverty), Goal 3 (health and well-being), and Goal 4 (quality education). However, it also notes that food production has a more complex interaction with Goal 13 (climate change mitigation). This is because agriculture contributes 20–35% of global greenhouse gases, so climate mitigation constrains some types of food production (particularly meat). Additionally, food production (Goal 2) can compete with renewable energy production (Goal 7) and eco-system protection (Goals 14 and 15). Conversely, climate stability (Goal 13) and preventing ocean acidification (Goal 14) will support sustainable food production and fisheries (Goal 2).

Similarly, the UN paper on mainstreaming the three dimensions 11 highlights water as a nexus of integration and describes how water and sanitation (Goal 6) underpin other areas such as health (Goal 3), food (Goal 2), energy (Goal 7), elimination of poverty (Goal 1), economic productivity (Goal 8), equity (Goal 10) and access to education (Goal 4).

Perhaps the biggest single controversy, particularly because simplicity and logic favour collaborative and system wide implementation, is the high number of goals, targets and supporting actions that have been agreed. This raises concerns about whether governments and international agencies have sufficient skills in ‘whole systems thinking’ 12 to implement the goals without the risk of ‘unintended consequences’ and ‘perverse outcomes’. 8 Early mapping exercises 8 , 11 , 12 have demonstrated the important interconnections between achieving goals but experience suggests that government departments and international negotiations do not always have the mandate or skills to realistically address what might at first appear to be inconvenient and politically contentious trade-offs 8 and unintended consequences.

Deciding which goals to prioritize and then assessing the positive (or negative impacts) on other goals, is a crucial step. There is scope for concern if governments, corporations or agencies were to prioritize energy production (to meet Goal 7), agricultural output (to meet Goal 2) or development of business and infrastructure (to meet Goals 8 and 9), without considering impacts on climate (Goal 13), water (Goal 14) or land (Goal 15). The root cause of this problem is the failure to imagine better ways of addressing energy, agricultural output and what defines success of a business in the 21st century. It is rarely more of what has gone before. The SDGs are the formal stimulus for us to innovate collectively at scale and pace; and to think and act better not bigger. For instance, we need to be more open to the increasing evidence of the many potential positive interactions between different Goals. More equitable and sustainable food systems would help to meet Goal 2, produce ecological benefits (Goals 13–15) and help tackle problems such as obesity and non-communicable disease (Goal 3). 8 , 12

Interestingly, although the SDGs and supporting targets make little mention of tackling world population growth, there are several studies illustrating how coordinated, whole system approaches to the SDGs are already stabilizing the global population. One paper 13 looks at how the SDG targets on mortality, reproductive health and education for girls will directly and indirectly influence future demographic trends. Another paper, 14 looking from the opposite perspective, describes how reductions in fertility in Africa could reduce dependency ratios (the proportion of population not economically active) and thus help tackle poverty (Goal 1), increase productivity (Goal 8), and improve education and gender equality (Goals 4 and 5).

It should be clear that each country will pursue these Global Goals differently, and that a key benefit of the SDG approach is a degree of local flexibility. However, there are certain goals which require urgent collective action, where the clock is ticking on the world’s ability to tackle changes that are already significantly impacting on planetary health. 15 This means that international collaboration must give primacy to action on climate change (Goal 13) and the need to make economic policy subservient to the minimization of environmental impact (see Goal 12: Responsible consumption and production). This is of increasing importance with the recent expressions of electoral judgements in some western countries. The danger is that electorates are seduced into abandoning collective responsibility for the three dimensions of sustainable development in the hope that this will produce short-term benefits for individual countries while ignoring the wider longer term environmental, social and economic costs, knowingly leaving these to be borne by future generations.

A significant risk of allowing countries to take unilateral and apparently self-interested approaches by opting out of multi-state arrangements and economic agreements is the threat of a ‘race to the bottom’ where a country adopts low taxation, relaxed labour laws and reduced regulation as a deceptively attractive way to avoid economic crises. This approach risks increasing health inequity alongside continued restraints on social assistance and environmental protection, with negative impacts on many of the SDGs. Alternatively, a country, region or state could seek to build an economy which is directed at realizing the combined economic, social and environmental benefits associated with implementing the SDGs, with a focus on renewable energy, sustainable food and agriculture and environmentally sustainable technology (recycling, energy conservation and the like). This may also provide a model of sustaining prosperity given the demographic changes and likely labour shortages if countries, such as the UK, shift away from an economic model which depends on a migrant labour force for continued growth.

Given that it took 21 years of annual conferences of parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change before a substantial agreement for action (the Paris Agreement) was achieved in December 2015, there could well be international controversy if reneging on key global commitments weakens the collective resolve. If we accept the fact that human health, and its future survival and prosperity, depend on a liveable earth, we would argue therefore that a refocus of population health to ecological 16 and planetary health 15 is the golden thread which binds the SDGs together as a systems approach. 1 This brings us to a fundamental challenge for governments, businesses, consumers and communities.

To what extent can we seek to implement the SDGs by improvements in current systems and at what point do we need a paradigm shift in our outlook and aspirations? This subject has been explored in relation to health and food systems 17 and in relation to regional trade agreements and health related SDGs. 18 However, it has also been clearly addressed by the United Nations Environment Programme’s ‘Inquiry into the design of a sustainable financial system’. 19 This inquiry points out that ‘failure of the financial system to take adequate account of climate change could result in extensive damage to financial assets globally, may well threaten the stability of the financial system itself, and most importantly could impose irreversible damage to the underlying state of the real economy and the quality of life for those who depend on it for their livelihoods’, a point that has been repeatedly echoed by some of the most powerful financial organizations and people globally. It is not enough to simply wait until action is obviously needed. As Mark Carney, the Governor of the Bank of England, says: ‘…once climate change becomes a defining issue for financial stability, it may already be too late’. 20

The existing macroeconomic model had already been challenged by a report prepared for the UK’s Sustainable Development Commission in 2009 21 and developed further by their Economics Commissioner. 22 Essentially, this is a challenge to a global economic model, which sees wealth creation based on rising production to meet ever increased demand as the basis of development. This continued consumption based model would be unsustainable even if the world’s population was stable but is compounded by the projected increase from 6 billion people in 2000 to potentially 9 billion by 2050; the consequences in terms of resources consumed, waste generated and boundaries exceeded will be an unprecedented planetary emergency. 23

However, before we despair completely, some of these reports are also clear that there would be many social, environmental and economic benefits in changing our current model and that ‘transitioning to a green economy opens us to many opportunities as well as posing many challenges’. 19 , 21 The fundamental challenge is aligning the three dimensions across all 17 SDGs and that will challenge many current sectoral interests.

The UK Stakeholders for Sustainable Development recently coordinated an open letter, 24 from over 80 UK businesses, to the Prime Minister, asking her to highlight the UK’s commitment to the SDGs at the 2017 World Economic Forum in Davos. This included not just many UK ethical environmental businesses but also many more traditional major multinational companies such as Coca Cola, Tesco, HSBC, Nestle, Land Rover, KPMG and Standard Chartered. It would seem that large corporations are more aware of the need to fundamentally re-shape the economy than many political parties.

The last two centuries have seen huge advances in our understanding of what causes diseases in individuals. There has been far less progress in understanding systematically exactly what causes health in populations: from a village level or a planetary level. The challenge for this generation is to synthesize our knowledge into creating those conditions that foster health and protect us from poverty as much as they protect us from polio. If we continue to devote resources disproportionately to finding ever more detailed causes of disease without considering the solutions to some of the obvious problems we have created for ourselves and others, we will be breaking the implicit contract we have with future generations, with those people who have no voice or choice; that is the agreement that we make every effort to leave the world in a better place than we found it. Without understanding how we collectively protect and improve all those conditions that make life worth living for all, we will be forever remembered as the generation who knew too much and did too little. The art and science of making change is fraught with more human and cultural barriers than with technical or knowledge barriers. The SDGs provide perhaps the last best hope we have of being honest about why and how we should implement the evidence we already have. The number of challenges and opportunities we face, from demographic transitions to new models of economic activity and workforce development makes it essential that we embrace clear and systematic frameworks for action that are measurable and monitorable and for which we should all be held accountable and responsible. Every generation in history has faced global challenges. ‘We Are the First Generation that Can End Poverty, the Last that Can End Climate Change’. 25

The authors have no potential conflicts of interest.

Deveulin S . Ideas related to human development. In: Devuelin S , Earthscan SL , Sterling VA . An Introduction to the Human Development and Capability Approach . Ottawa : IDRC , 2009 .

Google Scholar

Google Preview

The Millennium Development Goals Report 2015 . United Nations, New York, 2015 . http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/2015_MDG_Report/pdf/MDG%202015%20rev%20(July%201).pdf (6 March 2017, date last accessed).

United Nations General Assembly . Transforming our world: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. 21 October 2015. http://www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=A/RES/70/1&Lang=E (19 February 2017, date last accessed).

IAEG-SDGs . Inter-agency Expert Group on SDG Indicators https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/iaeg-sdgs/ (6 March 2017, date last accessed).

Sustainable Development Solutions Network : Getting Started with the Sustainable Development Goals – A Guide for Stakeholders. December 2105. http://unsdsn.org/resources/publications/sdg-guide-getting-started-with-the-sdgs/ (6 March 2016, date last accessed).

United Nations General Assembly . United Nations General Assembly. Critical milestones towards coherent, efficient and inclusive follow-up and review at the global level. 15 January 2016. http://www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=A%20/70/684&Lang=E (19 February 2017, date last accessed).

Cutter A . Progressing National SDGs Implementation . London : Bond , 2016 .

Nilsson M , Griggs D , Visbeck M . Map the interactions between Sustainable Development Goals . Nature 16 June 2016 ; 534 : 320 – 2 .

Allen C , Metternicht G , Wiedmann T . National pathways to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): a comparative review of scenario modelling tools . Environ Sci Policy 2016 ; 66 : 199 – 207 .

Weinberger K , et al.  . Integrating the Three Dimensions of Sustainable Development: A Framework and Tools . United Nations, Bangkok : ESCAP (Environmental and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific) , 2015 .

United Nations Economic and Social Council . Mainstreaming of the three dimensions of sustainable development throughout the United Nations system. 29 March 2016. http://www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=A/71/76&Lang=E (Accessed, 19th Feb 2017).

Sukhdev P . Embracing the SDGs’ complexity. Guardian 11 January 2017. https://www.theguardian.com/the-gef-partner-zone/2017/jan/11/embracing-sustainable-development-goals-complexity?CMP=ema-1702&CMP (19 February 2017, date last accessed).

Abel GJ , Barakat B , Kc S , Lutz W . Meeting the sustainable development goals leads to lower world population growth . Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 2016 ; 113 : 14294 – 99 . Date of Publication: 13 Dec 2016.

Cleland J . Will Africa Benefit From a Demographic Dividend? London : Health and Education Advice and Resource Team (HEART) , 2012 .

Horton R , Beaglehole R , Bonita R , et al.  . From public to planetary health: a manifesto . Lancet 2014 ; 383 : 847 .

Lang T , Rayner G . Ecological public health: the 21st century’s big idea? An essay by Tim Lang and Geof Rayner . BMJ 2012 ; 345 : e5466 .

Buse K , Hawkes S . Health in the sustainable development goals: Ready for a paradigm shift? Globalization and Health . 2015 ; 11 . Article Number: 13. March 21, 2015.

Ruckert A , Schram A , Labonte R , et al.  . Policy coherence, health and the sustainable development goals: a health impact assessment of the Trans-Pacific Partnership . Crit Public Health 2017 ; 27 : 86 – 96 . Date of Publication: 01 Jan 2017.

United Nations Environment Programme . The Coming Financial Climate: Aligning the Financial System with Sustainable Development . Geneva : United Nations , 2015 .

‘ Breaking the Tragedy of the Horizon – climate change and financial stability ’ Speech given by Mark Carney Governor of the Bank of England Chairman of the Financial Stability Board Lloyd’s of London 29 September 2015. http://www.bankofengland.co.uk/publications/Documents/speeches/2015/speech844.pdf (17 February 2017, date last accessed).

Jackson T . Prosperity without growth? The transition to a sustainable economy. Sustainable Development Commission, 2009 .

Jackson T , Senker P . Prosperity without growth: economics for a finite planet . Energy Environ 2011 ; 22 : 1013 – 6 .

Emmott S . 10 Billion . London : Penguin , 2013 .

UKSSD and others . Sustainability is good for business; open letter to the Prime Minister. Times, 16 January 2017.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon . 28th May 2015. Belgium. https://www.un.org/press/en/2015/sgsm16800.doc.htm (19 February 2017, date last accessed).

Sustainable Development Goal indicators website . https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/ (19 February 2017, date last accessed).

• quality of life
• strategic planning
• sustainable development

Email alerts

Citing articles via.

• Recommend to your Library

Affiliations

• Online ISSN 1471-8391
• Print ISSN 0007-1420
• Copyright © 2024 Oxford University Press
• About Oxford Academic
• Publish journals with us
• University press partners
• What we publish
• New features  
• Open access
• Institutional account management
• Rights and permissions
• Get help with access
• Accessibility
• Advertising
• Media enquiries
• Oxford University Press
• Oxford Languages
• University of Oxford

Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. It furthers the University's objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide

• Copyright © 2024 Oxford University Press
• Cookie settings
• Cookie policy
• Privacy policy
• Legal notice

This Feature Is Available To Subscribers Only

Sign In or Create an Account

This PDF is available to Subscribers Only

For full access to this pdf, sign in to an existing account, or purchase an annual subscription.

Sustainable Development Goals

The Sustainable Development Goals were adopted by the United Nations in 2015 as a call-to-action for people worldwide to address five critical areas of importance by 2030: people, planet, prosperity, peace, and partnership.

Biology, Health, Conservation, Geography, Human Geography, Social Studies, Civics

Set forward by the United Nations (UN) in 2015, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) are a collection of 17 global goals aimed at improving the planet and the quality of human life around the world by the year 2030.

Image courtesy of the United Nations

In 2015, the 193 countries that make up the United Nations (UN) agreed to adopt the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The historic agenda lays out 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and targets for dignity, peace, and prosperity for the planet and humankind, to be completed by the year 2030. The agenda targets multiple areas for action, such as poverty and sanitation , and plans to build up local economies while addressing people's social needs.

In short, the 17 SDGs are:

Goal 1: No Poverty: End poverty in all its forms everywhere.

Goal 2: Zero Hunger: End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture.

Goal 3: Good Health and Well-being: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.

Goal 4: Quality Education: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.

Goal 5: Gender Equality : Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.

Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation: Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.

Goal 7: Affordable and Clean Energy: Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all.

Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth: Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all.

Goal 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure: Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization, and foster innovation.

Goal 10: Reduced Inequality : Reduce in equality within and among countries.

Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities: Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable.

Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns.

Goal 13: Climate Action: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.

Goal 14: Life Below Water: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas, and marine resources for sustainable development.

Goal 15: Life on Land: Protect, restore, and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss.

Goal 16: Peace,  Justice , and Strong Institutions: Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable, and inclusive institutions at all levels.

Goal 17: Partnerships to Achieve the Goal: Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development.

The SDGs build on over a decade of work by participating countries. In essence, the SDGs are a continuation of the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which began in the year 2000 and ended in 2015. The MDGs helped to lift nearly one billion people out of extreme poverty, combat hunger, and allow more girls to attend school. The MDGs, specifically goal seven, helped to protect the planet by practically eliminating global consumption of ozone-depleting substances; planting trees to offset the loss of forests; and increasing the percent of total land and coastal marine areas worldwide. The SDGs carry on the momentum generated by the MDGs with an ambitious post-2015 development agenda that may cost over $4 trillion each year. The SDGs were a result of the 2012 Rio+20 Earth Summit, which demanded the creation of an open working group to develop a draft agenda for 2015 and onward.

Unlike the MDGs, which relied exclusively on funding from governments and nonprofit organizations, the SDGs also rely on the private business sector to make contributions that change impractical and unsustainable consumption and production patterns. Novozymes, a purported world leader in biological solutions, is just one example of a business that has aligned its goals with the SDGs. Novozymes has prioritized development of technology that reduces the amount of water required for waste treatment. However, the UN must find more ways to meaningfully engage the private sector to reach the goals, and more businesses need to step up to the plate to address these goals.

Overall, limited progress has been made with the SDGs. According to the UN, many people are living healthier lives now compared to the start of the millennium, representing one area of progress made by the MDGs and SDGs. For example, the UN reported that between 2012 and 2017, 80 percent of live births worldwide had assistance from a skilled health professional—an improvement from 62 percent between 2000 and 2005.

While some progress has been made, representatives who attended sustainable development meetings claimed that the SDGs are not being accomplished at the speed, or with the appropriate momentum, needed to meet the 2030 deadline. On some measures of poverty, only slight improvements have been made: The 2018 SDGs Report states that 9.2 percent of the world's workers who live with family members made less than $1.90 per person per day in 2017, representing less than a 1 percent improvement from 2015. Another issue is the recent rise in world hunger. Rates had been steadily declining, but the 2018 SDGs Report stated that over 800 million people were undernourished worldwide in 2016, which is up from 777 million people in 2015.

Another area of the SDGs that lacks progress is gender equality. Multiple news outlets have recently reported that no country is on track to achieve gender equality by 2030 based on the SDG gender index. On a scale of zero to 100, where a score of 100 means equality has been achieved, Denmark was the top performing country out of 129 countries with score slightly under 90. A score of 90 or above means a country is making excellent progress in achieving the goals, and 59 or less is considered poor headway. Countries were scored against SDGs targets that particularly affect women, such as access to safe water or the Internet. The majority of the top 20 countries with a good ranking were European countries, while sub-Saharan Africa had some of the lowest-ranking countries. The overall average score of all countries is a poor score of 65.7.

In fall of 2019, heads of state and government will convene at the United Nations Headquarters in New York to assess the progress in the 17 SDGs. The following year—2020—marks the deadline for 21 of the 169 SDG targets. At this time, UN member states will meet to make a decision to update these targets.

In addition to global efforts to achieve the SDGs, according to the UN, there are ways that an individual can contribute to progress: save on electricity while home by unplugging appliances when not in use; go online and opt in for paperless statements instead of having bills mailed to the house; and report bullying online when seen in a chat room or on social media.

Media Credits

The audio, illustrations, photos, and videos are credited beneath the media asset, except for promotional images, which generally link to another page that contains the media credit. The Rights Holder for media is the person or group credited.

Production Managers

Program specialists, last updated.

October 19, 2023

User Permissions

For information on user permissions, please read our Terms of Service. If you have questions about how to cite anything on our website in your project or classroom presentation, please contact your teacher. They will best know the preferred format. When you reach out to them, you will need the page title, URL, and the date you accessed the resource.

If a media asset is downloadable, a download button appears in the corner of the media viewer. If no button appears, you cannot download or save the media.

Text on this page is printable and can be used according to our Terms of Service .

Interactives

Any interactives on this page can only be played while you are visiting our website. You cannot download interactives.

Related Resources

• Get involved

THE SDGS IN ACTION.

What are the sustainable development goals.

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), also known as the Global Goals, were adopted by the United Nations in 2015 as a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that by 2030 all people enjoy peace and prosperity.

The 17 SDGs are integrated—they recognize that action in one area will affect outcomes in others, and that development must balance social, economic and environmental sustainability.

Countries have committed to prioritize progress for those who're furthest behind. The SDGs are designed to end poverty, hunger, AIDS, and discrimination against women and girls.

The creativity, knowhow, technology and financial resources from all of society is necessary to achieve the SDGs in every context.

Eradicating poverty in all its forms remains one of the greatest challenges facing humanity. While the number of people living in extreme poverty dropped by more than half between 1990 and 2015, too many are still struggling for the most basic human needs.

As of 2015, about 736 million people still lived on less than US$1.90 a day; many lack food, clean drinking water and sanitation. Rapid growth in countries such as China and India has lifted millions out of poverty, but progress has been uneven. Women are more likely to be poor than men because they have less paid work, education, and own less property.

Progress has also been limited in other regions, such as South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, which account for 80 percent of those living in extreme poverty. New threats brought on by climate change, conflict and food insecurity, mean even more work is needed to bring people out of poverty.

The SDGs are a bold commitment to finish what we started, and end poverty in all forms and dimensions by 2030. This involves targeting the most vulnerable, increasing basic resources and services, and supporting communities affected by conflict and climate-related disasters.

736 million people still live in extreme poverty.

10 percent of the world’s population live in extreme poverty, down from 36 percent in 1990.

Some 1.3 billion people live in multidimensional poverty.

Half of all people living in poverty are under 18.

One person in every 10 is extremely poor.

Goal targets

• By 2030, reduce at least by half the proportion of men, women and children of all ages living in poverty in all its dimensions according to national definitions
• Implement nationally appropriate social protection systems and measures for all, including floors, and by 2030 achieve substantial coverage of the poor and the vulnerable
• By 2030, ensure that all men and women, in particular the poor and the vulnerable, have equal rights to economic resources, as well as access to basic services, ownership and control over land and other forms of property, inheritance, natural resources, appropriate new technology and financial services, including microfinance
• By 2030, build the resilience of the poor and those in vulnerable situations and reduce their exposure and vulnerability to climate-related extreme events and other economic, social and environmental shocks and disasters
• Ensure significant mobilization of resources from a variety of sources, including through enhanced development cooperation, in order to provide adequate and predictable means for developing countries, in particular least developed countries, to implement programmes and policies to end poverty in all its dimensions
• Create sound policy frameworks at the national, regional and international levels, based on pro-poor and gender-sensitive development strategies, to support accelerated investment in poverty eradication actions

SDGs in Action

Potato trading goes online in ...

Cementing a better life

Addressing the root causes of ...

Migrants and refugees making h...

Publications.

Multi-speed growth is back, wi...

Inspiring young people through...

Zero hunger.

Zero Hunger

The number of undernourished people has dropped by almost half in the past two decades because of rapid economic growth and increased agricultural productivity. Many developing countries that used to suffer from famine and hunger can now meet their nutritional needs. Central and East Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean have all made huge progress in eradicating extreme hunger.

Unfortunately, extreme hunger and malnutrition remain a huge barrier to development in many countries. There are 821 million people estimated to be chronically undernourished as of 2017, often as a direct consequence of environmental degradation, drought and biodiversity loss. Over 90 million children under five are dangerously underweight. Undernourishment and severe food insecurity appear to be increasing in almost all regions of Africa, as well as in South America.

The SDGs aim to end all forms of hunger and malnutrition by 2030, making sure all people–especially children–have sufficient and nutritious food all year. This involves promoting sustainable agricultural, supporting small-scale farmers and equal access to land, technology and markets. It also requires international cooperation to ensure investment in infrastructure and technology to improve agricultural productivity.

The number of undernourished people reached 821 million in 2017.

In 2017 Asia accounted for nearly two thirds, 63 percent, of the world’s hungry.

Nearly 151 million children under five, 22 percent, were still stunted in 2017.

More than 1 in 8 adults is obese.

1 in 3 women of reproductive age is anemic.

26 percent of workers are employed in agriculture.

• By 2030, end all forms of malnutrition, including achieving, by 2025, the internationally agreed targets on stunting and wasting in children under 5 years of age, and address the nutritional needs of adolescent girls, pregnant and lactating women and older persons
• By 2030, double the agricultural productivity and incomes of small-scale food producers, in particular women, indigenous peoples, family farmers, pastoralists and fishers, including through secure and equal access to land, other productive resources and inputs, knowledge, financial services, markets and opportunities for value addition and non-farm employment
• By 2030, ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production, that help maintain ecosystems, that strengthen capacity for adaptation to climate change, extreme weather, drought, flooding and other disasters and that progressively improve land and soil quality
• By 2020, maintain the genetic diversity of seeds, cultivated plants and farmed and domesticated animals and their related wild species, including through soundly managed and diversified seed and plant banks at the national, regional and international levels, and promote access to and fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge, as internationally agreed
• Increase investment, including through enhanced international cooperation, in rural infrastructure, agricultural research and extension services, technology development and plant and livestock gene banks in order to enhance agricultural productive capacity in developing countries, in particular least developed countries
• Correct and prevent trade restrictions and distortions in world agricultural markets, including through the parallel elimination of all forms of agricultural export subsidies and all export measures with equivalent effect, in accordance with the mandate of the Doha Development Round
• Adopt measures to ensure the proper functioning of food commodity markets and their derivatives and facilitate timely access to market information, including on food reserves, in order to help limit extreme food price volatility.

Supporting Food Systems Transf...

South Sudan, the world’s young...

Water unites communities

Can Myanmar bounce back?

Microfinancing powers small bu...

UNDP’s Engagement at Financing...

Good health and well-being.

We have made great progress against several leading causes of death and disease. Life expectancy has increased dramatically; infant and maternal mortality rates have declined, we’ve turned the tide on HIV and malaria deaths have halved.

Good health is essential to sustainable development and the 2030 Agenda reflects the complexity and interconnectedness of the two. It takes into account widening economic and social inequalities, rapid urbanization, threats to the climate and the environment, the continuing burden of HIV and other infectious diseases, and emerging challenges such as noncommunicable diseases. Universal health coverage will be integral to achieving SDG 3, ending poverty and reducing inequalities. Emerging global health priorities not explicitly included in the SDGs, including antimicrobial resistance, also demand action.

But the world is off-track to achieve the health-related SDGs. Progress has been uneven, both between and within countries. There’s a 31-year gap between the countries with the shortest and longest life expectancies. And while some countries have made impressive gains, national averages hide that many are being left behind. Multisectoral, rights-based and gender-sensitive approaches are essential to address inequalities and to build good health for all.

At least 400 million people have no basic healthcare, and 40 percent lack social protection.

More than 1.6 billion people live in fragile settings where protracted crises, combined with weak national capacity to deliver basic health services, present a significant challenge to global health.

By the end of 2017, 21.7 million people living with HIV were receiving antiretroviral therapy. Yet more than 15 million people are still waiting for treatment.

Every 2 seconds someone aged 30 to 70 years dies prematurely from noncommunicable diseases - cardiovascular disease, chronic respiratory disease, diabetes or cancer.

7 million people die every year from exposure to fine particles in polluted air.

More than one of every three women have experienced either physical or sexual violence at some point in their life resulting in both short- and long-term consequences for their physical, mental, and sexual and reproductive health.

• By 2030, reduce the global maternal mortality ratio to less than 70 per 100,000 live births
• By 2030, end preventable deaths of newborns and children under 5 years of age, with all countries aiming to reduce neonatal mortality to at least as low as 12 per 1,000 live births and under-5 mortality to at least as low as 25 per 1,000 live births
• By 2030, end the epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and neglected tropical diseases and combat hepatitis, water-borne diseases and other communicable diseases
• By 2030, reduce by one third premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention and treatment and promote mental health and well-being
• Strengthen the prevention and treatment of substance abuse, including narcotic drug abuse and harmful use of alcohol
• By 2020, halve the number of global deaths and injuries from road traffic accidents
• By 2030, ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health-care services, including for family planning, information and education, and the integration of reproductive health into national strategies and programmes
• Achieve universal health coverage, including financial risk protection, access to quality essential health-care services and access to safe, effective, quality and affordable essential medicines and vaccines for all
• By 2030, substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water and soil pollution and contamination
• Strengthen the implementation of the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control in all countries, as appropriate
• Support the research and development of vaccines and medicines for the communicable and noncommunicable diseases that primarily affect developing countries, provide access to affordable essential medicines and vaccines, in accordance with the Doha Declaration on the TRIPS Agreement and Public Health, which affirms the right of developing countries to use to the full the provisions in the Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights regarding flexibilities to protect public health, and, in particular, provide access to medicines for all
• Substantially increase health financing and the recruitment, development, training and retention of the health workforce in developing countries, especially in least developed countries and small island developing States
• Strengthen the capacity of all countries, in particular developing countries, for early warning, risk reduction and management of national and global health risks

Achieving the 10-10-10 HIV tar...

The many facets of climate and...

Listening to young Pacific Isl...

Afghans need sustainable alter...

UNDP at the 25th International...

Quality education.

Since 2000, there has been enormous progress in achieving the target of universal primary education. The total enrollment rate in developing regions reached 91 percent in 2015, and the worldwide number of children out of school has dropped by almost half. There has also been a dramatic increase in literacy rates, and many more girls are in school than ever before. These are all remarkable successes.

Progress has also been tough in some developing regions due to high levels of poverty, armed conflicts and other emergencies. In Western Asia and North Africa, ongoing armed conflict has seen an increase in the number of children out of school. This is a worrying trend. While Sub-Saharan Africa made the greatest progress in primary school enrollment among all developing regions – from 52 percent in 1990, up to 78 percent in 2012 – large disparities still remain. Children from the poorest households are up to four times more likely to be out of school than those of the richest households. Disparities between rural and urban areas also remain high.

Achieving inclusive and quality education for all reaffirms the belief that education is one of the most powerful and proven vehicles for sustainable development. This goal ensures that all girls and boys complete free primary and secondary schooling by 2030. It also aims to provide equal access to affordable vocational training, to eliminate gender and wealth disparities, and achieve universal access to a quality higher education.

Enrollment in primary education in developing countries has reached 91 percent.

Still, 57 million primary-aged children remain out of school, more than half of them in sub-Saharan Africa.

In developing countries, one in four girls is not in school.

About half of all out-of-school children of primary school age live in conflict-affected areas.

103 million youth worldwide lack basic literacy skills, and more than 60 percent of them are women.

6 out of 10 children and adolescents are not achieving a minimum level of proficiency in reading and math.

• By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education leading to relevant and Goal-4 effective learning outcomes
• By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys have access to quality early childhood development, care and preprimary education so that they are ready for primary education
• By 2030, ensure equal access for all women and men to affordable and quality technical, vocational and tertiary education, including university
• By 2030, substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship
• By 2030, eliminate gender disparities in education and ensure equal access to all levels of education and vocational training for the vulnerable, including persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples and children in vulnerable situations
• By 2030, ensure that all youth and a substantial proportion of adults, both men and women, achieve literacy and numeracy
• By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including, among others, through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to sustainable development
• Build and upgrade education facilities that are child, disability and gender sensitive and provide safe, nonviolent, inclusive and effective learning environments for all
• By 2020, substantially expand globally the number of scholarships available to developing countries, in particular least developed countries, small island developing States and African countries, for enrolment in higher education, including vocational training and information and communications technology, technical, engineering and scientific programmes, in developed countries and other developing countries
• By 2030, substantially increase the supply of qualified teachers, including through international cooperation for teacher training in developing countries, especially least developed countries and small island developing states

Building a more resilient educ...

Empowering Afghan women and gi...

How Do Investments in Human Ca...

Gender equality.

Gender Equality

Ending all discrimination against women and girls is not only a basic human right, it’s crucial for sustainable future; it’s proven that empowering women and girls helps economic growth and development.

UNDP has made gender equality central to its work and we’ve seen remarkable progress in the past 20 years. There are more girls in school now compared to 15 years ago, and most regions have reached gender parity in primary education.

But although there are more women than ever in the labour market, there are still large inequalities in some regions, with women systematically denied the same work rights as men. Sexual violence and exploitation, the unequal division of unpaid care and domestic work, and discrimination in public office all remain huge barriers. Climate change and disasters continue to have a disproportionate effect on women and children, as do conflict and migration.

It is vital to give women equal rights land and property, sexual and reproductive health, and to technology and the internet. Today there are more women in public office than ever before, but encouraging more women leaders will help achieve greater gender equality.

Women earn only 77 cents for every dollar that men get for the same work.

35 percent of women have experienced physical and/or sexual violence.

Women represent just 13 percent of agricultural landholders.

Almost 750 million women and girls alive today were married before their 18th birthday.

Two thirds of developing countries have achieved gender parity in primary education.

Only 24 percent of national parliamentarians were women as of November 2018, a small increase from 11.3 percent in 1995.

• End all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere
• Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres, including trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation
• Eliminate all harmful practices, such as child, early and forced marriage and female genital mutilation
• Recognize and value unpaid care and domestic work through the provision of public services, infrastructure and social protection policies and the promotion of shared responsibility within the household and the family as nationally appropriate
• Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decisionmaking in political, economic and public life
• Ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights as agreed in accordance with the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development and the Beijing Platform for Action and the outcome documents of their review conferences
• Undertake reforms to give women equal rights to economic resources, as well as access to ownership and control over land and other forms of property, financial services, inheritance and natural resources, in accordance with national laws
• Enhance the use of enabling technology, in particular information and communications technology, to promote the empowerment of women
• Adopt and strengthen sound policies and enforceable legislation for the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls at all levels

UNDP Gender Equality Strategy ...

The challenges of the Papua Ne...

Press releases.

UNDP applauds Namibian High Co...

Clean water and sanitation.

Water scarcity affects more than 40 percent of people, an alarming figure that is projected to rise as temperatures do. Although 2.1 billion people have improved water sanitation since 1990, dwindling drinking water supplies are affecting every continent.

More and more countries are experiencing water stress, and increasing drought and desertification is already worsening these trends. By 2050, it is projected that at least one in four people will suffer recurring water shortages.

Safe and affordable drinking water for all by 2030 requires we invest in adequate infrastructure, provide sanitation facilities, and encourage hygiene. Protecting and restoring water-related ecosystems is essential.

Ensuring universal safe and affordable drinking water involves reaching over 800 million people who lack basic services and improving accessibility and safety of services for over two billion.

In 2015, 4.5 billion people lacked safely managed sanitation services (with adequately disposed or treated excreta) and 2.3 billion lacked even basic sanitation.

71 percent of the global population, 5.2 billion people, had safely-managed drinking water in 2015, but 844 million people still lacked even basic drinking water.

39 percent of the global population, 2.9 billion people, had safe sanitation in 2015, but 2.3 billion people still lacked basic sanitation. 892 million people practiced open defecation.

80 percent of wastewater goes into waterways without adequate treatment.

Water stress affects more than 2 billion people, with this figure projected to increase.

80 percent of countries have laid the foundations for integrated water resources management.

The world has lost 70 percent of its natural wetlands over the last century.

• By 2030, achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all
• By 2030, achieve access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all and end open defecation, paying special attention to the needs of women and girls and those in vulnerable situations
• By 2030, improve water quality by reducing pollution, eliminating dumping and minimizing release of hazardous chemicals and materials, halving the proportion of untreated wastewater and substantially increasing recycling and safe reuse globally
• By 2030, substantially increase water-use efficiency across all sectors and ensure sustainable withdrawals and supply of freshwater to address water scarcity and substantially reduce the number of people suffering from water scarcity
• By 2030, implement integrated water resources management at all levels, including through transboundary cooperation as appropriate
• By 2020, protect and restore water-related ecosystems, including mountains, forests, wetlands, rivers, aquifers and lakes
• By 2030, expand international cooperation and capacity-building support to developing countries in water- and sanitation-related activities and programmes, including water harvesting, desalination, water efficiency, wastewater treatment, recycling and reuse technologies
• Support and strengthen the participation of local communities in improving water and sanitation management

Restoring sacred land

Navigating the future of atoll...

(R)evolution

Mapping Essential Life Support...

Affordable and clean energy.

Between 2000 and 2018, the number of people with electricity increased from 78 to 90 percent, and the numbers without electricity dipped to 789 million.

Yet as the population continues to grow, so will the demand for cheap energy, and an economy reliant on fossil fuels is creating drastic changes to our climate.

Investing in solar, wind and thermal power, improving energy productivity, and ensuring energy for all is vital if we are to achieve SDG 7 by 2030.

Expanding infrastructure and upgrading technology to provide clean and more efficient energy in all countries will encourage growth and help the environment.  

One out of 10 people still lacks electricity, and most live in rural areas of the developing world. More than half are in sub-Saharan Africa.

Energy is by far the main contributor to climate change. It accounts for 73 percent of human-caused greenhouse gases.

Energy efficiency is key; the right efficiency policies could enable the world to achieve more than 40 percent of the emissions cuts needed to reach its climate goals without new technology.

Almost a third of the world’s population—2.8 billion—rely on polluting and unhealthy fuels for cooking.

As of 2017, 17.5 percent of power was generated through renewable sources.

The renewable energy sector employed a record 11.5 million people in 2019. The changes needed in energy production and uses to achieve the Paris Agreement target of limiting the rise in temperature to below 2C can create 18 million jobs.

• By 2030, ensure universal access to affordable, reliable and modern energy services
• By 2030, increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix
• By 2030, double the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency
• By 2030, enhance international cooperation to facilitate access to clean energy research and technology, including renewable energy, energy efficiency and advanced and cleaner fossil-fuel technology, and promote investment in energy infrastructure and clean energy technology
• By 2030, expand infrastructure and upgrade technology for supplying modern and sustainable energy services for all in developing countries, in particular least developed countries, small island developing States, and land-locked developing coun

A transition to renewable ener...

How a “portfolio approach” spa...

Innovative Governance for Priv...

The big switch

Decent work and economic growth.

Over the past 25 years the number of workers living in extreme poverty has declined dramatically, despite the lasting impact of the 2008 economic crisis and global recession. In developing countries, the middle class now makes up more than 34 percent of total employment – a number that has almost tripled between 1991 and 2015.

However, as the global economy continues to recover we are seeing slower growth, widening inequalities, and not enough jobs to keep up with a growing labour force. According to the International Labour Organization, more than 204 million people were unemployed in 2015.

The SDGs promote sustained economic growth, higher levels of productivity and technological innovation. Encouraging entrepreneurship and job creation are key to this, as are effective measures to eradicate forced labour, slavery and human trafficking. With these targets in mind, the goal is to achieve full and productive employment, and decent work, for all women and men by 2030.

An estimated 172 million people worldwide were without work in 2018 - an unemployment rate of 5 percent.

As a result of an expanding labour force, the number of unemployed is projected to increase by 1 million every year and reach 174 million by 2020.

Some 700 million workers lived in extreme or moderate poverty in 2018, with less than US$3.20 per day.

Women’s participation in the labour force stood at 48 per cent in 2018, compared with 75 percent for men. Around 3 in 5 of the 3.5 billion people in the labour force in 2018 were men.

Overall, 2 billion workers were in informal employment in 2016, accounting for 61 per cent of the world’s workforce.

Many more women than men are underutilized in the labour force—85 million compared to 55 million.

• Sustain per capita economic growth in accordance with national circumstances and, in particular, at least 7 per cent gross domestic product growth per annum in the least developed countries
• Achieve higher levels of economic productivity through diversification, technological upgrading and innovation, including through a focus on high-value added and labour-intensive sectors
• Promote development-oriented policies that support productive activities, decent job creation, entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation, and encourage the formalization and growth of micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises, including through access to financial services
• Improve progressively, through 2030, global resource efficiency in consumption and production and endeavour to decouple economic growth from environmental degradation, in accordance with the 10-year framework of programmes on sustainable consumption and production, with developed countries taking the lead
• By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, including for young people and persons with disabilities, and equal pay for work of equal value
• By 2020, substantially reduce the proportion of youth not in employment, education or training
• Take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labour, end modern slavery and human trafficking and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labour, including recruitment and use of child soldiers, and by 2025 end child labour in all its forms
• Protect labour rights and promote safe and secure working environments for all workers, including migrant workers, in particular women migrants, and those in precarious employment
• By 2030, devise and implement policies to promote sustainable tourism that creates jobs and promotes local culture and products
• Strengthen the capacity of domestic financial institutions to encourage and expand access to banking, insurance and financial services for all
• Increase Aid for Trade support for developing countries, in particular least developed countries, including through the Enhanced Integrated Framework for Trade-Related Technical Assistance to Least Developed Countries
• By 2020, develop and operationalize a global strategy for youth employment and implement the Global Jobs Pact of the International Labour Organization

Voices of hope

Indigenous Peoples - an antido...

Industry, innovation and infrastructure.

Investment in infrastructure and innovation are crucial drivers of economic growth and development. With over half the world population now living in cities, mass transport and renewable energy are becoming ever more important, as are the growth of new industries and information and communication technologies.

Technological progress is also key to finding lasting solutions to both economic and environmental challenges, such as providing new jobs and promoting energy efficiency. Promoting sustainable industries, and investing in scientific research and innovation, are all important ways to facilitate sustainable development.

More than 4 billion people still do not have access to the Internet, and 90 percent are from the developing world. Bridging this digital divide is crucial to ensure equal access to information and knowledge, as well as foster innovation and entrepreneurship.   

Worldwide, 2.3 billion people lack access to basic sanitation.

In some low-income African countries, infrastructure constraints cut businesses’ productivity by around 40 percent.

2.6 billion people in developing countries do not have access to constant electricity.

More than 4 billion people still do not have access to the Internet; 90 percent of them are in the developing world.

The renewable energy sectors currently employ more than 2.3 million people; the number could reach 20 million by 2030.

In developing countries, barely 30 percent of agricultural products undergo industrial processing, compared to 98 percent high-income countries.

• Develop quality, reliable, sustainable and resilient infrastructure, including regional and transborder infrastructure, to support economic development and human well-being, with a focus on affordable and equitable access for all
• Promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and, by 2030, significantly raise industry’s share of employment and gross domestic product, in line with national circumstances, and double its share in least developed countries
• Increase the access of small-scale industrial and other enterprises, in particular in developing countries, to financial services, including affordable credit, and their integration into value chains and markets
• By 2030, upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable, with increased resource-use efficiency and greater adoption of clean and environmentally sound technologies and industrial processes, with all countries taking action in accordance with their respective capabilities
• Enhance scientific research, upgrade the technological capabilities of industrial sectors in all countries, in particular developing countries, including, by 2030, encouraging innovation and substantially increasing the number of research and development workers per 1 million people and public and private research and development spending
• Facilitate sustainable and resilient infrastructure development in developing countries through enhanced financial, technological and technical support to African countries, least developed countries, landlocked developing countries and small island developing States 18
• Support domestic technology development, research and innovation in developing countries, including by ensuring a conducive policy environment for, inter alia, industrial diversification and value addition to commodities
• Significantly increase access to information and communications technology and strive to provide universal and affordable access to the Internet in least developed countries by 2020

Digital generation

Generic web page.

AI Hub for Sustainable Develop...

Ensuring positive, people-focu...

Reduced inequalities.

Income inequality is on the rise—the richest 10 percent have up to 40 percent of global income whereas the poorest 10 percent earn only between 2 to 7 percent. If we take into account population growth inequality in developing countries, inequality has increased by 11 percent.

Income inequality has increased in nearly everywhere in recent decades, but at different speeds. It’s lowest in Europe and highest in the Middle East.

These widening disparities require sound policies to empower lower income earners, and promote economic inclusion of all regardless of sex, race or ethnicity.

Income inequality requires global solutions. This involves improving the regulation and monitoring of financial markets and institutions, encouraging development assistance and foreign direct investment to regions where the need is greatest. Facilitating the safe migration and mobility of people is also key to bridging the widening divide.

In 2016, 22 percent of global income was received by the top 1 percent compared with 10 percent of income for the bottom 50 percent.

In 1980, the top one percent had 16 percent of global income. The bottom 50 percent had 8 percent of income.

Economic inequality is largely driven by the unequal ownership of capital. Since 1980, very large transfers of public to private wealth occurred in nearly all countries. The global wealth share of the top 1 percent was 33 percent in 2016.

Under "business as usual", the top 1 percent global wealth will reach 39 percent by 2050.

Women spend, on average, twice as much time on unpaid housework as men.

Women have as much access to financial services as men in just 60 percent of the countries assessed and to land ownership in just 42 percent of the countries assessed.

• By 2030, progressively achieve and sustain income growth of the bottom 40 per cent of the population at a rate higher than the national average
• By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status
• Ensure equal opportunity and reduce inequalities of outcome, including by eliminating discriminatory laws, policies and practices and promoting appropriate legislation, policies and action in this regard
• Adopt policies, especially fiscal, wage and social protection policies, and progressively achieve greater equality
• Improve the regulation and monitoring of global financial markets and institutions and strengthen the implementation of such regulations
• Ensure enhanced representation and voice for developing countries in decision-making in global international economic and financial institutions in order to deliver more effective, credible, accountable and legitimate institutions
• Facilitate orderly, safe, regular and responsible migration and mobility of people, including through the implementation of planned and well-managed migration policies
• Implement the principle of special and differential treatment for developing countries, in particular least developed countries, in accordance with World Trade Organization agreements
• Encourage official development assistance and financial flows, including foreign direct investment, to States where the need is greatest, in particular least developed countries, African countries, small island developing States and landlocked developing countries, in accordance with their national plans and programmes
• By 2030, reduce to less than 3 per cent the transaction costs of migrant remittances and eliminate remittance corridors with costs higher than 5 per cent

It’s “our collective responsib...

A moment of celebration

Sustainable cities and communities.

More than half of us  live in cities. By 2050, two-thirds of all humanity—6.5 billion people—will be urban. Sustainable development cannot be achieved without significantly transforming the way we build and manage our urban spaces.

The rapid growth of cities—a result of rising populations and increasing migration—has led to a boom in mega-cities, especially in the developing world, and slums are becoming a more significant feature of urban life.

Making cities sustainable means creating career and business opportunities, safe and affordable housing, and building resilient societies and economies. It involves investment in public transport, creating green public spaces, and improving urban planning and management in participatory and inclusive ways.

In 2018, 4.2 billion people, 55 percent of the world’s population, lived in cities. By 2050, the urban population is expected to reach 6.5 billion.

Cities occupy just 3 percent of the Earth’s land but account for 60 to 80 percent of energy consumption and at least 70 percent of carbon emissions.

828 million people are estimated to live in slums, and the number is rising.

In 1990, there were 10 cities with 10 million people or more; by 2014, the number of mega-cities rose to 28, and was expected to reach 33 by 2018. In the future, 9 out of 10 mega-cities will be in the developing world.

In the coming decades, 90 percent of urban expansion will be in the developing world.

The economic role of cities is significant. They generate about 80 percent of the global GDP.

• By 2030, ensure access for all to adequate, safe and affordable housing and basic services and upgrade slums
• By 2030, provide access to safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable transport systems for all, improving road safety, notably by expanding public transport, with special attention to the needs of those in vulnerable situations, women, children, persons with disabilities and older persons
• By 2030, enhance inclusive and sustainable urbanization and capacity for participatory, integrated and sustainable human settlement planning and management in all countries
• Strengthen efforts to protect and safeguard the world’s cultural and natural heritage
• By 2030, significantly reduce the number of deaths and the number of people affected and substantially decrease the direct economic losses relative to global gross domestic product caused by disasters, including water-related disasters, with a focus on protecting the poor and people in vulnerable situations
• By 2030, reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special attention to air quality and municipal and other waste management
• By 2030, provide universal access to safe, inclusive and accessible, green and public spaces, in particular for women and children, older persons and persons with disabilities
• Support positive economic, social and environmental links between urban, peri-urban and rural areas by strengthening national and regional development planning
• By 2020, substantially increase the number of cities and human settlements adopting and implementing integrated policies and plans towards inclusion, resource efficiency, mitigation and adaptation to climate change, resilience to disasters, and develop and implement, in line with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, holistic disaster risk management at all levels
• Support least developed countries, including through financial and technical assistance, in building sustainable and resilient buildings utilizing local materials

Built to last

Urban Content of NDCs: Local C...

Responsible consumption and production.

Achieving economic growth and sustainable development requires that we urgently reduce our ecological footprint by changing the way we produce and consume goods and resources. Agriculture is the biggest user of water worldwide, and irrigation now claims close to 70 percent of all freshwater for human use.

The efficient management of our shared natural resources, and the way we dispose of toxic waste and pollutants, are important targets to achieve this goal. Encouraging industries, businesses and consumers to recycle and reduce waste is equally important, as is supporting developing countries to move towards more sustainable patterns of consumption by 2030.

A large share of the world population is still consuming far too little to meet even their basic needs.  Halving the per capita of global food waste at the retailer and consumer levels is also important for creating more efficient production and supply chains. This can help with food security, and shift us towards a more resource efficient economy.

1.3 billion tonnes of food is wasted every year, while almost 2 billion people go hungry or undernourished.

The food sector accounts for around 22 percent of total greenhouse gas emissions, largely from the conversion of forests into farmland.

Globally, 2 billion people are overweight or obese.

Only 3 percent of the world’s water is fresh (drinkable), and humans are using it faster than nature can replenish it.

If people everywhere switched to energy efficient lightbulbs, the world would save US$120 billion annually.

One-fifth of the world’s final energy consumption in 2013 was from renewable sources.

• Implement the 10-year framework of programmes on sustainable consumption and production, all countries taking action, with developed countries taking the lead, taking into account the development and capabilities of developing countries
• By 2030, achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources
• By 2030, halve per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer levels and reduce food losses along production and supply chains, including post-harvest losses
• By 2020, achieve the environmentally sound management of chemicals and all wastes throughout their life cycle, in accordance with agreed international frameworks, and significantly reduce their release to air, water and soil in order to minimize their adverse impacts on human health and the environment
• By 2030, substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse
• Encourage companies, especially large and transnational companies, to adopt sustainable practices and to integrate sustainability information into their reporting cycle
• Promote public procurement practices that are sustainable, in accordance with national policies and priorities
• By 2030, ensure that people everywhere have the relevant information and awareness for sustainable development and lifestyles in harmony with nature
• Support developing countries to strengthen their scientific and technological capacity to move towards more sustainable patterns of consumption and production
• Develop and implement tools to monitor sustainable development impacts for sustainable tourism that creates jobs and promotes local culture and products
• Rationalize inefficient fossil-fuel subsidies that encourage wasteful consumption by removing market distortions, in accordance with national circumstances, including by restructuring taxation and phasing out those harmful subsidies, where they exist, to reflect their environmental impacts, taking fully into account the specific needs and conditions of developing countries and minimizing the possible adverse impacts on their development in a manner that protects the poor and the affected communities

Equator Prize 2024 honors 11 I...

UNDP partners with Sitra to ac...

Popping the bottle

Popping the bottle, climate action.

There is no country that is not experiencing the drastic effects of climate change. Greenhouse gas emissions are more than 50 percent higher than in 1990. Global warming is causing long-lasting changes to our climate system, which threatens irreversible consequences if we do not act.

The annual average economic losses from climate-related disasters are in the hundreds of billions of dollars. This is not to mention the human impact of geo-physical disasters, which are 91 percent climate-related, and which between 1998 and 2017 killed 1.3 million people, and left 4.4 billion injured. The goal aims to mobilize US$100 billion annually by 2020 to address the needs of developing countries to both adapt to climate change and invest in low-carbon development.

Supporting vulnerable regions will directly contribute not only to Goal 13 but also to the other SDGs. These actions must also go hand in hand with efforts to integrate disaster risk measures, sustainable natural resource management, and human security into national development strategies. It is still possible, with strong political will, increased investment, and using existing technology, to limit the increase in global mean temperature to two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, aiming at 1.5 ° C, but this requires urgent and ambitious collective action.

As of 2017 humans are estimated to have caused approximately 1.0°C of global warming above pre-industrial levels.

Sea levels have risen by about 20 cm (8 inches) since 1880 and are projected to rise another 30–122 cm (1 to 4 feet) by 2100.

To limit warming to 1.5C, global net CO2 emissions must drop by 45% between 2010 and 2030, and reach net zero around 2050.

Climate pledges under The Paris Agreement cover only one third of the emissions reductions needed to keep the world below 2°C.

Bold climate action could trigger at least US$26 trillion in economic benefits by 2030.

The energy sector alone will create around 18 million more jobs by 2030, focused specifically on sustainable energy.

• Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries
• Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning
• Improve education, awareness-raising and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warning
• Implement the commitment undertaken by developed-country parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to a goal of mobilizing jointly $100 billion annually by 2020 from all sources to address the needs of developing countries in the context of meaningful mitigation actions and transparency on implementation and fully operationalize the Green Climate Fund through its capitalization as soon as possible
• Promote mechanisms for raising capacity for effective climate change-related planning and management in least developed countries and small island developing States, including focusing on women, youth and local and marginalized communities

Second Regular Session of the ...

Designing digital systems for ...

A generation of hope: Youth-le...

Life below water.

The world’s oceans – their temperature, chemistry, currents and life – drive global systems that make the Earth habitable for humankind. How we manage this vital resource is essential for humanity as a whole, and to counterbalance the effects of climate change.

Over three billion people depend on marine and coastal biodiversity for their livelihoods. However, today we are seeing 30 percent of the world’s fish stocks overexploited, reaching below the level at which they can produce sustainable yields.

Oceans also absorb about 30 percent of the carbon dioxide produced by humans, and we are seeing a 26 percent rise in ocean acidification since the beginning of the industrial revolution. Marine pollution, an overwhelming majority of which comes from land-based sources, is reaching alarming levels, with an average of 13,000 pieces of plastic litter to be found on every square kilometre of ocean.

The SDGs aim to sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems from pollution, as well as address the impacts of ocean acidification. Enhancing conservation and the sustainable use of ocean-based resources through international law will also help mitigate some of the challenges facing our oceans.

The ocean covers three quarters of the Earth’s surface and represents 99 percent of the living space on the planet by volume.

The ocean contains nearly 200,000 identified species, but actual numbers may lie in the millions.

As much as 40 percent of the ocean is heavily affected by pollution, depleted fisheries, loss of coastal habitats and other human activities.

The ocean absorbs about 30 percent of carbon dioxide produced by humans, buffering the impacts of global warming.

More than 3 billion people depend on marine and coastal biodiversity for their livelihoods.

The market value of marine and coastal resources and industries is estimated at US$3 trillion per year, about 5 percent of global GDP.

• By 2025, prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution of all kinds, in particular from land-based activities, including marine debris and nutrient pollution
• By 2020, sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems to avoid significant adverse impacts, including by strengthening their resilience, and take action for their restoration in order to achieve healthy and productive oceans
• Minimize and address the impacts of ocean acidification, including through enhanced scientific cooperation at all levels
• By 2020, effectively regulate harvesting and end overfishing, illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and destructive fishing practices and implement science-based management plans, in order to restore fish stocks in the shortest time feasible, at least to levels that can produce maximum sustainable yield as determined by their biological characteristics
• By 2020, conserve at least 10 per cent of coastal and marine areas, consistent with national and international law and based on the best available scientific information
• By 2020, prohibit certain forms of fisheries subsidies which contribute to overcapacity and overfishing, eliminate subsidies that contribute to illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and refrain from introducing new such subsidies, recognizing that appropriate and effective special and differential treatment for developing and least developed countries should be an integral part of the World Trade Organization fisheries subsidies negotiation
• By 2030, increase the economic benefits to Small Island developing States and least developed countries from the sustainable use of marine resources, including through sustainable management of fisheries, aquaculture and tourism
• Increase scientific knowledge, develop research capacity and transfer marine technology, taking into account the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission Criteria and Guidelines on the Transfer of Marine Technology, in order to improve ocean health and to enhance the contribution of marine biodiversity to the development of developing countries, in particular small island developing States and least developed countries
• Provide access for small-scale artisanal fishers to marine resources and markets
• Enhance the conservation and sustainable use of oceans and their resources by implementing international law as reflected in UNCLOS, which provides the legal framework for the conservation and sustainable use of oceans and their resources, as recalled in paragraph 158 of The Future We Want

Why UNDP is tackling the devel...

“It's like the ocean itself is...

New $135 million UNDP and GEF ...

Turning development challenges...

Life on land.

Human life depends on the earth as much as the ocean for our sustenance and livelihoods. Plant life provides 80 percent of the human diet, and we rely on agriculture as an important economic resources. Forests cover 30 percent of the Earth’s surface, provide vital habitats for millions of species, and important sources for clean air and water, as well as being crucial for combating climate change.

Every year, 13 million hectares of forests are lost, while the persistent degradation of drylands has led to the desertification of 3.6 billion hectares, disproportionately affecting poor communities.

While 15 percent of land is protected, biodiversity is still at risk. Nearly 7,000 species of animals and plants have been illegally traded. Wildlife trafficking not only erodes biodiversity, but creates insecurity, fuels conflict, and feeds corruption.

Urgent action must be taken to reduce the loss of natural habitats and biodiversity which are part of our common heritage and support global food and water security, climate change mitigation and adaptation, and peace and security.

Around 1.6 billion people depend on forests for their livelihoods.

Forests are home to more than 80 percent of all terrestrial species of animals, plants and insects.

2.6 billion people depend directly on agriculture for a living.

Nature-based climate solutions can contribute about a third of CO2 reductions by 2030.

The value of ecosystems to human livelihoods and well-being is $US125 trillion per year.v

Mountain regions provide 60-80 percent of the Earth's fresh water.

• By 2020, ensure the conservation, restoration and sustainable use of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems and their services, in particular forests, wetlands, mountains and drylands, in line with obligations under international agreements
• By 2020, promote the implementation of sustainable management of all types of forests, halt deforestation, restore degraded forests and substantially increase afforestation and reforestation globally
• By 2030, combat desertification, restore degraded land and soil, including land affected by desertification, drought and floods, and strive to achieve a land degradation-neutral world
• By 2030, ensure the conservation of mountain ecosystems, including their biodiversity, in order to enhance their capacity to provide benefits that are essential for sustainable development
• Take urgent and significant action to reduce the degradation of natural habitats, halt the loss of biodiversity and, by 2020, protect and prevent the extinction of threatened species
• Promote fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources and promote appropriate access to such resources, as internationally agreed
• Take urgent action to end poaching and trafficking of protected species of flora and fauna and address both demand and supply of illegal wildlife products
• By 2020, introduce measures to prevent the introduction and significantly reduce the impact of invasive alien species on land and water ecosystems and control or eradicate the priority species
• By 2020, integrate ecosystem and biodiversity values into national and local planning, development processes, poverty reduction strategies and accounts
• Mobilize and significantly increase financial resources from all sources to conserve and sustainably use biodiversity and ecosystems
• Mobilize significant resources from all sources and at all levels to finance sustainable forest management and provide adequate incentives to developing countries to advance such management, including for conservation and reforestation
• Enhance global support for efforts to combat poaching and trafficking of protected species, including by increasing the capacity of local communities to pursue sustainable livelihood opportunities

Peace, justice and strong institutions

We cannot hope for sustainable development without peace, stability, human rights and effective governance, based on the rule of law. Yet our world is increasingly divided. Some regions enjoy peace, security and prosperity, while others fall into seemingly endless cycles of conflict and violence. This is not inevitable and must be addressed.

Armed violence and insecurity have a destructive impact on a country’s development, affecting economic growth, and often resulting in grievances that last for generations. Sexual violence, crime, exploitation and torture are also prevalent where there is conflict, or no rule of law, and countries must take measures to protect those who are most at risk

The SDGs aim to significantly reduce all forms of violence, and work with governments and communities to end conflict and insecurity. Promoting the rule of law and human rights are key to this process, as is reducing the flow of illicit arms and strengthening the participation of developing countries in the institutions of global governance.

By the end of 2017, 68.5 million people had been forcibly displaced as a result of persecution, conflict, violence or human rights violations.

There are at least 10 million stateless people who have been denied nationality and its related rights.

Corruption, bribery, theft and tax evasion cost developing countries US$1.26 trillion per year.

49 countries lack laws protecting women from domestic violence.

In 46 countries, women now hold more than 30 percent of seats in at least one chamber of national parliament.

1 billion people are legally ‘invisible’ because they cannot prove who they are. This includes an estimated 625 million children under 14 whose births were never registered.

• Significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere
• End abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence against and torture of children
• Promote the rule of law at the national and international levels and ensure equal access to justice for all
• By 2030, significantly reduce illicit financial and arms flows, strengthen the recovery and return of stolen assets and combat all forms of organized crime
• Substantially reduce corruption and bribery in all their forms
• Develop effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels
• Ensure responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making at all levels
• Broaden and strengthen the participation of developing countries in the institutions of global governance
• By 2030, provide legal identity for all, including birth registration
• Ensure public access to information and protect fundamental freedoms, in accordance with national legislation and international agreements
• Strengthen relevant national institutions, including through international cooperation, for building capacity at all levels, in particular in developing countries, to prevent violence and combat terrorism and crime
• Promote and enforce non-discriminatory laws and policies for sustainable development

Would I lie to you?

Transforming police in crisis

Partnerships for the goals.

The SDGs can only be realized with strong global partnerships and cooperation. Official Development Assistance remained steady but below target, at US$147 billion in 2017. While humanitarian crises brought on by conflict or natural disasters continue to demand more financial resources and aid. Many countries also require Official Development Assistance to encourage growth and trade.

The world is more interconnected than ever. Improving access to technology and knowledge is an important way to share ideas and foster innovation. Coordinating policies to help developing countries manage their debt, as well as promoting investment for the least developed, is vital for sustainable growth and development.

The goals aim to enhance North-South and South-South cooperation by supporting national plans to achieve all the targets. Promoting international trade, and helping developing countries increase their exports is all part of achieving a universal rules-based and equitable trading system that is fair and open and benefits all.

The UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) says achieving SDGs will require US$5 trillion to $7 trillion in annual investment.

Total official development assistance reached US$147.2 billion in 2017.

In 2017, international remittances totaled US$613 billion; 76 percent of it went to developing countries.

In 2016, 6 countries met the international target to keep official development assistance at or above 0.7 percent of gross national income.

Sustainable and responsible investments represent high-potential sources of capital for SDGs. As of 2016, US$18.2 trillion was invested in this asset class.

The bond market for sustainable business is growing. In 2018 global green bonds reached US$155.5billion, up 78 percent from previous year.

• Strengthen domestic resource mobilization, including through international support to developing countries, to improve domestic capacity for tax and other revenue collection
• Developed countries to implement fully their official development assistance commitments, including the commitment by many developed countries to achieve the target of 0.7 per cent of ODA/GNI to developing countries and 0.15 to 0.20 per cent of ODA/GNI to least developed countries ODA providers are encouraged to consider setting a target to provide at least 0.20 per cent of ODA/GNI to least developed countries
• Mobilize additional financial resources for developing countries from multiple sources
• Assist developing countries in attaining long-term debt sustainability through coordinated policies aimed at fostering debt financing, debt relief and debt restructuring, as appropriate, and address the external debt of highly indebted poor countries to reduce debt distress
• Adopt and implement investment promotion regimes for least developed countries  
• Enhance North-South, South-South and triangular regional and international cooperation on and access to science, technology and innovation and enhance knowledge sharing on mutually agreed terms, including through improved coordination among existing mechanisms, in particular at the United Nations level, and through a global technology facilitation mechanism
• Promote the development, transfer, dissemination and diffusion of environmentally sound technologies to developing countries on favourable terms, including on concessional and preferential terms, as mutually agreed
• Fully operationalize the technology bank and science, technology and innovation capacity-building mechanism for least developed countries by 2017 and enhance the use of enabling technology, in particular information and communications technology  

Capacity building

• Enhance international support for implementing effective and targeted capacity-building in developing countries to support national plans to implement all the sustainable development goals, including through North-South, South-South and triangular cooperation  
• Promote a universal, rules-based, open, non-discriminatory and equitable multilateral trading system under the World Trade Organization, including through the conclusion of negotiations under its Doha Development Agenda
• Significantly increase the exports of developing countries, in particular with a view to doubling the least developed countries’ share of global exports by 2020
• Realize timely implementation of duty-free and quota-free market access on a lasting basis for all least developed countries, consistent with World Trade Organization decisions, including by ensuring that preferential rules of origin applicable to imports from least developed countries are transparent and simple, and contribute to facilitating market access  

Systemic issues

Policy and institutional coherence

• Enhance global macroeconomic stability, including through policy coordination and policy coherence
• Enhance policy coherence for sustainable development
• Respect each country’s policy space and leadership to establish and implement policies for poverty eradication and sustainable development  

Multi-stakeholder partnerships

• Enhance the global partnership for sustainable development, complemented by multi-stakeholder partnerships that mobilize and share knowledge, expertise, technology and financial resources, to support the achievement of the sustainable development goals in all countries, in particular developing countries
• Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships, building on the experience and resourcing strategies of partnerships  

Data, monitoring and accountability

• By 2020, enhance capacity-building support to developing countries, including for least developed countries and small island developing States, to increase significantly the availability of high-quality, timely and reliable data disaggregated by income, gender, age, race, ethnicity, migratory status, disability, geographic location and other characteristics relevant in national contexts
• By 2030, build on existing initiatives to develop measurements of progress on sustainable development that complement gross domestic product, and support statistical capacity-building in developing countries

Partners in crisis response an...

What is multilateralism in 202...

Sustainable Development Goals Integration

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

• View all journals
• Explore content
• About the journal
• Publish with us
• Sign up for alerts
• Open access
• Published: 12 November 2019

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): Are we successful in turning trade-offs into synergies?

• Christian Kroll   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0001-9954-6123 1 ,
• Anne Warchold 2 &
• Prajal Pradhan   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-0491-5489 2  

Palgrave Communications volume  5 , Article number:  140 ( 2019 ) Cite this article

98k Accesses

345 Citations

75 Altmetric

Metrics details

• Development studies
• Environmental studies

The Agenda 2030 with its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) provides the framework that all United Nations (UN) member states have pledged to fulfill. The achievement of this agenda crucially depends on whether humankind will be able to maximize synergies and resolve existing trade-offs between the SDGs. We provide the first analysis of future interactions for projected SDG trends until 2030 within and between goals, and we analyze how trade-offs and synergies have evolved in the recent past globally. For certain goals, we find positive developments with notable synergies in our projections, especially for SDGs 1, 3, 7, 8, and 9: Poverty alleviation and strengthening the economy, rooted in innovation, and modern infrastructure, therefore continue to be the basis upon which many of the other SDGs can be achieved. However, especially SDGs 11, 13, 14, 16, and 17 will continue to have notable trade-offs, as well as non-associations with the other goals in the future, which emphasizes the need to foster innovations and policies that can make our cities and communities more sustainable, as well as strengthen institutions and spur climate action. We show examples of a successful transformation of trade-offs into synergies that should be emulated in other areas to create a virtuous cycle of SDG progress. The alarming inability to overcome certain persistent trade-offs we have found, and indeed the deterioration for some SDGs, can seriously threaten the achievement of the Agenda 2030.

Similar content being viewed by others

Greater gains for Australia by tackling all SDGs but the last steps will be the most challenging

Modelling six sustainable development transformations in Australia and their accelerators, impediments, enablers, and interlinkages

Progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals has been slowed by indirect effects of the COVID-19 pandemic

Introduction.

The Agenda 2030 with its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) provides the framework that all 193 United Nations (UN) member states have pledged to achieve (United Nations, 2015 ). Unlike previous development agendas that put an emphasis on economic growth, the SDGs are a universal framework that contains many potentially diverging policy goals in the economic, social, and environmental sphere, while some goals are thought to be mutually supportive. The achievement of the agenda crucially depends on whether we will be able to maximize such synergies and resolve the existing trade-offs.

To shed light onto this important topic, research is beginning to examine the interlinkages between the 17 goals (Lu et al., 2015 ; Schmidt et al., 2015 ; Pradhan, 2019 ; Breuer et al., 2019 ). Previous studies prior to the SDGs had already looked at interlinkages, for instance, between climate change adaptation and mitigation response (Smith and Olesen, 2010 ); poverty alleviation (Mathy and Blanchard, 2016 ); meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) (Bue and Klasen, 2013 ); and balancing economic development, environmental sustainability, and social inclusion for human well-being (Ibisch et al., 2016 ; Sachs, 2012 ). With the SDGs, however, a new level of opportunities for classifying interactions has emerged so that these issues can be examined more systematically in the future (Costanza et al., 2016 ; Rickels et al., 2016 ; Nilsson et al., 2016 ). The first complete quantification of synergies and trade-offs within and across the SDGs was provided by Pradhan et al. ( 2017 ). It was found that SDG 1 ( No poverty ) has synergetic relationship with many goals, while SDG 12 ( Responsible consumption and production ) is associated with trade-offs, especially regarding economic progress. A similar pattern was found in a more recent study by Lusseau and Mancini ( 2019 ) who reported that “limiting climate change, reducing inequalities and responsible consumption are key hurdles to achieving 2030 goals across countries [while] […] poverty alleviation and reducing inequalities will have compound positive effects on all SDGs”. Modeling three alternative policy pathways (technology, lifestyle change, and decentralized governance) for achieving SDG targets, these alternative development paths lead to synergies that enhance target achievement, while others lead to trade-offs (Moyer and Bohl, 2019 ). Additional studies have highlighted selected aspects of SDG interactions, such as between energy (SDG 7) and other SDGs (Nerini et al., 2018 ), or between selected social and environmental goals (Scherer et al., 2018 ), or with a case study to facilitate the prioritization of SDG targets for 22 countries in the Arab region (Allen et al., 2019 ), or at the local level in Sweden for selected SDG interactions (Engström et al., 2019 ), or relating urban scaling with SDG 11 ( Sustainable cities and communities ) indicators (Akuraju et al., 2020 ).

Although such studies of a snapshot in time on interactions are helpful to assess the current state of the challenge, in the end the world community’s ability to achieve Agenda 2030 will crucially depend on whether over time trade-offs across the entire spectrum of the SDGs can be minimized and synergies can be maximized. Therefore, this study examines whether countries are currently good enough at dealing with these interlinkages based on extrapolated developments in the recent past in relation to the level needed for SDG achievement by 2030: How have interactions within and between the 17 SDGs across countries evolved over time? Are we successful in moving from trade-offs to synergies at the rate that is necessary to achieve the goals? We analyze how trade-offs and synergies between the goals have developed between 2010 and 2018. Most importantly, we provide the first analysis of future interactions for projected SDG trends until 2030. The most significant added value to the literature of our study is therefore that it fills a gap by being the first analysis to use SDG trends to calculate projected SDG interactions in the future. Given the increased focus in recent years on the need for synergies between economic, social, and environmental progress (in addition to the studies mentioned earlier in this section, see e.g. Stiglitz et al., 2009 , 2018 ), we hypothesize that synergies between these three spheres of progress will occupy a larger portion in our projections of the interlinkages until 2030 than trade-offs. Table  1 lists all SDGs and their full titles.

Data and method

The SDG Index and Dashboards database provides globally available data at country level on SDG indicators from 2010 to 2018 (Sachs et al., 2018 ). This is the first study on SDG interactions using the SDG Index and Dashboards report data which has been described as “the most comprehensive picture of national progress on the SDGs and offers a useful synthesis of what has been achieved so far” (Nature Sustainability Editorial, 2018 ). The database contains data for 193 countries with up to 111 indicators per country on all 17 SDGs (as of 14 May 2019; detailed information, including the full list of indicators and the raw data used here are available from www.sdgindex.org ; see also Schmidt-Traub et al., 2017 for the methodology). In order to avoid discussions associated with the aggregation of the goals into a single number (Diaz-Sarachaga et al., 2018 ), we do not use the aggregated SDG Index score in this paper but only scores for the separate goals.

Interactions can be classified as synergies (i.e. progress in one goal favors progress in another) or trade-offs (i.e. progress in one goal hinders progress in another). We examine synergies and trade-offs to the results of a Spearman correlation analysis across all the SDG indicators, accounting for all countries, and the entire time-frame between 2010 and 2018. We thereby analyze in the main analytical section (section “Interactions between SDGs”) up to 136 SDG pairs per year for 9 consecutive years minus 69 missing cases due to data gaps, resulting in a total of 1155 SDG interactions under study.

In a first analysis (section “Interactions within SDGs”), we examine interactions within each goal since every SDG is made up of a number of targets that are measured by various indicators. In a second analysis (section “Interactions between SDGs”), we then examine the existence of a significant positive and negative correlations in the SDG performance across countries. We conduct a series of cross-sectional analyses for the period 2010–2018 to understand how the SDG interactions have developed from year to year. We use correlation coefficient (rho value) ± 0.5 as the threshold to define synergy and trade-off between an indicator pair. An association is considered to have at least moderate relationship when the rho value is >0.5 or <−0.5 (Smarandache, 2009 ). The development on SDG interactions identified based on maximum change occurred in the shares of synergies, trade-offs, and no relations for SDG pairs between 2010 and 2018. All variables were re-coded in a consistent way towards SDG progress to avoid false associations, i.e. a positive sign is assigned for indicators with values that would have to increase for attaining the SDGs, and a negative sign in the opposite case. Our analysis is therefore applying a similar method as described by Pradhan et al. ( 2017 ) in so far as we are examining SDG interlinkages as synergies (positive correlation) and trade-offs (negative correlation). However, in important contrast to the aforementioned paper, we do not investigate SDG interactions within countries longitudinally, but instead we carry out cross-sectional investigations across countries on how the global community’s ability to manage synergies and trade-offs has evolved over the last 9 years, as well as projected SDG trends until 2030. We therefore examine global cross-sectional country data. An advance of such a global cross-sectional analysis is that it can compare the status of different countries at a given point in time, covering the SDG interactions over the whole range of development spectrum from least developed to developed ones. The longitudinal analysis covers only the interactions occurred within a country for the investigated period. Moreover, we repeat this global cross-sectional analysis for a number of consecutive years. Another novel contribution of this study is therefore to highlight how such global SDG interactions have evolved in the recent years. Finally, by resorting to the SDG Index database for the first time in the research field of SDG interactions, we use a more comprehensive dataset than was used in Pradhan et al. ( 2017 ).

In the last analytical section (“Interactions in the projected SDG trends until 2030”), we provide the first examination of how interlinkages between the projected trends in the SDGs will evolve until 2030. Based on SDG country performance from 2010 until 2015, Sachs et al. ( 2018 ) have calculated linear trajectories for the SDGs with respect to the level that will be required to achieve each goal by 2030. An important feature here is that the development in each country and goal from 2010 to 2015 up until the year 2030 is not only extrapolated but for the final score also set in relation to the level needed for SDG achievement by then. More precisely, all available data points between the years 2010 and 2015 were gathered by Sachs et al. ( 2018 ), and then their development over said period was extrapolated into the future. The linear annual growth rates (i.e. annual percentage improvements) needed to achieve each SDG by 2030 was compared to the actual average annual growth rate in each country and indicator over the period 2010–2015 (with some exceptions). The overall goal trends are an arithmetic average of the rescaled values for all trend indicators under the respective goal. This projection results in a five-point scale variable with the following classification: “decreasing” (country score is moving away from SDG achievement on this indicator), “stagnating” (country score remains stagnant or is improving at a rate below 50% of what is needed for SDG achievement by 2030), “moderately increasing” (country score is increasing at a rate above 50% but below the rate needed for SDG achievement by 2030, “on track” (score is improving at the rate needed for SDG achievement by 2030), “maintaining goal achievement” (country score is level and remains at or above SDG achievement). More details on the calculation method are available in Sachs et al. ( 2018 ). We perform the first analysis of future interactions for this new variable by assessing the synergies and trade-offs between future SDG achievement trends until 2030. Additionally, we investigate the projected SDG interactions for different income groups (low/middle/high-income countries as categorized by the World Bank) to identify similarities and differences among the income groups regarding future SDG achievement trends. In order to do so, as the first step we group the five scores into three categories to reflect their progress towards SDG achievement. If the indicator trend is classified as “decreasing”, we assign a value −1. The “stagnating” score trend is given a value 0. Since the rest of the categories (“moderately increasing”, “on track”, and “maintaining SDG achievement”) reflect positive developments towards the SDGs, we assign to them a value of 1. We then analyze interactions by multiplying these assigned values, leading to the following three outcomes: synergies (1), not-classified (0), and trade-offs (−1). Akin to the previous section, this procedure is first conducted within each SDG using its component sub-indicators, followed by an analysis of interactions between the 17 SDGs.

Interactions within SDGs

Each SDG in itself is an umbrella term that can be multi-faceted and contain numerous policy goals (United Nations, 2015 ). For example, SDG 7 ( Affordable and clean energy ) calls for “access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all”. This leads to the question of potential trade-offs and synergies also within each SDG, for instance between affordable and sustainable energy, which we address here first of all, and we examine their evolution over time. We observe a mixture of results on interactions within SDGs for the period under study 2010–2018: (i) increase in synergies, (ii) growing trade-offs, and (iii) diluting associations within an SDG (Fig.  1 ).

Interactions within SDGs from 2010 to 2018. The color bars represent the shares of trade-offs (orange), synergies (green), and not-classifieds (yellow) observed within a goal. The gray bar depicts insufficient data for the analysis

The majority of goals show synergies between their component sub-indicators that are relatively stable over time. Interestingly, regarding SDG 1 ( No poverty ), SDG 2 ( Zero hunger ), and SDG 5 ( Gender equality ) they have emerged only recently. Before 2016, only weak associations can be observed within these goals. Interactions within SDG 5 have even flipped for a share of trade-offs to synergies between 2016 and 2017. In SDG 2, a mixed share of synergies and trade-offs are observed after 2016, with an increased share of synergies and decreased share of trade-offs. This is a positive sign for a successful implementation of the 2030 Agenda.

Trade-offs are prevalent in particular for SDG 13 ( Climate action ) and SDG 7 ( Affordable and clean energy) , illustrating the difficulty in aligning even the components within a single goal. In the case of SDG 7 these trade-offs have only emerged in 2017 while before the components were in a synergetic relationship with each other. Similarly, for SDG 11 ( Sustainable cities and communities ) mostly weak associations are observed before 2017 that have given way to trade-offs in the recent past. These results illustrate that for certain goals new challenges have arisen regarding successful SDG implementation.

Finally, interactions within many SDGs show that the associations among the indicators have been diluted across time, e.g., within SDG 3 ( Good health and well-being ), SDG 4 ( Quality education ), SDG 6 ( Clean water and sanitation ), SDG 8 ( Decent work and economic growth ), SDG 10 ( Reduced inequalities ), SDG 16 ( Peace, justice and strong institutions ), and SDG 17 ( Partnerships for the goals ). In these cases, shares of synergies have mainly been reduced by increases in shares of not-classified associations in these goals. Such diluting associations show the difficulty of maintaining intra-goal synergies, and might also be due to disproportional progress towards the goals and their targets among the countries.

Interactions between SDGs

Changes in synergies between sdgs.

We turn to interactions between the SDGs and examine 136 SDG pairs over 9 consecutive years, which can be classified into changes in (section “Changes in synergies between SDGs”) synergies, (section “Changes in trade-offs between SDGs”) trade-offs, and (section “Changes in strength of associations between SDGs”) strength of associations. Figure  2 displays the significant increases in the share of synergies (left) and the significant decreases in the share of synergies (right). Between 2010 and 2015, we observe an increase in a share of synergies for nine SDG pairs. This finding is driven by two mechanisms: (i) a decrease of trade-offs and (ii) a strengthening of associations. For example, the indicators for SDG 2 and SDG 6 shows an increase in synergies mainly due to the breaking away of trade-offs. Both SDGs were also part of the MDGs and many countries have made progress on these goals during the MDG period, which might contribute to this increase in synergies. Another such positive example can be seen in the interactions between SDG 13 and SDGs 6, 7, 9, 11, and 16. A large share of trade-offs was converted into synergies in the recent years because of efforts to reduce emissions per capita and reconcile climate action with economic and social outcomes. However, many significant trade-offs remain, as well as in fact a long way to go to meet the well below 2 °C global warming target. Meanwhile, a strengthening of positive associations can be observed, for example, between SDGs 5 and 16.

Changes in synergetic association among the SDGs with an increased share of synergies (left) and a decreased share (right). The color bars represent the shares of trade-offs (orange), synergies (green), and not-classifieds (yellow) observed within a goal. The gray bar depicts insufficient data for the analysis

During the same period, we observe a higher number of 15 SDG pairs with a decrease in a share of synergies compared to the nine SDG pairs with an increase in synergies. In most cases, synergies have decreased due to diluting associations between SDG pairs. For example, SDG pair 3–7, 4–7, and 8–16 has shown almost 100% synergies in 2010, which has been reduced to <50% by 2018. This might be alarming in two senses: (i) positive associations might be vanishing and negative ones might be building up and (ii) countries might be having different paces in attaining the SDGs that can increase inequalities between the countries. Increases in trade-offs with a decrease in synergies can already be observed for several SDG pairs, i.e., 1–16, 3–7, 4–7, and 11–17.

Changes in trade-offs between SDGs

Following on a decrease in share of synergies, we observed an increase in the share of trade-offs (Fig.  3 ). In line with the previous sub-section, the number of SDG pairs where trade-offs are increasing (15) is higher than those which are decreasing (9). In most of cases, the mechanism underneath the deterioration is that weak associations among the goals have evolved to trade-offs, e.g. SDG pairs 1–7, 1–15, 8–15, 15–16. These trade-offs are particularly alarming and could hinder the achievement of SDGs. Therefore, a deep investigation for the caused for this is needed in future in-depth research. A good news is reducing trade-offs between some SDGs in this decade, mainly between SDG 13 and SDGs 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. In this case, trade-offs have been converted to either synergies or weak associations.

Changes in conflicting associations among the SDGs with an increased share of trade-off (left) and a decreased share (right). The color bars represent the shares of trade-offs (orange), synergies (green), and not-classifieds (yellow) observed within a goal. The gray bar depicts insufficient data for the analysis

Changes in strength of associations between SDGs

Between 2010 and 2018, we also observed an increase in weak association among 36 SDG pairs (Fig.  4 ). Most cases are of weakening synergies among the SDG pairs. For example, SDG pairs 1–2, 1–3, 1–4, 1–6, and 1–10 have mostly synergistic relations (a share of more than 66%) in the beginning of the decade, however, the share has decreased up to 40% in these goal pairs, sometimes with an appearance of trade-offs. Nevertheless, weakening of trade-offs has also been observed for some SDG pairs, e.g., 1–14, 2–3, 2–7, 4–5, 2–11, 5–6, and 10–14.

Changes in strength of associations among the SDGs with an diluted association (left) and a strengthened one (right). The color bars represent the shares of trade-offs (orange), synergies (green), and not-classifieds (yellow) observed within a goal. The gray bar depicts insufficient data for the analysis

By contrast, for some SDG interactions the associations, strengthened relations can be observed over time. These are due to an increase in synergies, trade-offs or both. For example, SDG pairs 4–8, 6–9, 6–16, and 7–8 shows strengthening synergistic associations, while associations between SDG 15 and SDGs 2, 3, 9, 11, and 17 evolve toward an increase in trade-offs. For the pairs, SDGs 2–8, 2–16, 6–15, 7–15 and 13–15, both share of synergies and trade-offs increase between 2010 and 2018.

Interactions in the projected SDG trends until 2030

Looking ahead to the year 2030, the question arises how the performance on the SDGs will evolve over time and in particular the interactions between them. Figure  5 displays the results from the first interaction analysis of future SDG trends based on a projected trend variable that extrapolates the development in each country and goal from 2010 to 2015 up until the year 2030 and crucially relates it to the level needed for SDG achievement by then (as opposed to a mere extrapolation).

Interactions between sub-indicators within (left) and between (right) projected SDG trends until 2030. The color bars represent the shares of trade-offs (orange), synergies (green), and not-classifieds (yellow) observed within a goal. The gray bar depicts insufficient data for the analysis. The numbers in the boxes represent the number of data pairs used for each analysis. Icon images courtesy of United Nations

In line with our analysis in the section “Interactions within SDGs”, we begin by examining the sub-indicators within each SDG (Fig.  5 , left), since they are often multi-faceted goals in themselves. With regard to the projected developments until 2030, the largest trade-offs that will need to be solved within the SDGs concern SDGs 2 ( Zero hunger ), 11 ( Sustainable cities and communities ), and 14 ( Life below water ). By contrast, the most synergetic elements are to be found within SDGs 3 ( Good health ), 7 ( Affordable and clean energy ), 8 ( Decent work and economic growth ), 9 ( Industry, innovation , and infrastructure ), and 16 ( Peace, justice , and strong institutions ). No results can be obtained here for goals that have insufficient trend data (SDG 10 and 12), or contain only one trend indicator (SDG 1 and 13), respectively.

Figure  5 (right) shows the interactions between projected SDG trends until 2030. It turns out that SDG 1 (No poverty) will have the most synergetic relationships with other SDGs on our way to 2030. We also expect SDGs 3 ( Good health ), 7 ( Affordable and clean energy ), 8 ( Decent work and economic growth ), and 9 ( Industry, innovation and infrastructure ) to have significant synergies with the other goals. The strongest mutually reinforcing relationships in our projections are between the following SDG pairs: 1–3, 1–7, 1–8, 1–9, and 8–9. Poverty alleviation and strengthening the economy, rooted in innovation and modern infrastructure, therefore continue to be the basis upon which many of the other SDGs can be achieved. However, trade-offs are still strongest for SDG 11 ( Sustainable cities and communities ) followed by SDGs 14 ( Life below water ), 16 ( Peace, justice, and strong institutions ) and 17 ( Partnerships for the goals ), and 13 ( Climate action ). In particular, the SDG pairs 9–11 and 11–13 constitute large trade-offs. This finding emphasizes the need to invest in research to foster innovations that can make our cities and communities more sustainable, as well as climate-friendly.

We extend the analysis of interactions between the projected SDG trends by examining high-income countries (HICs) (Fig.  6 ), middle-income countries (MICs) (Fig.  7 ), and low-income countries (LICs) (Fig.  8 ) separately. When examining the sub-indicators within each SDG (left-hand side of Figs  6 – 8 ), it becomes evident that the overall picture is very similar across all income groups: Countries will face similar challenges with regard to intra-goal consistency regardless of their current stage of development. The only notable differences concern SDGs 6 ( Clean water and sanitation ) and 15 ( Life on land ). For SDG 6, no synergies can be observed for HICs but their share rises for MICs and especially LICs. This finding lends support to the notion that as countries develop, the pressure to provide accessible and yet sustainable water systems will intensify in the future. By contrast, HICs show synergies regarding SDG 15 that are weaker for MICs and almost non-existent for LICs. Biodiversity protection is therefore beginning to pay off in developed regions, while the conditions for Life on land are projected to become more difficult especially in MICs and LICs. This finding sheds a light of urgency onto current public discussions around protecting green spaces, such as the Amazon forest versus economic interests.

Interactions between sub-indicators within (left) and between (right) projected SDG trends until 2030 for high-income countries. The color bars represent the shares of trade-offs (orange), synergies (green), and not-classifieds (yellow) observed within a goal. The gray bar depicts insufficient data for the analysis. The numbers in the boxes represent the number of data pairs used for each analysis. Icon images courtesy of United Nations

Interactions between sub-indicators within (left) and between (right) projected SDG trends until 2030 for middle-income countries. The color bars represent the shares of trade-offs (orange), synergies (green), and not-classifieds (yellow) observed within a goal. The gray bar depicts insufficient data for the analysis. The numbers in the boxes represent the number of data pairs used for each analysis. Icon images courtesy of United Nations

Turning to interactions between projected SDG trends until 2030 by income group (right-hand side of Figs  6 – 8 ), we see again a similar picture overall for all stages of development. It becomes evident, however, that for certain goals the share of projected trade-offs is lower compared to MICs and especially LICs. This is especially true for SDG 6 ( Clean water and sanitation ) and SDG 13 ( Climate action ). In other words: The pressure on pursuing climate action as well as clean water and sanitation that is not detrimental for achieving the other goals is likely to rise especially for LICs in the coming years. Unless HICs provide the technical and financial assistance necessary to let LICs benefit from state-of-the-art solutions in this regard, the development gap will rise even more at the expense of the planet and all its inhabitants—rich and poor.

Discussion: Towards a virtuous cycle of SDG progress

This study asked the timely questions: How have interactions within and between the 17 SDGs across countries evolved over time? Are we successful in moving from trade-offs to synergies? Most importantly, we provided the first analysis of interlinkages for projected SDG achievement trends until 2030.

For some goals we found positive developments with diminishing trade-offs and increasing synergies with other SDGs. This was particularly strong, for example, for SDG interactions between SDG 13 ( Climate action ) and SDG 9 ( Industry, innovation and infrastructure ), as well as SDG 13 and SDG 11 ( Sustainable cities and communities ). Such findings provide some support to the notion that climate-friendly infrastructure is beginning to spread, which not only improves the quality of life in cities and communities but mitigates the dangers of global warming, although our data do not provide evidence of a causal link. Likewise, synergies have begun to emerge in the recent past between SDG 5 ( Gender equality ) and SDG 16 ( Peace and justice, strong institutions ) indicating to some extent that as countries are getting better at providing strong institutions, this development may be beneficial to equality between men and women, or vice versa. In any event, such efforts will have to be significantly intensified over the next decade in order to reach the SDGs, and in these particular examples also the Paris Climate Accord and long overdue gender equality, respectively. Nonetheless, these best practices of turning trade-offs into synergies (see Fig.  2 left, Fig.  3 right, Fig.  4 right) may inform a learning process rooted in more in-depth research to expand the lessons onto other goals with more persistent trade-offs.

For numerous SDG interactions, though, the synergies are diminishing and trade-offs as well as non-associations are increasing. This worrying finding was particularly strong for the interactions, for instance, between SDG 7 ( Affordable and clean energy ) and SDG 1 ( No poverty ), as well as SDG 7 and SDG 3 ( Good health and well-being ). This means that as countries manage to lift millions out of poverty and provide much-needed health care, the demands on affordable and clean energy currently rises at a rate that jeopardizes progress regarding the Agenda 2030. Further investments in smart solutions and research on energy supply that can meet these new demands without putting too much pressure on planetary boundaries will be needed in the future.

Comparing our cross-sectional analysis with longitudinal analysis performed by Pradhan et al. ( 2017 ), we obtained similarities and differences. Our findings are similar in the sense that we also found, overall, a larger share of synergies than trade-offs within and across the goals. Both studies also highlight that eliminating poverty (SDG1) and improving health and well-being (SDG3) will have large synergies with other goals. However, one of the key differences is that we observed a larger share of not-classified associations in our cross-sectional analysis in comparison to the results of the longitudinal analysis by Pradhan et al. A reason for this is that our cross-sectional analysis covers a large spectrum of data from the whole range between developed and developing countries. By contrast, the aforementioned longitudinal analysis only has a comparatively narrow range of countries for the investigated period.

We provided the first analysis of future interactions between projected SDG trends until 2030, and found that SDG 1 ( No poverty ) will have the most synergetic relationships with other SDGs. In clear terms, this means that eliminating extreme poverty in developing countries and reducing relative poverty in more advanced nations will be a policy strategy that, given limited resources and the need for prioritization, will yield the most significant benefits beyond just this one policy goal of No poverty . Focusing on SDG 1 would therefore be the most promising strategy to ultimately start-off a virtuous cycle of SDG progress. For example, a family that no longer suffers from extreme poverty (SDG1) will be able to lead healthier lives for themselves and others, halting the spread of infectious diseases (SDG 3), contributing to a stronger economy (SDG 8), raising the means of implementation through tax payments (SDG 17) which will in turn enable public investments in infrastructure (SDG 9), which will provide education and other important services (SDG 4). The key challenge for policymakers here will then be to emulate such synergetic relationships with respect to other goals.

Despite those strong synergies, however, we were able to show that all SDG interactions between projected SDG trends until 2030 still contain a significant portion of trade-offs. This outlook into the future gives further reason for concern, and indeed casts a shadow on even most of the positive findings from our analysis of the past and present, for example regarding SDG 13 ( Climate action ). While we had hypothesized that synergies will occupy a larger portion in our projections of the interlinkages than trade-offs, the results indicated a nuanced picture with notable synergies for SDGs 1, 3, 7, 8 and 9, while especially SDGs 11, 13, 14, 16, and 17 are likely to have notable trade-offs with the other goals going forward.

Further distinguishing by income group has shown that, overall, countries will face similar challenges in terms of projected trade-offs and synergies across all stages of development. There were notable differences, however, especially to the detriment of LICs in the projected trade-offs for SDGs 6 ( Clean water and sanitation ) and 13 ( Climate action ) being larger than in HICs. This finding provides both an imperative and incentive for the latter to step up their technical and financial efforts to let LICs benefit from the latest advances which are already being implemented in HICs, e.g. in terms of the growing accessibility and affordability of solar panels in order to reduce emissions. It is very much in the interest of the rich countries themselves given the potentially harmful effects of a lack of climate protection by the growing populations in MICs and LICs on the HICs.

Our analysis is limited by the availability of data, which remains a challenge in SDG monitoring. A number of data gaps persist that prevent us from analyzing several SDG interactions, and the number of available SDG indicators fluctuates. Further efforts must be made by data providers to close these gaps in the future. This is especially important given the fact that 2015 is the baseline year in which the SDGs were signed into action, and most synergies/trade-offs will materialize with a time lag. We also emphasize that the method used in our paper, Spearman’s correlation, is useful to establish empirically whether improvements in one SDG go together with improvements (synergy) or deteriorations (trade-off) in another SDG. The method does not, however, allow us to determine causation. Where the terms of synergy and trade-off are used in our study, it happens in an understanding that causation is potentially from a to b, b to a, or both ways. This approach is in line with other studies on SDG interactions as quoted in our paper. In order to establish causation in the large number of interactions examined here, comprehensive additional analyses over time are required. They go beyond the scope of this paper but should be performed in future research (in a series of papers given the complexity of the task), and we hope to have sparked research along those lines with our initial inquiry.

In future research, we additionally recommend that the complexity of the SDG system be represented not only by a series of pairwise interactions but as a network, where both direct and indirect interactions produce synergies and trade-offs. The analysis according to income groups provides promising avenues for future research, and should in fact be complemented in the future by analyses that distinguish not just by income group but also by region or political system, for instance. Nonetheless, we hope that our initial findings present a useful inspiration for examining in more detail the promising patterns we have identified.

Our results may have important implications for global institutions, first and foremost the UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF), where countries meet annually to review progress on the SDGs. While the country-led Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) are now an established tool to showcase what each country is doing in terms of progressing towards Agenda 2030 using a basket of indicators, a perspective on the interlinkages between the goals is still missing despite being crucial to the fulfillment of the goals as our study indicates. The review process of the HLPF should therefore require countries to report on what is the status of SDG interlinkages in their country (in terms of existing and projected synergies and trade-offs), as well as to outline a policy strategy to deal with these interlinkages. Country processes of SDG implementation, as well as coordination mechanisms by international organizations on Agenda 2030 should make more use of the findings on SDG interlinkages. For example, by using the evidence as a tool to inform budget allocation with a view to maximizing effect of the money spent. Likewise, research on the SDGs should by default take into account the fact that there are important interlinkages between the goals, and incorporate such effects into analytical design as well as the formulation of implications.

All in all, our findings offer a starting point for how researchers and policymakers can resolve the challenge of interactions between the SDGs, in particular regarding the persistent issue of trade-offs. We have identified best practices where it has been possible over the last 9 years to turn trade-offs into synergies. Further research should build on these successful examples and explore in depth the drivers and mechanism that enabled them. At the same time, we have found evidence of a widespread and alarming inability to overcome trade-offs and indeed a deterioration in this regard for certain SDGs. Further research into how these trends can be reversed is urgently needed as otherwise they will seriously threaten the achievement of the UN Agenda 2030.

Data availability

The datasets analyzed during the current study are available from www.sdgindex.org .

Akuraju V, Pradhan P, Haase D, Kropp J. P, Rybski D (2020) Relating SDG11 indicators and urban scaling—An exploratory study. Sustain Cities and Soc 52:101853

Article   Google Scholar  

Allen C, Metternicht G, Wiedmann T (2019) Prioritising SDG targets: assessing baselines, gaps and interlinkages Sustain Sci 14:421. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11625-018-0596-8

Bue MCL, Klasen S (2013) Identifying synergies and complementarities between MDGs: results from cluster analysis Soc Indic Res 113(2):647–670. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-013-0294-y

Breuer A, Janetschek H, Malerba D (2019) Translating sustainable development goal (SDG) interdependencies into policy advice Sustainability 11(7):2092. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11072092

Costanza R, Fioramonti L, Kubiszewski I (2016) The UN sustainable development goals and the dynamics of well-being Front Ecol Environ 14(2):59–59. https://doi.org/10.1002/fee.1231

Diaz-Sarachaga JM, Jato-Espino D, Castro-Fresno D (2018) Is the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) index an adequate framework to measure the progress of the 2030 Agenda? Sustain Dev 26:663–671

Engström et al. (2019) Cross-scale water and land impacts of local climate and energy policy—a local Swedish analysis of selected SDG interactions. Sustainability 11:1847

Ibisch PL, Hoffmann MT, Kreft S, Pe’er G, Kati V, Biber-Freudenberger L, DellaSala DA, Vale MM, Hobson PR, Selva N (2016) A global map of roadless areas and their conservation status. Science 354(6318):1423–1427. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aaf7166

Article   ADS   CAS   PubMed   Google Scholar  

Lu Y, Nakicenovic N, Visbeck M, Stevance A-S (2015) Policy: five priorities for the UN sustainable development goals—comment. Nature 520(7548):432–433. https://doi.org/10.1038/520432a

Article   ADS   PubMed   Google Scholar  

Lusseau D, Mancini F (2019) Income-based variation in Sustainable Development Goals interaction networks. Nat Sustain 2:242–247

Mathy S, Blanchard O (2016) Proposal for a poverty-adaptation-mitigation window within the green climate fund. Clim Policy 16(6):752–767. https://doi.org/10.1080/14693062.2015.1050348

Moyer JD, Bohl DK (2019) Alternative pathways to human development: assessing trade-offs and synergies in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Futures 105:199–210

Nature Sustainability Editorial (2018). https://www.nature.com/articles/s41893-018-0131-z

Nerini F et al. (2018) Mapping synergies and trade-offs between energy and the sustainable development goals. Nat Energy 3:10–15

Article   ADS   Google Scholar  

Nilsson M, Griggs D, Visbeck M (2016) Policy: map the interactions between sustainable development goals. Nature 534:320–322. https://doi.org/10.1038/534320a

Pradhan P (2019) Antagonists to meeting the 2030 Agenda. Nat Sustain 2:171–172

Pradhan P, Costa L, Rybski D, Lucht W, Kropp JP (2017) A systematic study of sustainable development goal (SDG) interactions. Earth’s Future 5:1169–1179. https://doi.org/10.1002/2017EF000632

Rickels W, Dovern J, Hoffmann J, Quaas MF, Schmidt JO, Visbeck M (2016) Indicators for monitoring sustainable development goals: an application to oceanic development in the European union. Earth’s Future 4(5):252–267. https://doi.org/10.1002/2016EF000353

Sachs JD (2012) From millennium development goals to sustainable development goals. Lancet 379(9832):2206–2211. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(12)60685-0

Article   PubMed   Google Scholar  

Sachs J, Schmidt-Traub G, Kroll C, Lafortune G, Fuller G (2018) Implementing the goals. SDG index report 2018. Bertelsmann Stiftung and Sustainable Development Solutions Network, New York

Google Scholar  

Scherer et al. (2018) Trade-offs between social and environmental Sustainable Development Goals. Environ Sci Policy 90:65–72. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2018.10.002

Schmidt H, Gostin L, Emanuel E (2015) Public health, universal health coverage, and sustainable development goals: can they coexist? Lancet 386(9996):928–930. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(15)60244-6

Schmidt-Traub G, Kroll C, Teksoz K, Durand-Delacre D, Sachs J (2017) National baselines for the Sustainable Development Goals assessed in the SDG index and dashboards. Nat Geosci 10(8):547–555

Article   ADS   CAS   Google Scholar  

Smarandache F (2009) Alternatives To Pearson’s and Spearman’s correlation coefficients florentin. Bull Stat Econ 3(S09):47–53

MathSciNet   Google Scholar  

Smith P, Olesen JE (2010) Synergies between the mitigation of, and adaptation to, climate change in agriculture. J Agric Sci 148(05):543–552. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0021859610000341

Article   CAS   Google Scholar  

Stiglitz J, Sen Amartya K & Fitoussi Jean-Paul (2009) The measurement of economic performance and social progress revisited: reflections and overview. Sciences Po publications, Paris, pp 2009–2033

Stiglitz J, Fitoussi J-P, Durand M (2018) For good measure. Advancing research on well-being metrics beyond GDP. OECD Publishing, Paris

United Nations (2015) Transforming our world: the 2030 agenda for sustainable development. http://www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=A/RES/70/1&Lang=E

Download references

Acknowledgements

CK and PP designed study; CK, AW, and PP collected and analyzed data; CK and PP wrote manuscript. The authors gratefully acknowledge financial support from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research and Bertelsmann Stiftung. AW acknowledges funding from the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) for the SUSFOOD project (grant agreement No. 01DP17035). PP acknowledges funding from the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building, and Nuclear Safety for the I-CCC project (Contract No. 81227263) and the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under for the European calculator project (grant agreement No. 730459).

Author information

Authors and affiliations.

SDG Index & Dashboards, Berlin, Germany

Christian Kroll

Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), Member of Leibniz Association, P.O. Box 601203, 14412, Potsdam, Germany

Anne Warchold & Prajal Pradhan

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Christian Kroll .

Ethics declarations

Competing interests.

The authors declare no competing interests.

Additional information

Publisher’s note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons license, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons license and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ .

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article.

Kroll, C., Warchold, A. & Pradhan, P. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): Are we successful in turning trade-offs into synergies?. Palgrave Commun 5 , 140 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-019-0335-5

Download citation

Received : 08 July 2019

Accepted : 24 September 2019

Published : 12 November 2019

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-019-0335-5

Share this article

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

This article is cited by

Assessing the current landscape of ai and sustainability literature: identifying key trends, addressing gaps and challenges.

• Shailesh Tripathi
• Nadine Bachmann
• Herbert Jodlbauer

Journal of Big Data (2024)

Setting a shared development agenda: prioritizing the sustainable development goals in the Dominican Republic with fuzzy-LMAW

• Luis A. Fernández-Portillo
• Gülay Demir
• Francisco Santos-Carrillo

Scientific Reports (2024)

The role of universities in accelerating the sustainable development goals in Europe

• Walter Leal Filho
• Javier Sierra
• Amanda Lange Salvia

Integrated actions across multiple sustainable development goals (SDGs) can help address coastal ocean acidification

• Cristian A. Vargas
• Stefan Gelcich

Communications Earth & Environment (2024)

Synthesis and Application of an Eco-Friendly Cellulose Diacrylate-Carbon Nanocomposite: A Highly Effective Inhibitor for Clay Swelling in Water-Based Drilling Fluids

• Sohail Nadeem
• Mobeen Murtaza
• Ayesha Mohyuddin

Arabian Journal for Science and Engineering (2024)

Quick links

• Explore articles by subject
• Guide to authors
• Editorial policies

• Skip to Content
• Skip to Main Navigation
• Skip to Search

Indiana University Indianapolis Indiana University Indianapolis IU Indianapolis

Introduction to the SDGs

• History of Sustainability on Campus
• Why it Matters
• Internationalization and Inclusion
• Teaching and Learning
• Interdisciplinary Research
• Community Engagement
• Campus Engagement / Take Action!
• SDGs in Action
• SDG Highlight
• SDG Global Conversations
• Affiliations
• Grant Funding
• Join a Listserv
• Make a Difference

Sustainable Development Goals

• SDG Showcases

The  United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)  are a universal call to achieve a sustainable future and promote equality, human rights, and justice for all by 2030. Adopted by UN Member States in 2015, the  2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development  provides a shared strategy for peace and prosperity for all people and our planet, now and into the future.   

The SDGs are a collection of 17 interlinked goals designed to guide reflection and action on the most pressing challenges and opportunities facing humanity and the natural world, including inequalities (SDG 10), climate change (SDG 13), peace and justice (SDG 16), and global cooperation to meet global targets (SDG 17). These goals and their targets acknowledge that ending poverty and other deprivations must go hand-in-hand with strategies that improve health and education, social inequalities, and economic disparities–all while tackling climate change and working to preserve our natural surroundings.  

The SDGs establish a blueprint for global citizens to work together to build a better world, for it is only by working collectively–across borders and disciplines and with community partners–that these goals might be achieved. Through research, teaching and learning, community engagement, and global collaborations, IU Indianapolis is playing a leading role in tackling the SDGs and achieving the 2030 Agenda.   

Sustainable Development Goals social media channels

• News, Stories & Speeches
• Get Involved
• Structure and leadership
• Committee of Permanent Representatives
• UN Environment Assembly
• Funding and partnerships
• Policies and strategies
• Evaluation Office
• Secretariats and Conventions
• Asia and the Pacific
• Latin America and the Caribbean
• New York Office
• North America
• Climate action
• Nature action
• Chemicals and pollution action
• Digital Transformations
• Disasters and conflicts
• Environment under review
• Environmental law and governance
• Extractives
• Fresh Water
• Green economy
• Ocean, seas and coasts
• Resource efficiency
• Sustainable Development Goals
• Youth, education and environment
• Publications & data

GOAL 17: Partnerships for the goals

Learn more about SDG 17

Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development:

Achieving the ambitious targets of the 2030 Agenda requires a revitalized and enhanced global partnership that brings together Governments, civil society, the private sector, the United Nations system and other actors, mobilizing all available resources. Meeting implementation targets, including the raising of necessary funds, is key to realizing the Agenda, as is the full implementation of the Addis Ababa Action Agenda. Increasing support to developing countries, in particular the least developed countries, landlocked developing countries and small island developing States, is fundamental to equitable progress for all.

Stronger partnerships will contribute to environmental protection and sustainable development by mobilizing resources, sharing knowledge, promoting the creation and transfer of environmentally sound technologies, and building capacity. There is tremendous scope for making the existing financial system more sustainable by integrating the environment dimension.

Growing cooperation among multilateral organizations, donors and private sector is needed to provide developing countries and beneficiaries with technologies that increase efficiency the use of natural resources, generate low waste, treat the generated pollution and mitigate climate change.

Indicators:

• 17.7.1 Total amount of funding for developing countries to promote the development, transfer, dissemination and diffusion of environmentally sound technologies (Tier II)
• 17.14.1 Number of countries with mechanisms in place to enhance policy coherence of sustainable development (Tier II)
• University of London Centre for Sustainable Finance
• UNEP Law Division
• Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Policy Coherence for Sustainable Development
• Division and Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA)'s Governance and Public Administration team

Related Sustainable Development Goals

© 2024 UNEP Terms of Use Privacy   Report Project Concern Report Scam Contact Us

COMING TOGETHER

17 rooms global flagship synthesis report.

file-pdf Coming together: Forging new paths to action for the Sustainable Development Goals

About 17 Rooms A partnership between the Center for Sustainable Development at Brookings and The Rockefeller Foundation, 17 Rooms is an experimental method for advancing the economic, social, and environmental priorities embedded in the world’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In 2021, more than 200 participants contributed to the global flagship process. See the list of participants here .

1. Seeking new paths to progress

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) embody many of the world’s foremost priorities for cooperation. Protecting people. Promoting prosperity. Preserving the planet. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic took hold, the objectives embedded in the Goals were ambitious and wide-ranging—from the elimination of extreme deprivation to major reductions in inequality and switching course to safeguard nature. None of the 17 SDGs are optional. Major progress on each is essential for humanity to thrive. Moreover, for each individual Goal, the needed scale and scope of action requires new collaborative alliances across public, private, academic, civil society, and philanthropic sectors.

But the world is wracked by division. Too many existing institutions and processes meant to foster cooperation are not measuring up to the moment. Across communities, countries, and continents—there is widespread sentiment that things are stuck. The SDGs already called for new approaches to problem-solving. Setbacks triggered by COVID-19 have only amplified the need for a new path forward.

In this context, the Center for Sustainable Development at The Brookings Institution and The Rockefeller Foundation joined forces again in 2021 to convene the fourth annual 17 Rooms global flagship process. This evolving and experimental initiative aims to augment action, insight, and community across all 17 SDGs. The underlying motivation is to provide a neutral and creative space, alongside official processes, where leaders from different sectors and backgrounds can connect to collaborate and carry forward decisive next steps for the SDGs. Seventeen working groups or “Rooms”, one per SDG, came together to advance action within each Goal, while expanding opportunities for collaboration across Goals.

Emerging from the pandemic…we didn’t have the response that we needed to give us a good chance at recovery, and to put the SDGs back on track. This cannot just be about leaders and governments…we need to bring people into the room. The 131 U.N. offices…need to be inspired by this incredible energy that you have in these 17 Rooms…Because that is really where we need to implement in 9 years the sustainable development agenda. — Amina Mohammed, U.N. Deputy Secretary-General

A number of common themes, elements, and principles emerged across this year’s Rooms. The pandemic was never far from mind, including the catastrophic global inequities in access to COVID-19 vaccines. The working group focused on global inequality (Room 10 on SDG 10) did not shy away from calling out leadership failures among powerful countries. Too few have followed through on their own self-interest to cooperate with less powerful societies to bring the pandemic to an end.

Several other themes for action emerged too. First, digital public goods (DPGs) can be gamechangers for SDG progress. Building on successful recent cases like Togo (emphasized in Room 1 on SDG 1), more and more countries can develop digital cash transfer systems to respond to emergencies, preempt disasters, broaden inclusion, and reduce poverty. To realize the broader benefits of DPGs (a focus of Room 9 on SDG 9), a range of actors need to come together to support common protocols and communities of practice that strike a balance between the autonomy of locally-calibrated systems and interoperability across systems. Global outreach strategies are also needed to educate communities, policymakers, and investors on the value of DPGs, such as participatory digital health and data collection tools for pandemic preparedness and response (proposed by Room 3 on SDG 3).

Second, prompted by a summer of extreme weather events in the northern hemisphere, three Rooms (Rooms 13, 14, and 15) came to the view that focusing on the security and benefits that nature delivers to people where they live can be an effective strategy for catalyzing large-scale investments in ecosystems. Multiple environmentally-focused Rooms also emphasized the need for new financing frameworks to achieve necessary SDG outcomes (e.g., Room 13’s key pillars for a “breakthrough” in climate finance).

Third, multiple groups pursued practical avenues to shift global systems of power and agency to provide greater support for local leaders and communities, including to advance the needs of women and girls. For change to occur, international actors need to embrace existing local models and update legacy funding structures and mindsets (articulated by Room 11). Fiscal transparency is also essential to ensuring local disparities are squarely addressed (a Room 16 priority). Innovative conceptual approaches are needed too: one Room proposed a novel process tool to help local actors in any community negotiate areas of tension and align on areas of mutual benefit (Room 14’s “SDG narrative approach” for working seascapes).

Fourth, on themes of justice and equity, younger generations received attention as key partners for driving change across many fronts of sustainable development. This ranged from new approaches to promoting intergenerational learning teams (Room 4), networks for women leaders working for gender equality in faith contexts (Room 5), and communities of practice for a next generation of education, leadership, and innovation around the SDGs (Room 16).

It’s really nothing short of remarkable that the flagship process brings all of you together, such an extraordinary network of leaders from so many disciplines and sectors and organizations around the world…It’s also inspiring to know that the 17 Rooms approach now extends well beyond this flagship process… It’s invigorating to see 17 Rooms emerge as a more informal platform for bottom-up cooperation… The actions you take across the 17 Rooms are simply essential to carving a better path forward. — John R. Allen, President, The Brookings Institution

Fifth, recognizing that private capital and business need to play a crucial role in achieving the SDGs, several Rooms sought ways to make capitalism more accountable to the true societal cost (and value) of doing business. New tools, metrics, data systems, and reporting requirements can help drive better alignment between private sector incentives and SDG outcomes (Room 2, Room 8), especially when informed by more refined public debates (Room 12). In one instance (Room 17), this entails a pioneering multi-stakeholder collaboration to help steer market investors away from companies using forced labor.

Sixth, multiple Room deliberations called for reframing SDG ambitions. Sometimes this was conceptual, such as promoting a mindset shift around human waste management as a key input to tackling climate change (Room 6). In one other instance it was more technical, such as to update SDG energy access metrics to capture essential requirements for escaping poverty and supporting livelihoods (Room 7). These efforts reflected a desire for ongoing improvement in how the SDGs can promote human dignity, opportunity, and co-benefits across Goals.

This report captures key outcomes from this year’s 17 Rooms global flagship process, written from the perspective of the 17 Rooms secretariat. All of the Rooms have published their own short documents, in their own voice, as a companion series to this report. Section 2 provides a recap of the latest developments in the 17 Rooms methodologies. Section 3 summarizes each Room’s action agenda, alongside some opportunities for joint action that bubbled up across Rooms. Readers who are less interested in the methodological questions might wish to skip Section 2 and jump straight to Section 3. A brief concluding section provides a look-ahead to 2022.

2. Flagship 4.0: Shortening the path to action

Any 17 Rooms process is anchored in three design principles: all SDGs get a seat at the table; take a next step, not the perfect step; and engage in conversations, not presentations. (See 17 Rooms: A new approach to spurring action for the Sustainable Development Goals for more details.) Groups convene to discuss what “we,” in the Room, can do next. Participants are asked to “leave their institutional agendas at the door” to create space for new forms of collaboration.

In the 2021 flagship process, as in previous years, all Rooms were given a common assignment to identify one to three actionable priorities to advance over the coming 12-18 months (i.e., by the end of 2022) to improve some aspect of their Goal’s 2030 outcomes. In a concerted effort to confront COVID-19’s implications as the most gendered crisis in modern history, Rooms this year were also asked to articulate how their actionable priorities would help drive gains for women and girls (See Gender equality as a cross-cutting theme ).

Promoting action within Rooms

Within the flagship process, all Rooms work to a tight timetable, with only a limited number of meeting hours available to share perspectives, identify opportunities, and clarify next steps. Each Room had its first meeting in early June 2021, and then met at least once more before the end of July, when each Room shared its draft action plans to inform an all-Room summit on September 13th and 14th. By the beginning of October, Rooms finalized their action strategies for 2022.

Within each Room, the goal is to zero in on problems that are consequential and not already being solved elsewhere, ones where a neutral platform could help bring a critical mass of different people together to make gains. Rooms are encouraged to avoid “boiling the ocean”-type conversations that tackle every topic embedded within an SDG. Instead, Rooms are given freedom to “pick a swim lane within a swim lane” of their SDG, i.e., a slice of their Goal they deem ripe for action. In turn, Participants are encouraged to identify prospective actions that are “big enough to matter and small enough to get done.”

Early in 2021, the 17 Rooms secretariat began referencing a notion of “right-sizing” practical ingredients to promote cooperation for the SDGs. But later, it became clear this wasn’t the right word choice, since right-sizing often connotes scaling back ambition, and 17 Rooms seeks to raise ambitions for action. By the end of the 2021 flagship cycle, the term “action-sizing” was deemed a more fitting jargon for the 17 Rooms mindset—cultivating conditions to shorten the path toward ambitious cooperative actions.

In the spirit of action-sizing, one of this year’s core innovations was to frame a three-part menu for the types of cooperation that could help each group quickly align expectations around definitions of success. This typology included: “campfire” strategies for diverse stakeholders to forge a new consensus, “trial balloon” approaches for domain experts to vet and pilot actionable ideas, and “direct ascents” to mobilize collective execution on a shared priority (see “Room typologies” image below). The secretariat then worked with each Room Moderator team to align an appropriate mix of Room participants to match the task.

Promoting interaction between Rooms

Accelerating cooperation within Rooms frames only a first layer of the 17 Rooms logic. A next layer is to forge productive interactions between Rooms. In the first instance, convening 17 concurrent groups of energized and committed people generates natural positive peer effects. Progress in one Room can inform, motivate, and even guide best practices for other Rooms. Other forms of interactive opportunity also emerge. This year’s Rooms benefited from targeted (cross-Room) expert feedback on emerging Room actions, cross-Room learning on topics of common interest, and exploring joint Room strategies on shared action priorities.

Engaging expert feedback

Convening domain experts across all 17 Rooms creates enormous opportunities for Participants with relevant expert knowledge, resources, or perspectives to support other Rooms’ emerging actions. In the 2021 flagship, the most structured form of this occurred during the September virtual summit, in a curated “Room Charging Station” session. Participants visited other Rooms based on their individual interests and expertise, making suggestions to help each host Room succeed. In a post-summit survey, two-thirds of respondents deemed this session “essential.” According to one participant, the discussion provided “a great way to cross-pollinate,” while another described it as an opportunity “really to deepen [the] Room’s thinking as well as provoke new insights.”

Learning different perspectives on shared interests

Exchanging outlooks on common interests between Rooms can generate productive insights to inform action. As Room work streams began to take shape this year, the secretariat was able to spot common threads and opportunities to share perspectives between Rooms. For instance, Moderators from Room 16—focused on justice in COVID-19 recovery and relief funding—met with Moderators from Room 9—experts in digital public goods and digital public infrastructure—to discuss opportunities and challenges around establishing open and transparent community-level data sources disaggregated by gender and race. During the September summit, a more structured “Big Tents” session invited participants from all Rooms to explore bottlenecks and possibilities for progress across six emergent cross-cutting themes, ranging from digital public goods to environmental management, private sector metrics, gender equality, localizing power, and intergenerational collaboration. By sharing perspectives across Room domains, Participants had the opportunity to foster new insights through small-group discussions with other members of the 17 Rooms community.

Exploring joint action

The most intensive form of cross-Room connection is when Moderator teams start collaborating to co-design joint action. Within a time-constrained process like the 17 Rooms flagship, in which each Room faces an intensive challenge even to identify its own focused priorities, it is no small task to identify joint priorities across Rooms. Nonetheless, this year’s flagship saw some alignments bubbling up across Rooms, and facilitated opportunities for Room Moderator teams to explore collaboration directly. The upshot of these exchanges, including coordinated pursuit of advancing DPGs (Room 1 and Room 9) and a cross-Room proposal for a “Natural Security Initiative” (Room 15, Room 13, Room 14), are described in the next section below.

[17 Rooms is] needed now more than ever. We used to call this convening, and we realized that it’s not just convening […] By connecting folks, providing some resources, moving forward ideas …[we can] re-imagine what connected leaders can do around the world..to change the future outlook of human vulnerability and opportunity — Rajiv Shah, President, The Rockefeller Foundation

Gender equality as a cross-cutting theme

Within the 2021 17 Rooms global flagship process, each Room was asked to respond to the following common assignment:

What are 1 to 3 actionable priorities that your Room can identify and advance over the coming 12-18 months (i.e., by the end of 2022) to improve some component of your Goal’s 2030 outcomes? In light of COVID-19’s profound and widespread exacerbation of gender inequities, how can your Room’s actionable priorities help drive gains for women and girls?

The first question reflects a perennial design principle for 17 Rooms—focus on a next step, rather than a perfect step. The second question represents a concerted effort to elevate issues of gender inequality across all the Rooms in 2021.

A community survey at the outset of this year’s flagship process found that different Rooms had differing degrees of comfort in identifying gender-relevant priorities within their respective domains. Respecting this variation in starting points, the 17 Rooms initiative aimed to encourage each Room to take at least a concerted step forward in advancing gender equality within its chosen action domain.

Across Rooms, there was broad recognition of the enormity of the gender equality problem. Women and girls carry a disproportionate burden of adversities in the workplace, in education, in access to health care and DPGs, in personal security, and within the home. They are most vulnerable to the effects of climate change and related health, social, and economic volatility. Because of this, women and girls can secure particular benefits from new approaches to advancing SDG outcomes. For example, when technology provides remote learning opportunities in areas where travel is unsafe, when equitable digital cash transfer systems for emergency response are in place, when quality jobs with advancement opportunities are supported, and when clean fuel is used for cooking, women and girls can realize outsized benefits. Specific examples of Room insights and actions for gender equality include:

• Room 5 emphasized faith actors as agents for reshaping community norms for gender equality and supporting women leaders in faith contexts through cross-generational learning.
• Room 11 made clear that local communities and national governments need strong protocols to avoid elite capture, while supporting women leaders and women-led groups with financing.
• Room 13 noted a need for women and girls to be at the center of designing and benefiting from locally-led climate solutions, particularly for access to electricity and microfinance.
• Room 14 plans to ask the communities prototyping their “SDG narrative approach” to address the needs of women and girls in creating local stories for sustainable ecosystem management.
• Room 16 proposed ways to improve the collection of gender-disaggregated data at the community level—to identify equity gaps and help hold communities accountable for closing them.

During the September virtual summit, a cross-Room “Big Tents” session was devoted to advancing the needs of women and girls across the SDGs. Gender also featured as a strong theme during the summit’s final Room report out plenary, when keynote listener U.N. Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed spoke powerfully to the importance of gender equality in her response to Rooms’ proposed action plans. Moving forward, the 17 Rooms initiative will keep prioritizing gender inequality and keep experimenting with ways to advance action-oriented priorities for gender equality across all SDGs.

I’ll do three C’s [for] what I found useful and engaging in [the 17 Rooms] process: Conversation—Sometimes we get exhausted with having conversations over and over again, but I found that in this group, bringing together the expertise, and the leadership of networks and on ideas, and having a room for just conversations has been so powerful; Connections—…there’s so much value in this process of connecting the dots between what already exists. How can we be dot connectors versus generators of new ideas? Catalyzation—How can we use our energy, our networks, our ideas, our experience, to catalyze what exists? — Blessing Omakwu, Deputy Director leading Goalkeepers, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

3. Room actions for 2022

A synopsis of each Room’s action agenda is presented below. Consistent with the 17 Rooms approach of honing in on targeted actions, each group’s area of focus is described alongside at least one key next step the Room aims to advance before the end of 2022. Readers can explore the companion series of individual Room documents for a fuller sense of each Room’s outlook.

• Action: Help at least three countries build their government-led digital cash transfer infrastructure for emergency response and social protection, and promote 12 principles for equitable reach.

DOWNLOAD ROOM 1 DOCUMENT

• Action: Develop and mainstream a holistic impact assessment tool for investors to optimize for the True Cost/True Value of food.

DOWNLOAD ROOM 2 DOCUMENT

• Action: Run Bluetooth-enabled simulations of participatory digital health tools for pandemic response at high-level global meetings to increase uptake of and investment in the tools by world leaders, decisionmakers, and philanthropists.

DOWNLOAD ROOM 3 DOCUMENT

• Action: Establish a Global Coalition on Learning Teams to support governments to learn about and adopt distributed teaching models for more effective and resilient education systems.

DOWNLOAD ROOM 4 DOCUMENT

• Action: Host a virtual learning exchange to foster multi-faith, cross-generational, and cross-sectoral conversations on women leaders advancing gender equality in faith contexts.

DOWNLOAD ROOM 5 DOCUMENT

• Action: Establish the economic and business cases for making human waste a resource at scale, including energy, fertilizer, freshwater, and carbon credits.

DOWNLOAD ROOM 6 DOCUMENT

• Action: Advance new targets and metrics for energy reliability, productivity, and quality. This could include a target for non-residential electricity consumption, such as the Modern Energy Minimum, and an average floor for the wider economy.

DOWNLOAD ROOM 7 DOCUMENT

• Action: Pilot the “Opportunity Metrics” framework with partner firms to help them monitor and increase job quality, mobility, and equity within their companies.

DOWNLOAD ROOM 8 DOCUMENT

• Action: Develop and socialize a guide to utilizing digital public goods for digital cooperation, SDG attainment, and innovation while also coordinating resources to implement “good digital public infrastructure” at the country level.

DOWNLOAD ROOM 9 DOCUMENT

• Action: Urge world leaders to improve COVID-19 vaccine equity by taking several immediate steps based on enlightened self-interest, e.g., by converting the COVAX facility’s structure to a permanent mechanism for global public investment in pandemic preparedness and response.

DOWNLOAD ROOM 10 DOCUMENT

• Action: Co-create or scale an existing locally led campaign to shift power, process, and funding from bilateral donors, philanthropies, and their intermediaries towards community-embedded actors so that local actors can design and deliver sustainable development solutions in their own communities

DOWNLOAD ROOM 11 DOCUMENT

• Action: Launch a public campaign to encourage business journalists to increase and intensify their reporting on ESG efforts as a way to monitor and hold the private sector accountable for SDG action.

DOWNLOAD ROOM 12 DOCUMENT

• Action: Shape a common high-level narrative for three pillars of “breakthrough” for climate finance, including: delivering and going well beyond advanced economies’ $100 billion annual commitment, scaling up private finance through reform of the international financial institutions, and aligning the financial system to become a catalyst for change.

DOWNLOAD ROOM 13 DOCUMENT

• Action: Prototype an “SDG narrative approach” with local actors to develop their ocean-based vision for sustainable development. The prototype will start with a small and diverse set of places/organizations, likely in Moorea, French Polynesia; Mombasa, Kenya; and Iberostar (a family-owned tourism company) properties.

DOWNLOAD ROOM 14 DOCUMENT

• Action: Rapidly advance the “Natural Security Initiative”—to catalyze investments in nature to protect and benefit people where they live—by (i) enjoining and elevating the various existing nature-based solutions initiatives and climate campaigns and (ii) in-depth research tackling the recognized barriers to scaling up investments in nature.

DOWNLOAD ROOM 15 DOCUMENT

• Action: Identify and advance best practices for COVID-19 relief and recovery packages that produce just outcomes; and create a community of practice to advance new approaches to teaching and partnering with the next generation of university students about human rights using the SDGs.

DOWNLOAD ROOM 16 DOCUMENT

• Action: Develop an accessible, easy-to-use forced labor risk estimation tool that is easily integrated with institutional investors’ existing systems, and can deliver risk estimates at the company level across a wide universe of companies.

DOWNLOAD ROOM 17 DOCUMENT

Joint action between Rooms

The Room actions listed above reflect a broad mix of ambitions for SDG policies and practice. Readers might also note substantive alignment among some of the Room agendas. Some of these are coincidental; others reflect more structured interactions. As one example, the natural overlap between Room 1’s approach to building a digital public good for social inclusion and Room 9’s focus on global-scale strategies for implementing digital public infrastructure led to multiple meetings between Room representatives to explore opportunities for joint action. Both Rooms agreed that in the immediate term, the most effective form of joint action would be to maintain an open line of knowledge sharing and connection, but to work in parallel on their respective strategies for advancing digital public infrastructure and digital public goods in 2022.

This year’s most structured cross-Room interaction took shape after Room 15 floated the idea of a “Natural Security Initiative” (NSI) to catalyze investment in nature to protect and benefit people where they live. They shared the proposal mid-stream with the co-Moderators of Room 13 (climate action) and Room 14 (oceans), who offered strong support, provided specific suggestions on next steps, and began to incorporate relevant work into their own Rooms. The NSI proposal is continuing to evolve, but it has begun with a concerted campaign to put people and equity at the center of global climate and biodiversity agendas in key high-level meetings in 2021 (e.g., the COP26 climate summit) and 2022 (e.g., the COP15 biodiversity summit and COP27 climate summit). Next steps are likely to include a sharper assessment of the geographic spread of required investments in nature, alongside a more fleshed out action plan for mobilizing relevant actors in 2022.

4. Looking to 2022

The 17 Rooms initiative aims to create a helpfully novel environment for problem solving across all 17 SDGs. The foremost ambition is to foster actions, insights, and interpersonal connections that improve the world’s sustainable development outcomes. All of the 2021 flagship Rooms deserve tremendous credit for generating such practical agendas within such limited time constraints. But the real measure of success will lie in the delivery of actions in 2022.

Importantly, few of the Room proposals were developed in isolation; most will advance and evolve through interactions with broader efforts underway elsewhere. Some Rooms (e.g., Room 11, Room 14) even extend explicit invitations for interested parties to get directly involved in their work. The Room action agendas are best interpreted as a dynamic springboard to further progress over the coming year, rather than a stationary landing pad.

In 2022, the 17 Rooms initiative will convene a fifth annual global flagship process, exploring possibilities for mixing virtual plus in-person convenings as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve. While the virtual environment offers unique opportunities for efficient and inclusive global conversations, many members of the 17 Rooms community have conveyed a strong desire for physical convenings too.

The initiative will also continue to expand opportunities for decentralized SDG engagement through the “17 Rooms-X” community of practice. A growing diversity of communities, universities, regions, and national-scale bodies are exploring or already deploying 17 Rooms methodologies to connect and advance SDG actions in their own local contexts. The initiative is keen to see how its methods can support action, insight, and community for the SDGs at any scale of geography or network.

The 17 Rooms 2021 global flagship process convened an extraordinary mix of people pushing for large-scale global change. Their actions and insights show the types of progress that are possible when diverse communities come together. They can help to elevate, and hopefully inspire, decisive gains for sustainable development within every community around the world.

related podcast series

Introducing 17 Rooms, a podcast about the people driving a new approach for the Sustainable Development Goals

Acknowledgments.

The secretariat thanks Margaret Biggs, Homi Kharas, George Ingram, and Tony Pipa for helpful comments on earlier drafts of this report. The secretariat thanks participants in the 17 Rooms 2021 process for contributing remarkable insights and ideas, as reflected in the companion series of individual Room publications, which inspired the contents of this report. The secretariat is also particularly grateful to the Room Moderators who provided such energizing leadership, feedback, and support for the 17 Rooms process throughout 2021.

The Brookings Institution is a nonprofit organization devoted to independent research and policy solutions. Its mission is to conduct high-quality, independent research and, based on that research, to provide innovative, practical recommendations for policymakers and the public. The conclusions and recommendations of any Brookings publication are solely those of its author(s), and do not reflect the views of the Institution, its management, or its other scholars.

Support for this publication was generously provided by The Rockefeller Foundation. Brookings is committed to quality, independence, and impact in all of its work. Activities supported by its donors reflect this commitment. The Rockefeller Foundation advances new frontiers of science, data, policy, and innovation to solve global challenges related to health, food, power, and economic mobility. As a science-driven philanthropy focused on building collaborative relationships with partners and grantees, The Rockefeller Foundation seeks to inspire and foster large-scale human impact that promotes the well-being of humanity throughout the world by identifying and accelerating breakthrough solutions, ideas, and conversations. For more information, visit www.rockefellerfoundation.org .

• Media Relations
• Terms and Conditions
• Privacy Policy

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Essay

• To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
• As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
• As a template for you assignment

The Sustainable Development Goals are a kind of call to action emanating from all countries – poor, rich, and moderately developed. This call aims to improve the well-being of people and animals and protect our planet and nature. All countries admit that poverty liquidation measures must be taken at the same time with efforts to improve economic growth. Also, addressing a range of issues in the areas of education, health, social protection, and employment as well as combating climate change and protecting the environment should be done as soon as possible. The purpose of this paper is to list and discuss the United Nations’ seventeen Sustainable Development Goals.

The United Nations or U.N. is an intergovernmental organization that seeks to keep international safety, peace, and security, develop healthy and friendly relationships between people from different countries, be the center for harmonizing the actions of nations, and achieve international cooperation. The Sustainable Development Goals are considered to be the foundation for a better future for everyone. These goals appeal to the global problems that are related to inequality, poverty, environmental degradation, climate change, justice, and peace (“About the Sustainable Development Goals”). All the seventeen goals are connected with each other, and the United Nations want to achieve all of them by 2030.

The first goal is to get rid of all kinds of poverty by ensuring that all people have equal rights and access to basic services, economic resources, ownership, natural resources, inherited property, financial services, and relevant new technologies. The second aim is to eliminate hunger by providing all people with permanent access to adequate, healthy, nutritious, and safe food. The third goal is to promote well-being and ensure healthy lives for all people of all ages. It may be achieved by reducing mortality rate, ending preventable deaths of children and newborns and premature mortality, increasing health financing.

Also, this goal’s steps are completing the epidemics of tuberculosis, AIDS, tropical diseases, and malaria and combating water-borne diseases, hepatitis, and other infectious sicknesses. The fourth aim is to establish quality education by providing all boys and girls with quality, free, and equitable early childhood development, care, preprimary, primary, and secondary education (“About the Sustainable Development Goals”). Also, it is necessary to make sure that all people have equal access to affordable and quality higher education and that all gender disparities in education are eliminated.

Goal number five is to achieve gender equality by ending discrimination, harmful practices, and violence against all girls and women all over the world. The sixth aim is to provide all people with clean and safe water by eliminating dumping, reducing pollution, and minimizing the release of dangerous materials and chemicals. Also, it is important to halve the amount of wasted water and increase reuse and recycling. The seventh aim is to provide people with access to reliable, affordable, modern, and sustainable energy.

It may be achieved by upgrading technology and expanding infrastructure for supplying sustainable and modern energy services for everyone in all developing countries. Goal number eight is to promote employment, sustainable and inclusive economic growth, and decent work for everyone (“About the Sustainable Development Goals”). The ninth goal is to foster innovation, build sustainable infrastructure, and promote stable industrialization by raising industry’s share of GDP and employment and increasing access to communications and information technology.

Aim number ten is to reduce inequality within and among countries by empowering the economic, political, and social inclusion of all people despite their race, age, religion, and other differences. Moreover, it is essential to provide equal opportunities and reduce outcome inequalities by destroying discriminatory policies, laws, and practices. The eleventh goal is to make towns and cities safe, inclusive, sustainable, and resilient by providing access to secure transportation, improving road safety, and protecting and safeguarding the world’s natural and cultural heritage. Aim number twelve is to ensure sustainable and responsible production patterns and consumption.

This may be done by halving global food waste per person and reducing food losses (“About the Sustainable Development Goals”). The thirteenth goal is to take action to fight climate change and its impacts by integrating necessary measures into national policies and strategies and improving people’s awareness of the problem.

The fourteenth aim is to conserve and sustainably use marine resources. People need to prevent or at least reduce all kinds of marine pollution, minimize the impacts of acidification of ocean, and prohibit some forms of fisheries subsidies. Goal number fifteen is to fight with desertification, manage forests, and stop and reverse land degradation. It may be achieved by ensuring the conservation of mountain ecosystems and restoring degraded soil and land.

Aim number sixteen is to promote equitable, inclusive, and peaceful societies by reducing violence and death rates that are related to it, ending exploitation, abuse, trafficking, and torture of children, and reducing bribery and corruption. Finally, the seventeenth goal is to achieve sustainable development by revitalizing the global partnership (“About the Sustainable Development Goals”). In other words, this goal is about strengthening domestic resource mobilization, mobilizing additional financial resources, and assisting developing countries.

To draw a conclusion, one may say that these goals are essential for achieving sustainable development, a safe society and atmosphere, the world’s proper condition, and the prosperity of all people. It is hard to disagree that most of these goals, like combating climate change or protecting the marine resources, are so crucial that they need to be achieved in the nearest future. Unfortunately, it is impossible until all people realize the problems and unite to change the world for the better together.

“About the Sustainable Development Goals.” Sustainable Development Goals . Web.

• Saudi Arabia Market Economy Insights and Opportunities
• The Success of India’s Economy
• A Mechanism for Combating Mercantilism and Producing Balanced Trade
• Combating Gender Inequality
• Global Poverty: Ways of Combating
• Promoting the Growth of Manufacturing
• Gross Domestic Product Trends in Developing States
• Capitalism and Democracy - Social System Analysis
• US: Nation's GDP and Fed Funds Rate
• The Albertan Oilfield Importance to Canada
• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2021, June 20). The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-united-nations-sustainable-development-goals/

"The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals." IvyPanda , 20 June 2021, ivypanda.com/essays/the-united-nations-sustainable-development-goals/.

IvyPanda . (2021) 'The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals'. 20 June.

IvyPanda . 2021. "The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals." June 20, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-united-nations-sustainable-development-goals/.

1. IvyPanda . "The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals." June 20, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-united-nations-sustainable-development-goals/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals." June 20, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-united-nations-sustainable-development-goals/.

Search results:

• Afghanistan
• American Samoa
• Antigua and Barbuda
• Bolivia (Plurinational State of)
• Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba
• Bosnia and Herzegovina
• British Virgin Islands
• Brunei Darussalam
• Burkina Faso
• Cayman Islands
• Central African Republic
• Channel Islands
• China, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
• China, Macao Special Administrative Region
• China, Taiwan Province of China
• Cook Islands
• Côte d'Ivoire
• Democratic People's Republic of Korea
• Democratic Republic of the Congo
• Dominican Republic
• El Salvador
• Equatorial Guinea
• Falkland Islands (Malvinas)
• Faroe Islands
• French Guiana
• French Polynesia
• Guinea-Bissau
• Humanitarian Action Countries
• Iran (Islamic Republic of)
• Isle of Man
• Kosovo (UNSCR 1244)
• Lao People's Democratic Republic
• Liechtenstein
• Marshall Islands
• Micronesia (Federated States of)
• Netherlands (Kingdom of the)
• New Caledonia
• New Zealand
• North Macedonia
• Northern Mariana Islands
• OECD Fragile Contexts
• Papua New Guinea
• Philippines
• Puerto Rico
• Republic of Korea
• Republic of Moldova
• Russian Federation
• Saint Barthélemy
• Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha
• Saint Kitts and Nevis
• Saint Lucia
• Saint Martin (French part)
• Saint Pierre and Miquelon
• Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
• Sao Tome and Principe
• Saudi Arabia
• Sierra Leone
• Sint Maarten
• Solomon Islands
• South Africa
• South Sudan
• State of Palestine
• Switzerland
• Syrian Arab Republic
• Timor-Leste
• Trinidad and Tobago
• Turkmenistan
• Turks and Caicos Islands
• United Arab Emirates
• United Kingdom
• United Republic of Tanzania
• United States
• Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of)
• Virgin Islands U.S.
• Wallis and Futuna

Search countries

Search for data in 238 countries

• SDG Progress Data
• Child Marriage
• Immunization
• Benchmarking child-related SDGs
• Maternal and Newborn Health Disparities
• Continuity of essential health services
• Country profiles
• Interactive data visualizations
• Journal articles
• Publications
• Data Warehouse

GOAL 17: PARTNERSHIPS FOR THE GOALS

Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development.

Goal 17 aims to strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development.  Partnerships are the glue for SDG implementation and will be essential to making the Agenda a reality. Goal 17 calls to strengthen the means of implementation and to build and enhance partnerships with diverse stakeholders.

The targets of Goal 17 are among the primary tools for the advancement of child rights and well-being, globally. This goal defines, for example, whether there are enough data available to identify those children most at risk of being left behind.

While in 2018 there has been an increase in the countries who implemented national statistical plans, many countries lacked the necessary funding to do so: in sub-Saharan Africa, for example, only 23 per cent of plans were fully funded. While sufficient data on all SDGs is relevant to the fulfillment of child rights, UNICEF has prioritised work on indicators in the global SDG monitoring framework that most directly concern children. Although there has been a notable increase in data coverage on these indicators between 2018 and 2019, an average of 75 per cent of child-related SDG indicators in every country either have insufficient data or show insufficient progress to meet global SDG targets by 2030.

UNICEF’s contribution towards reaching this goal centres on working with a broad range of partners at the global, regional, country and local levels, across the public and private sectors. Goal 17 calls on Member States to significantly enhance the availability of reliable, high-quality and timely disaggregated data as well as to further develop measurements of progress, and support statistical capacity building in developing countries.

TARGET 17.8 Fully operationalize the technology bank and science, technology and innovation capacity-building mechanism for least developed countries by 2017 and enhance the use of enabling technology, in particular information and communications technology.

Proportion of individuals using the internet.

• Indicator definition
• Computation method
• Comments & limitations

The Internet has become an increasingly important tool to access public information, which is a relevant means to protect fundamental freedoms. The number of Internet users has increased substantially over the last decade and access to the Internet has changed the way people live, communicate, work and do business. Internet uptake is a key indicator tracked by policy makers and others to measure the development of the information society and the growth of Internet content – including user-generated content.

Despite growth in networks, services and applications, information and communication technology (ICT) access and use is still far from equally distributed, and many people cannot yet benefit from the potential of the Internet. This indicator highlights the importance of Internet use as a development enabler and helps to measure the digital divide, which, if not properly addressed, will aggravate inequalities in all development domains. Classificatory variables for individuals using the Internet – such as age, sex, education level or labour force status – can help identify digital divides in individuals using the Internet. This information can contribute to the design of targeted policies to overcome those divides.

The proportion of individuals using the Internet is an established indicator and was also one of the three ICT- related Millennium Development Goal (MDG) indicators. It is part of the Partnership on Measuring ICT for Development’s Core List of Indicators, which has been endorsed by the UN Statistical Commission. It is also included in the ITU ICT Development Index, and thus considered a key metric for international comparisons of ICT developments.

This indicator is defined as the proportion of individuals who used the internet from any location in the last three months.

The Internet is a worldwide public computer network. It provides access to a number of communication services including the World Wide Web and carries e-mail, news, entertainment and data files, irrespective of the device used (not assumed to be only via a computer – it may also be by mobile telephone, tablet, PDA, games machine, digital TV etc.). Access can be via a fixed or mobile network.

For countries that collect data on this indicator through an official survey, this indicator is calculated by dividing the total number of in-scope individuals using the Internet (from any location) in the last 3 months by the total number of in-scope individuals. For countries that have not carried out a survey, data are estimated (by ITU) based on the number of Internet subscriptions and other socioeconomic indicators (GNI per capita) and on the time series data.

While the data on the percentage of individuals using the Internet are very reliable for countries that have collected the data through official household surveys, they are less reliable in cases where the number of Internet users is estimated by ITU. ITU is encouraging all countries to collect data on this indicator through official surveys and the number of countries with official data for this indicator is increasing.

TARGET 17.19 By 2030, build on existing initiatives to develop measurements of progress on sustainable development that complement gross domestic product, and support statistical capacity-building in developing countries

Proportion of countries that (a) have conducted at least one population and housing census in the last 10 years; and (b) have achieved 100 per cent birth registration and 80 per cent death registration.

Population and housing censuses are one of the primary sources of data needed for formulating, implementing and monitoring policies and programmes aimed at inclusive socioeconomic development and environmental sustainability. Population and housing censuses are an important source for supplying disaggregated data needed for the measurement of progress of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, especially in the context of assessing the situation of people by income, sex, age, race, ethnicity, migratory status, disability and geographic location, or other characteristics.

In recognition of the above, the ECOSOC resolution E/RES/2015/10 establishing the 2020 World Population and Housing Census Programme urges Member States to conduct at least one population and housing census during the period from 2015 to 2024, taking into account international and regional recommendations relating to population and housing censuses and giving particular attention to advance planning, cost efficiency, coverage and the timely dissemination of, and easy access to, census results for national stakeholders, the United Nations and other appropriate intergovernmental organizations in order to inform decisions and facilitate the effective implementation of development plans and programmes.

The indicator tracks the proportion of countries that have conducted at least one population and housing census in the last 10 years and hence provides information on the availability of disaggregated population and housing data needed for the measurement of progress of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The introduction of indicator 17.19.2 (b) as part of the SDG global framework reflects the recognition of the fundamental role of the civil registration system to the functioning of societies, and the legal and protective advantages that it offers to individuals. The essential purpose of civil registration system is to furnish legal documents of direct interest to individuals. Aside from the direct and overarching importance of civil registration to the public authorities, in that the information compiled using the registration method provides essential data for national and regional preparation and planning for medical and health-care programmes, the role played by civil registration in proving, establishing, implementing and realizing many of the human rights embodied in international declarations and conventions reflects one of its most important contributions to the normal functioning of societies.

(a) The indicator tracks the proportion of countries that have conducted at least one population and housing census in the last 10 years. This also includes countries which compile their detailed population and housing statistics from population registers, administrative records, sample surveys or other sources or a combination of those sources.

(b) According to the Principles and Recommendations for a Vital Statistics System, Revision 3 ( https://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic/standmeth/principles/M19Rev3en.pdf ), a complete civil registration is defined as: “The registration in the civil registration system of every vital event that has occurred to the members of the population of a particular country (or area), within a specified period as a result of which every such event has a vital registration record and the system has attained 100 per cent coverage.”

In a given country or area, the level of completeness of birth registration can be different from the level of completeness of death registration.

Several methods for evaluating the completeness of birth or death registration systems exist. An elaboration of these methods is available at Principles and Recommendations for a Vital Statistics System, Revision 3. The evaluation and monitoring of quality and completeness of birth and death registration systems are addressed in Part three, sub-Chapters: D. Quality assessment methods; E. Direct versus indirect assessment, and F. Choosing appropriate methods for assessing completeness and qualitative accuracy of registration and register-based vital statistics (para 579 to 622).

Indicator 17.19.2(b) has two parts; the first concerning the birth registration and the second concerning the death registration of each individual country or area.

(b) The two sub-indicators of the indicator 17.19.2(b) are expressed as proportions: at the global level, the proportion of countries that have achieved 100 per cent birth registration is measured as the number of countries that have achieved 100 per cent birth registration to the total number of countries. The computation is done in an analogous manner for the death registration part as well as for the regional measurements of both birth and death registration sub-indicators.

The latest compiled data for this indicator are part of the Statistical Annex to the 2017 SG’s progress report, available at https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/files/report/2017/secretary-general-sdg-report-2017–Statistical-Annex.pdf (please refer to the last two pages). These data are compiled using the country-reported information on availability and completeness of birth and death registration data at the country level, to the United Nations Demographic Yearbook, via the Demographic Yearbook Vital Statistics questionnaire and accompanying metadata. United Nations Demographic Yearbook collection and associated online compilations are published by the United Nations Statistics Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs. Please refer to: https://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic/products/dyb/default.htm

At the present time, the thresholds used for compiling the data for the indicator 17.19.2(b) are 90 per cent for birth registration and 75 per cent for death registration, due to the classification that has been used in the Demographic Yearbook metadata questionnaire on vital statistics. This classification has currently been modified to enable reporting according to the exact formulation of the indicator 17.19.2(b).

The SDGs can only be realized with strong and inclusive partnerships, as well as significant investment in implementation, with children at the centre. UNICEF has five key asks for Goal 17. UNICEF offers support to governments and encourages them to:

• Build, strengthen and expand partnerships.
• Broker meaningful multi-stakeholder coalitions and alliances.
• Engage with the UN System as a key partner.
• Enhance North-South, South-South, horizontal and triangular cooperation.
• Leverage and pool resources, capacities, technology and data.

See more Sustainable Development Goals

ZERO HUNGER

GOOD HEALTH AND WELL-BEING

QUALITY EDUCATION

GENDER EQUALITY

CLEAN WATER AND SANITATION

AFFORDABLE AND CLEAN ENERGY

DECENT WORK AND ECONOMIC GROWTH

REDUCED INEQUALITIES

CLIMATE ACTION

PEACE, JUSTICE AND STRONG INSTITUTIONS

PARTERNSHIPS FOR THE GOALS

Understanding Sustainability and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals

• Course  Overview
• Reviews & Ratings

About the Course

This course provides an in-depth understanding of sustainability and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set by the United Nations. Sustainability is a critical global issue, and the SDGs offer a comprehensive framework for addressing the most pressing challenges of our time, including poverty, inequality, climate change, environmental degradation, and peace and justice. This course is designed to help participants understand the importance of sustainability and how they can contribute to achieving these goals in their personal and professional lives.

In this course, you will explore each of the 17 SDGs in detail, understand the global efforts being made to achieve them, and learn how individuals, organizations, and communities can take action to support sustainable development. This course is ideal for anyone interested in making a positive impact on the world.

Course Objective

• To understand the concept of sustainability and its global significance
• To learn about the 17 Sustainable Development Goals and their targets
• To explore ways to contribute to the achievement of the SDGs in various contexts

Course Outline

• Introduction to Sustainability
• The 17 Sustainable Development Goals: An Overview
• Deep Dive into Key SDGs: Poverty, Climate Action, and Quality Education
• Global Efforts and Case Studies on Achieving the SDGs
• Actions Individuals and Organizations Can Take to Support the SDGs

Target Participants

This course is designed for students, professionals, educators, and anyone interested in sustainability and the global efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. It is suitable for those who want to learn how to make a positive impact on society and the environment.

Certificate Requirements

• Completion of recorded webinar + quiz
• Pass the 10-item multiple choice with 80% mark
• Comment your feedback on the main page of the course
• https://asklexph.com/courses/understanding-sustainability-and-sdgs/

What is an LMS?

An LMS (Learning Management System) is a software platform designed to manage, deliver, and track educational content and training programs online.

How does an LMS work?

An LMS provides a centralized platform for creating, delivering, and managing learning materials. It offers features like course creation, assessments, communication tools, and progress tracking.

Who can use the LMS?

Our LMS is designed for a wide range of users, including educators, students, trainers, HR professionals, and corporate users seeking to deliver and manage training and educational content.

How do I access courses on the LMS?

After logging in, you'll see a list of available courses on your dashboard. Click on a course to access its content, including modules, videos, assignments, and quizzes.

Can I take courses on any device?

Yes, our LMS is responsive and works on various devices, including desktops, laptops, tablets, and smartphones.

How do I enroll in a course?

If you're a student, your courses might be assigned by an instructor. If you're a corporate user, courses can be assigned by your administrator. Simply click on the course to enroll.

How are assessments conducted?

Assessments can include quizzes, assignments, and exams. You'll find instructions within each course on how to complete them.

How do I track my progress?

Your progress is automatically tracked as you complete modules, quizzes, and assignments. You can view your progress on your dashboard or course page.

I'm having trouble accessing the platform. What should I do?

If you're experiencing technical difficulties, please reach out to our support team at [email protected] or send a ticket through our support form

What if I forget my password or username?

You can use the "Forgot Password" option on the login page to reset your password. If you've forgotten your username, contact our support team for assistance.

Is my personal information safe on the LMS?

We take your privacy seriously. Your personal information is securely stored and used only for educational and administrative purposes in accordance with our privacy policy.

Are my course progress and grades kept private?

Yes, your course progress and grades are confidential and can only be viewed by you, your instructors, and administrators as needed.

Exploring the Relationship between Ecosystem Services and Sustainable Development Goals in Guangdong Province, China

63 Pages Posted: 7 Sep 2024

Linglong Zhu

Guangzhou University

Xiaocheng Huang

Ecosystem services (ESs) and sustainable development goals (SDGs) play significant roles in maintaining human wellbeing and the natural environment. However, it is unclear whether different ESs and SDGs are synchronized, and their relationship has not been well defined. Conducting analyses using coupled coordination is essential for unravelling the intricate developmental ties between ESs and SDGs, particularly in regions with uneven socioeconomic development. We employed a spatial analysis to quantitatively evaluate the spatiotemporal conditions of the 10 ESs and SDGs 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) and 15 (Life on Land). The coordinated development patterns of ESs and SDGs in Guangdong Province were also analyzed using the coupling coordination degree (CCD) model and the four-quadrant approach. The results showed that from 2000 to 2020, ESs in Guangdong Province exhibited a declining trend followed by an increasing trend, and Cultural and Regulatory services were higher than Support and Provision Services. The overall score for SDG 15 was higher than that for SDG 11, with a 3.02% increase for SDG 11 and a 1.87% decrease for SDG 15 compared to 2000. The CCD between ESs and SDG 11 and 15 in Guangdong was mainly categorized into basic and moderate coordination categories, and a relatively lower level of CCD was observed between Support Services and the SDGs. This study quantitatively revealed the relationship between ESs and the SDGs from the perspective of coupled coordination; as such, it provides a reference for realizing regional sustainable development.

Keywords: Sustainable Development Goal, Ecosystem service, Coupling coordination degree, Guangdong Province

Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation

Guangzhou University ( email )

Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Center Waihuanxi Road 230 Guangzhou, 510006 China

Zhuo Wu (Contact Author)

Do you have a job opening that you would like to promote on ssrn, paper statistics, related ejournals, ecosystem ecology ejournal.

Subscribe to this fee journal for more curated articles on this topic

Applied Ecology eJournal

Ecological modeling ejournal, cartography, spatial analysis & geographical methodology ejournal, environmental data analysis ejournal, agricultural, economic, political & social geography ejournal, physical geography & biogeography ejournal.

South Africa remains dedicated to tackling global environmental, economic, social, and political challenges by 2030 through its commitment to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. To achieve these goals, South Africa will work with the regional and international community to transform the mandate and functioning of global and local economies at a leadership, infrastructure, investment, and operational level in order to address fundamental developmental challenges including unemployment, inequality, and poverty in the country. South Africa believes that it is necessary for new momentum to stop the regression and accelerate SDG progress in a global multisectoral initiative. Therefore, working together through strengthening global solidarity is critical. South Africa is committed to work on initiatives aimed at expanding training and education in the digital economy, enabling equitable access, particularly for girls and women. Women’s empowerment is central to poverty eradication and promoting inclusive economic growth. Therefore, investing in education as well as eliminating financing barriers that discriminate against women can increase women’s entrepreneurship while expanding economic opportunities and enabling them to participate meaningfully in the economy.

South Africa has developed several policy instruments and initiatives that are geared toward the country transitioning to a sustainable and climate-resilient development pathway. The development of a Just Transition Framework by South Africa’s Presidential Climate Commission (PCC), underscores that combating climate change is not only an environmental imperative but a socio-economic one as well. Therefore, South Africa continues to reaffirm its commitment to co-creating and implementing strategies that are not only environmentally sustainable but also socially and economically just. This means ensuring that the transition to a low-carbon economy is fair and equitable by taking into consideration the needs of all stakeholders, including marginalized communities and workers in industries that may be impacted by the shift. In 2022, South Africa undertook an SDG Diagnostic Scoping Note assessment exercise to establish how the implementation of the SDGs can be accelerated. The assessment looked at synergies across sectors that contribute towards more than one SDG or Agenda 2063 goal. The assessment identified policy actions that need to be implemented including the expansion of social protection schemes, growing the economy, and involving the private sector and other actors in the effort to achieve the development goals.

Making SDG achievement a more central focus in national planning and oversight mechanisms, Strengthening the capacities of local and subnational governments to advance the SDGs , Boosting transparency and access to information

Action Network

Type of initiative

Member state, geographic scope, key priority transitions, more information, annual updates.

The system of radiological protection and the UN sustainable development goals

• Open access
• Published: 10 September 2024

Cite this article

You have full access to this open access article

• W. Rühm   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-6354-7359 1 ,
• K. Applegate   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0001-7716-1636 2 ,
• F Bochud   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-2076-0296 3 ,
• D Laurier   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-1432-4738 4 ,
• T. Schneider   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-0094-5293 5 ,
• S. Bouffler   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-1883-919X 6 ,
• K. Cho   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-7723-6973 7 ,
• C. Clement   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-1343-2585 8 ,
• O. German   ORCID: orcid.org/0009-0001-3255-1742 8 ,
• G. Hirth   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-5478-1127 9 ,
• M. Kai   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0001-7812-727X 10 ,
• S. Liu 11 ,
• A. Mayall   ORCID: orcid.org/0009-0009-2891-4609 12 ,
• S. Romanov   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-8642-3850 13 &
• A. Wojcik   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-3951-774X 14 , 15  

59 Accesses

Explore all metrics

In 2015 the United Nations issued 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) addressing a wide range of global social, economic, and environmental challenges. The main goal of this paper is to provide an understanding of how the current System of Radiological Protection relates to these SDGs. In the first part it is proposed that the current System of Radiological Protection is implicitly linked to sustainable development. This is substantiated by analysing the features of the current System as set out by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) in its publications. In the second part it is proposed that sustainability should be considered and more explicitly addressed in the next ICRP general recommendations, as part of the currently ongoing review and revision of the current System. A few examples are given of how this could be realised, and it is proposed that this issue should be discussed and developed together with the international community interested in radiological protection.

Similar content being viewed by others

Sustainable development goals and ethics: building “the future we want”

Reaching the 7th Millennium Development Goals (MDG) on Environmental Sustainability: The South Asian Response

Strategic environmental assessment and SDG integration: enhancing sustainable development in Egypt

Explore related subjects.

• Medical Ethics

Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.

Introduction

In 2015 the United Nations issued the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The Agenda aims to address a wide range of social, economic, and environmental challenges. It provides “ a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet , now and into the future. At its heart are the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) , which are an urgent call for action by all countries - developed and developing - in a global partnership. They recognize that ending poverty and other deprivations must go hand-in-hand with strategies that improve health and education , reduce inequality , and spur economic growth – all while tackling climate change and working to preserve our oceans and forests .” A detailed description of these SDGs including 169 associated targets, can be found in (UN, 2015 ). Each goal has specific targets and indicators to measure progress. As these goals are often interrelated, actions taken to achieve one goal may have positive or negative impacts on other goals. Applying them therefore requires holistic and systematic thinking.

The 2030 Agenda of the United Nations encourages cooperation and partnerships among governments, industry, civil society, and individuals to work together to achieve these global goals by 2030. As radiological protection is a cross-cutting issue that involves all these entities, the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) decided to analyse the interrelationship between the SDGs and the current System of Radiological Protection (the “System”) set out in ICRP Publication 103 (ICRP 2007 ) and publish its vision on the subject. Any future incorporation of the SDGs into the System is all the more timely as ICRP has recently initiated the process of reviewing and revising the System (Clement et al. 2021 ).

This paper is not intended to provide an in-depth, historical review of the links between radiological protection in general and sustainable development. Rather, the main goal of this paper is to describe how the current System of Radiological Protection relates to the SDGs. Furthermore, looking into the future, some important questions are: can SDGs be considered as drivers for the next general recommendations following ICRP Publication 103 (ICRP 2007 )? If yes, how can they be integrated? To achieve this goal and find answers to these questions, we first illustrate ICRP’s commitments to the SDGs in its current recommendations and its most recent publications, as well as in its governance. In this context one should keep in mind the primary mission of ICRP, which is to contribute to an appropriate level of protection for people and the environment against the detrimental effects of ionising radiation exposure without unduly limiting the benefits associated with the use of radiation. We then outline possible ways to strengthen the alignment of the System with sustainable development. The paper is also meant to stimulate discussion with other ICRP’s stakeholders and other international organisations interested in radiological protection on the way the System already addresses and could in the future further address the concept of sustainability.

The current system of radiological protection and sustainability

Setting the scene.

As is shown further below, the current System implicitly includes some elements of the sustainable development concept. For example, the need to balance the social and economic benefits of radiation use with its potential harm is recognised in the primary aim of the current System. In addition, aspects such as long-term impact (related to intergenerational equity) are considered in areas such as the disposal of radioactive waste. However, with the growing and urgent need to address global challenges it is important to consider further how radiological protection in general and the System in particular contribute to sustainable development and how this might be enhanced; and whether the primary aim of radiological protection should be amended to make its contribution to sustainable development explicit (Mayall 2022 ).

A recent series of publications have brought forward core and procedural ethical values used in the System. In ICRP Publication 138 it is stated that “ Ethics cannot provide conclusive solutions , but can help to facilitate discussions among those seeking to promote the well-being of individuals , the sustainable development of society , and the protection of the environment ” (ICRP 2018a , para7).

Publication 138 provides an ethical framework for radiological protection, implicitly echoing many of the SDGs. The four core ethical values are summarised hereafter:

Beneficence/non maleficence: promoting or doing good, and avoiding doing harm;

Prudence: making informed and carefully considered choices without full knowledge of the scope and consequences of an action;

Justice: fairness in the distribution of advantages and disadvantages;

Dignity: the unconditional respect that every person deserves, irrespective of personal attributes or circumstances.

Publication 138 also points out the importance of “ accountability of the present generation to future generations ” (ICRP 2018a ; Para. 68).

As mentioned above, the SDGs as set out by the UN are not independent from each other, and reaching some of the goals may facilitate or attenuate the prospect of attaining others. Use of ionising radiation and development of radiological protection guidelines face a similar problem: today, the use of ionising radiation contributes to the sustainability of our modern way of life, but may at the same time compromise the sustainable use of resources. One example is the contribution of radiation to both diagnostic and therapeutic medicine (UNSCEAR 2022 ) supporting SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-Being). But the other side of the coin cannot be ignored: Access to health care is far from being equitable, as are other aspects of our society such as access to food, clothing, shelter, energy, education, jobs, safety from violence, etc. (UNSCEAR 2022 ). The World Health Organisation (WHO) Universal Health Coverage indicated that “the proportion of the population not covered by essential health services decreased by about 15% between 2000 and 2021 , with minimal progress made after 2015. This indicates that in 2021 , about 4.5 billion people were not fully covered by essential health services ”. Moreover, “ about 2 billion people are facing financial hardship including 1 billion experiencing catastrophic out-of-pocket health spending (SDG indicator 3.8.2) or 344 million people going deeper into extreme poverty due to health costs ” (WHO 2023 ). On the other hand, overdiagnosis and overtreatment are commonplace demonstrating wastefulness of resources (Kühlein et al. 2023 ). What’s more, health care (in which various types of radiation play a significant role) causes global environmental impacts with regard to emission of greenhouse gases, particulate matter, nitrogen oxides (NO x ), sulphur dioxide (SO 2 ), etc., ranging between 1% and 5% of total global impacts, and are more than 5% for some national impacts (Lenzen et al. 2020 ; Picano et al. 2023 ). Picano et al. estimate the contribution of healthcare to total national carbon footprint (4% in the UK, 10% in USA) and medical imaging (approximately 10% of healthcare CO 2 emissions in the US) to overall carbon emissions on a planetary scale.

As another example of the double-edged nature of SDGs in relation to ionising radiation, nuclear energy emits less greenhouse gas than fossil fuel energy generation (IEA 2019 ). However, nuclear accidents are possible (albeit with low probability). This may compromise the well-being of locally affected people by direct health effects, psychological stress or the potential economic blight resulting from such an accident or its countermeasures, extending sometimes to regional or even global effects. Furthermore, most countries have not achieved a consensus for a long-term solution for high-activity radioactive waste (see also Böse et al. 2024 ; Wimmer et al. 2024 ). Generally, the various forms of energy production available or under development such as the use of renewable energy sources or fusion have advantages and disadvantages (see, for example, https://ourworldindata.org/safest-sources-of-energy for a discussion regarding human health and climate change). Radiological protection might support the use of many forms given the fact that many technologies of energy production can result in exposure to ionising radiation (UNSCEAR 2017 ). While ICRP is not in a position to make or propose decisions on the most appropriate energy generation technologies, its System of Radiological Protection will support the safe use of radiation sources in any context and recommend strategies to provide appropriate protection from the detrimental effects of radiation.

Publications of ICRP in relation to SDGs

Overall, the goal of the System can be paraphrased as promoting ethics-based, science-based, and experience-based approaches to ensuring the health and safety of individuals and the environment in the presence of ionising radiation. The current general recommendations (the “Recommendations”) set out in ICRP Publication 103 (ICRP 2007 ) do not explicitly mention sustainability, but a closer look reveals that many SDGs are implicitly present.

In the remainder of this section, we show where the SDGs are implicitly present in the current Recommendations and, by way of example, how some more recent ICRP publications support several SDGs more or less explicitly. Further examples are shown in Table  1 . This is important from the perspective of the possible further integration of the SDGs into the new Recommendations (see also section “Towards the next general recommendations”).

The current system of Radiological Protection as set out in publication 103

ICRP Publication 103, which in 2007 laid down the currently applied System and fundamental principles of radiological protection, supports SDG 3 (Health and Well-being). By providing a System that allows society and individuals to benefit from the advantages of using ionising radiation and, at the same time, ensures the protection of patients, workers and members of the public, and the environment, the Recommendations contribute to the accessibility of safe, high-quality healthcare services, and to reduce the risk associated with exposure from air, water and soil pollution and contamination (Table  1 ).

As already noted, the System that has been developed by ICRP is based on science including ethics, and experience. It applies to all sexes, all genders, all ages, all ethnicities, and all countries. Thus, the System – by its very nature – contributes also to SDGs 5 (Gender Equality) and 10 (Reduced Inequalities).

ICRP Publication 103 also lays the foundation for environmental protection, which, in turn, also contributes to SDG 3 and other SDGs. Before, in the predecessor of Publication 103, ICRP Publication 60, the view was that “ the standards of environmental control needed to protect man to the degree currently thought desirable will ensure that other species are not put at risk ” (ICRP 1991 ). Later in ICRP Publication 91 it was noted, however, that “ there are no internationally agreed criteria or policies that explicitly address protection of the environment from ionising radiation ” (ICRP 2003 ). The decision to develop a framework for the assessment of radiation effects in non-human species was, however, not “ driven by any particular concern over environmental radiation hazards ,” because the system for protection of human beings “ has indirectly provided a fairly good level of protection of the human habitat .” Rather, the decision was driven by the desire to design a framework for the protection of the environment that is “ harmonised with its proposed approach for the protection of human beings .” Furthermore, ICRP Publication 91 highlights “the need to demonstrate that the principles of radiological protection are consistent with a recognition that it is essential to consider the interdependence of humans and the environment to achieve sustainable development ” (ICRP 2003 , para 94). Consequently, in ICRP Publication 103 the aim was set to prevent or reduce “ the frequency of deleterious radiation effects to a level where they would have a negligible impact on the maintenance of biological diversity , the conservation of species , or the health and status of natural habitats , communities and ecosystems” (ICRP 2007 ).

Subsequently, various methodological developments have been made by ICRP, and today, various tools are available such as the Reference Animals and Plants (RAPs) (ICRP 2008 ) or the Derived Consideration Reference Levels (DCRLs) (ICRP 2014a ) that allow radiological protection of non-human biota in a consistent way. This affects, for example, water quality, and therefore supports SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), which calls for, among other things, reducing the quantity of pollutants released into water and restoring contaminated ecosystems. It also supports SDG 14 (Life Below Water) and SDG 15 (Life on Land): radiological protection is indeed crucial in preventing and mitigating the impact of radiation on ecosystems, marine life, and terrestrial environments, aligning with the goals to conserve and sustainably use these resources. The System has evolved since ICRP Publication 103 (ICRP 2007 ) to allow for greater consideration of the protection of the environment. However, the System continues to evolve to account for the latest scientific findings and to consider how concepts such as ecosystems services could be used - for example ICRP has established two Task Groups to address the protection of the environment: one on “Considering the Environment when Applying the System of Radiological Protection” and one on “Ecosystem Services in Environmental Radiological Protection” ( www.icrp.org ).

Thanks to their near global acceptance, the ICRP’s recommendations also contribute to SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions): strong regulatory frameworks and institutions for radiological protection contribute to the peaceful and fair management of radiation-related activities, preventing misuse and promoting safety. In addition, reinforcing the involvement of all stakeholders in the application of the optimisation principle, ICRP recommendations contribute, among others, to embark the societal and ethical concerns in the decision-making process (ICRP 2007 , para 224).

By its very nature, the System supports SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals). Indeed, ICRP Publication 103 lays the foundations for national and international standards in radiological protection all over the world, fostering international cooperation and best practice. Having the same System in place globally builds trust and confidence in the recommendations, transposed guidelines, and established practices, and makes it equal for all. It also facilitates exchange and discussion on all aspects of radiological protection thanks to a common language on radiological protection, and it supports the consistent development of safe instruments and up-to-date protection methods. Perhaps even more important is the fact that ICRP’s position, through its authority and reputation that it enjoys thanks to its independence, makes it a respected and influential entity, which can naturally draw users of ionising radiation into support of sustainable development.

In general, ionising radiation is also used in many analytical methods that are useful, for example, to assess and prevent soil degradation and water pollution, to increase food and animal feed safety, to support diagnostic and prevention of non-oncological diseases, veterinary applications, public safety and terrorism prevention, mining and prospecting. The System as formulated in ICRP Publication 103 (ICRP 2007 ) supports all these and many other applications, thus contributing in many ways to the UN SDGs.

More recent ICRP publications

Typically, ICRP publications are prepared under one of its four existing committees, or (less frequently) under the Main Commission. Of the four ICRP committees, the two most naturally inclined to support the SDGs are Committee 3 (medicine) and Committee 4 (application of the System). The other two, Committee 1 (effects of radiation) and Committee 2 (dosimetry), essentially produce and consolidate biomedical and physical knowledge and support the SDGs indirectly. However, it is possible to identify a link between the SDGs and publications of all committees. In the remainder of this text, we carry out this exercise for ICRP documents published since the publication of ICRP Publication 103 (ICRP 2007 ).

Mechanisms of radiation action

ICRP Publications 131 (stem cells) (ICRP 2015d ), 150 (cancer risk and plutonium) (ICRP 2021d ) and 152 (detriment) (ICRP 2022b ) are part of the theoretical basis of our understanding of the biological mechanisms of some radiation-related health effects and describe the way in which health risk is taken into account in the System. As with many ICRP publications, they contribute to the dissemination of knowledge and training for all those interested in the effects of ionising radiation. In this way, the publications may be regarded as supporting SDG 4 (Quality Education). ICRP publications on radiation-related effects complement reports of the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR) (which has the mandate to undertake scientific evaluations of sources of ionising radiation and of the associated exposures, effects, and risks to human health and to the environment) and other international and national organisations. Taken together, they inform the System and, in that way, form the indispensable bases for any contribution of ICRP and the System to sustainability and the SDGs.

While the above-mentioned radiation-related effects form a prerequisite to quantify radiation action and translate this into radiological protection guidelines – radiation doses form the practical level of protection. For this reason, a large amount of data has been generated and synthesised by ICRP to ensure accurate and consistent approaches to the assessment of radiation exposure. One example here is the dose coefficients in ICRP Publications 128 (for intake of radiopharmaceuticals by patients) (ICRP 2015a ), 130, 134, 137, 141, 151, and 154 (for intake of workers and members of the public) (ICRP 2015c , 2016c , 2017c , 2019b , 2022a , 2024b ), 144 (for external exposure) (ICRP 2020b ), and 136 (for non-human biota exposure) (ICRP 2017b ). Calculation of such dose coefficients required development of suitable phantoms of the human body or of RAPs. These phantoms are explained in ICRP Publications 143, 145 and 156 (phantoms) (ICRP 2020a , c , 2024d ), while ICRP Publications 133 and 155 describe how they are used for internal dosimetry (specific absorbed fractions) (ICRP 2016b , 2024c ). Most of these publications can for example be linked to SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), in particular its sub-goal 8.1, which calls for “ protect[ing] labor rights and promot[ing] safe and secure working environments for all workers ”.

ICRP Publication 147 (dose quantities) clarifies the meaning of certain dosimetric quantities and, above all, proposes an approximate indicator of possible risk associated with ionising radiation, particularly as a function of age and sex (ICRP 2021a ). This information is a first step towards stratifying risk. Seen from this angle, this publication supports SDG 5 (Gender Equality) and SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-Being).

ICRP Publication 148 (radiation weighting factors for animals and plants) improves the way in which the sensitivities of non-human biota to ionising radiation are considered (ICRP 2021b ). This makes it possible to protect them more efficiently, and thus supports SDG 14 (Life Below Water) and SDG 15 (Life on Land). Other ICRP Publications dealing with the protection of the environment are listed in Table  1 .

Medical applications of ionising radiation

Many recent ICRP publications deal with the use of ionising radiation in health care settings. ICRP Publications 129 (cone beam CT) (ICRP 2015b ), 135 (diagnostic reference levels) (ICRP 2017a ), 139 (interventional procedures) (ICRP 2018b ), 140 (radiopharmaceuticals used in therapy) (ICRP 2019a ), 149 (brachytherapy) (ICRP 2021c ) and 153 (veterinary practice) (ICRP 2022c ). All have the common aim of better protection of people (e.g., patients, workers, carers, and the public) in specific areas of healthcare. In this sense, they support SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-Being). The procedural ethical values of sustainability and solidarity are specifically discussed in an upcoming ICRP publication on ethics in radiological protection for patients in diagnosis and treatment in relation to overuse of resources, and education in health outcomes analysis (ICRP 2024e ).

Exposures to natural sources of ionising radiation and protection of the environment

Finally, quite a few recent publications cover situations which go beyond the purely radiological or healthcare spheres. This is the case of ICRP Publications 126 (radon) (ICRP 2014b ), 132 (aviation) (ICRP 2016a ), and 142 (NORM) (ICRP 2019c ) which deal with subjects such as the specific information to be given to a frequent airline flyer, how to take into account the risks of natural radioactive substances, and how radiological protection should be structured utilising a graded approach that also takes into account economic, societal and environmental factors in the development of the protection of people and the environment.

It is interesting to note that even prior to ICRP Publication 103, the idea to extend radiological protection to non-human biota has been explicitly developed in ICRP Publication 91 in 2003 with the framework for assessing the impact of ionising radiation on non-human species (ICRP 2003 ), and complemented by ICRP Publication 108 (ICRP 2008 ) through introducing the concept and use of reference animals and plants, and ICRP Publication 124 (ICRP 2014a ) through dealing with protection of the environment under different exposure situations. In the same spirit, for the management of radioactive waste, it was also a key issue for achieving the protection of the future generations, as developed in ICRP Publication 122 (ICRP 2013a ) for deep geological disposal. This is also emphasised in a forthcoming publication for the application of radiological protection to surface and near surface disposal of radioactive waste (ICRP 2024f ). Apart from SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-Being), the topics covered in these publications can be associated with the SDGs directly linked to the quality of the environment (SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation); SDG 14 (Life Below Water); SDG 15 (Life on Land)).

Ethical considerations

ICRP Publication 138 (ethical foundations of the System) (ICRP 2018a ) and an upcoming ICRP publication on ethics in radiological protection for patients in diagnosis and treatment (ICRP 2024e ) cover ideas included in many of the SDGs. Indeed, the values developed in these documents such as beneficence/non-maleficence, prudence, justice, and dignity are sufficiently wide-ranging to be associated either directly or indirectly, with most of the SDGs. This truth comes from the unconditional respect to which all human beings are entitled, to the need of considering the well-being of present and future generations in decisions taken now, including notably distributive, intergenerational justice as well as environmental justice. In addition, ICRP Publication 138 (ICRP 2018a ) opens the reflection on the search for reasonableness in the application of the System, calling for a holistic approach and the introduction of trade off to cope with the application of the optimisation principle. In this respect, it is interesting to mention the representative attributes listed in ICRP Publication 101b to be considered in the optimisation process to select the best protective option (ICRP 2006 ). These attributes include the characteristics of the exposed population, the characteristics of the exposure, social considerations and values (including sustainability and equity among others), environmental considerations, non-radiation hazards, etc.

More recently, sustainable development was addressed in post-accident situations in ICRP Publication 146 (ICRP 2020d ). For this purpose, the due attention is devoted to recovering sustainable and suitable living and working conditions in a reasonable timeframe for people living on affected areas (link to SDG11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities)).

Table  1 lists examples, without being exhaustive, of how recent ICRP publications are linked to SDGs.

Recent changes in ICRP governance in relation to SDGs

In recent years, ICRP operation and management have followed the developments and trends relating to several aspects of the SDGs. This is also a part of the organisations’ governance, being a charity organisation and following the Charity Commission for England and Wales Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (Charity Commission 2019 ) and the UK Equity Act 2010 (UK 2010 ). ICRP operates nowadays in a much more open, transparent, and collaborative way than before, often by making use of modern communication technologies and reaching out to many parts of the world.

Other examples include the development of the Code of Ethics (ICRP 2024 h ), the fact that the ICRP rules ensure a turnover in the Main Commission and all Committees of at least 25% each term, and the use of open calls to recruit new members before a new term begins or when members with additional expertise are needed (for the Main Commission, Committees and Task Groups).

ICRP continuously strives to improve diversity in its membership. The number of female members among Commission and Committees has increased gradually since the foundation of ICRP in 1928 and the recent data confirms the growth: from 21% for the term of 2013–2017, to 25% for the period 2017–2021 to 27% under the current term membership 2021–2025. It should be mentioned that taking Task Groups into account, the female members’ ratio is over 37%. ICRP membership also saw an increase in numbers of countries represented, by more than 20% from 2016 to 2022, indicating an increase in diversity of geographic origin.

Public consultation during and at the end of the drafting process of any ICRP publication supports a broad stakeholder involvement, allowing for an open and transparent way of developing the System. Dissemination of those publications was greatly facilitated recently through the “Free the Annals” campaign, which was successful thanks to generous donations of individuals, organisations and governments, and which offers broad access at no cost to ICRP publications subject to a two-year embargo period for the most recent publications. This approach offers easy access to most ICRP publications to everybody including those living in less privileged regions of the world or to lesser financed organisations.

The ICRP Mentorship Programme, initiated in 2019, has included up to date 76 mentees, of which 65 are currently still in the programme. The programme encourages university students and early-career professionals and scientists to join and contribute to ICRP task groups under the guidance of senior task group members. The geographic distribution of Mentees affiliation countries demonstrates increase in educational interest among the Asian and African continents.

ICRP task groups as well as all the other ICRP bodies work in an open and transparent way, which is supported by the regular organisation of virtual events where essential elements of the System can be discussed. The ICRP has held biennial symposia to increase participation in its programs and to gain deeper understanding of international radiological protection policy and practice. This is supported by formal relations maintained by ICRP with other organisations with an interest in radiological protection through specific agreements, or by granting Special Liaison status to organisations whose work is relevant to ICRP’s mandate. Organisations currently in formal relations with ICRP are listed at the ICRP website ( https://www.icrp.org/icrp_group.asp?id=80 ).

All these actions can be linked with SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 5 (Gender Equality), SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities), SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions) and SDG 17 (Partnership for the Goals).

These shifts in the ICRP structure and governance provide benefits to the radiological protection community as a whole. The year 2023 marked the midpoint in the UN SDGs, and a recent report lays out the ‘What’ and the ‘How’ to achieve success and the associated significant costs to do it (Nature 2023 ; UN 2023 ). The scientific community, including ICRP, can contribute to one crucial aspect where the report notes how we do science must change to be more multidisciplinary, equitable, inclusive, openly shared, and widely trusted, and ‘socially robust’ to be responsive to social context/needs.

Towards the next general recommendations

To encourage the radiological protection community to strengthen their efforts and contribute to the SDGs, the issue of sustainability should be considered and addressed in the next ICRP general recommendations as the SDGs align with the fundamental mission of the Commission. As outlined above, sustainability is already an important element in the System, and ICRP has for some years instigated changes in the way it operates in line with the SDGs. Motivated by the momentum of the current UN SDG campaign, the ICRP Main Commission decided to place more emphasis on sustainable development in the updated 2024–2028 strategic priorities.

The three strategic priorities identified for the 2024–2028 term are (ICRP 2024a ):

Keep the System of Radiological Protection fit for purpose;

Strengthen engagement with professionals, policy makers and the public;

Ensure ICRP continues to operate as a well-governed and forward-looking organisation.

Keep the system of Radiological Protection fit for purpose

Recently, ICRP has embarked on the process to review and – as needed – revise the current System (Clement et al. 2021 ). This process was considered timely as the last revision took place quite some time ago and culminated in ICRP Publication 103 in 2007 (ICRP 2007 ). This means that the current System is based on work that had been initiated almost 25 years ago. Since then, advancement of scientific evidence, evolution of societal values, and some 15 years of experience in the application of ICRP’s most recent general recommendations may require the System to be revised (Laurier et al. 2021 ; Rühm et al. 2022 , 2023b ). In the context of the present paper, sustainability is one of the changing societal values, because it has experienced a continuously growing global awareness, particularly during the last 25 years. Consequently, it is timely to initiate discussions with ICRP’s stakeholders in relation to inclusion of sustainable development into the System.

Further integrating sustainable development into the System should enhance ICRP’s aim that efforts to protect humans and nature from the adverse effects of radiation do not compromise human health, socio-economic development, and environmental protection. Initial ideas on topics that could be relevant in this respect are given below.

Strengthen engagement with professionals, policy makers, and the public

ICRP considers the review and revision of the System as a joint endeavour of all interested in radiological protection. For this, international relationships are key and collaboration with international organisations is essential as well as interacting with various stakeholders including civil society representatives and regional radiological protection networks. Consequently, ICRP considers many organisations as stakeholders including, for example, UNSCEAR with its secretariat serviced by the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP), the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), WHO, the International Labor Organisation (ILO), the International Radiation Protection Association (IRPA), etc., and organises regular meetings to exchange views and ideas. In the spirit of SDG17 (Partnership for Sustainable Development) one way forward is to use existing relationships and intensify discussions on the link between radiological protection and sustainable development on such occasions. We envisage that those discussions could include, for example (Mayall 2022 ):

Properly valuing and accounting for costs/detriments (harm) and benefits (good) of the use of ionising radiation over space, time and generations combined with a better understanding of what constitutes good and harm including the concept of well-being linked to effective communication/understanding, citizen participation and mapping to the SDGs;

Reviewing the application of the principles of the System (Justification, Optimisation, and Application of dose limits) and – if necessary – adapt them in a way that supports sustainable development;

Analysing whether the application of the optimisation principle would benefit from further clarification to reinforce its purpose to optimise overall protection and foster an all-hazard approach;

Improving broad participation in how to link sustainable development with the development of the System and its application, taking greater account of the need for better informed, integrated, inclusive, and holistic risk assessment and management in society; this means further addressing ethical considerations for the application of the System in all exposure situations;

Integrating and learning from other experiences, practices, and disciplines, one example being the many experiences during the COVID pandemic, to broaden optimisation and justification practices including economic, psychological and social impacts, environmental issues and ecosystems services;

Amending the primary aim of radiological protection to recognise explicitly the contribution of the System to enabling sustainable development.

SDG 13 (Climate Action) should have a role in the application of the radiological protection principles, especially justification and optimisation. The System could contribute to this goal through the optimisation principle. In the current general recommendations, optimisation means that “the likelihood of incurring exposure, the number of people exposed, and the magnitude of their individual doses should all be kept a s l ow a s r easonably a chievable, taking into account economic and societal factors” (ICRP 2007 ). In ICRP Publication 146, this was already broadened to some extent, and “environmental factors” were added (ICRP 2020d ). Climate action involves both mitigation (reducing greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere) and adaptation and resilience to climate change. A more holistic approach than often adopted could allow/offer the carbon footprint to be considered in radiological protection principles (Picano, 2023 ). By way of example, recycling and reuse of lightly contaminated material is one way to save valuable resources, when proven that it would not contribute to any significant increase in the exposure of the public, workers, or the environment. Adding the dimension of sustainability to the optimisation principle could thus help to evaluate the level of protection for people and the environment with regard to the establishment of a circular economy and, in this way, support reduction of greenhouse gases and other pollutants and waste.

Many organisations have developed web-based greenhouse gas equivalencies calculators that may be used to estimate the impact of industry, and in other assessments, for example, in medical applications and in economic appraisals (EPA 2024 ; UK DESNZ 2020 , 2023 ). Another approach for the medical imaging professions could be to introduce the carbon impact information into the medical radiological protection community with a checklist such as that suggested by Picano et al. ( 2023 ). Interestingly, in their checklist some of the topics (“5. Like radiation , carbon cost should always be justified “; “ 6. Like radiation , carbon cost should always be optimized ;” “ 7. Like radiation , the responsibility for inappropriate carbon costs should be that of both the prescriber and the practitioner ”) draw some parallels between radiation exposures and carbon emissions indicating that both scenarios share some commonalities.

The ICRP looks forward to discussing the further integration of sustainability into the System with international partners and other stakeholders. This will support the current process of reviewing and revising the System.

Ensure ICRP continues to operate as a well-governed and forward-looking organisation

ICRP policy and practices should include operational aspects such as travel, ethical funding/investment, ethical research, procurement, equality, diversity, inclusion, openness, participation, accountability, success criteria, etc. Although the primary mission of ICRP - to assure an appropriate level of protection against the detrimental effects of ionising radiation exposure without unduly limiting the benefits associated with the use of radiation - remains highest priority, operational aspects of ICRP’s work should also consider the SDGs. In this respect relevant ISO standards may provide some guidance (ISO 2018 ).

Issues already considered include preferring digital meetings to face-to-face meetings whenever deemed reasonable, to reduce carbon footprint, to optimise the allocation of available resources and to enable participation of an increased diversity of experts, particularly in the context of budgetary constraints. Another action is to continue and strengthen efforts towards transparency, stakeholder involvement (in particular during the process of review and possibly revision the System), interaction with and involvement of younger generations, and enhancement of the inclusion of less privileged regions currently under-represented in the ICRP membership.

Conclusions

It was Lauriston Taylor, the first president of the US National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements from 1964 to 1977, who coined the phrase that “ radiation protection is a problem of philosophy , morality , and the utmost wisdom .“ In this spirit Merril Eisenbud, a well-known radiation scientist and one of the leading scientists in radiation research during the second half of the last century, held the 7th Lauriston Taylor lecture in 1983 entitled “The human environment – past, present and future”. In the lecture, he built a bridge from radiation protection to global environmental protection in emphasising that an increase in atmospheric CO 2 concentration, which had already been documented by measurements at the Mauna Loa Observatory, would lead to global warming and climate change (Eisenbud 1983 ). One of his conclusions was that “ No one country could solve the problem alone: international cooperation to an extent unprecedented at least up to the present time , would be required to develop the ameliorative programs .” – a conclusion fully in line with the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development which is based on a “ spirit of strengthened global solidarity , focused in particular on the needs of the poorest and most vulnerable and with the participation of all countries , all stakeholders and all people. ” (UN 2015 ).

While a report of the World Commission on Environment and Development on “Our Common Future” was published in 1987 (WCED 1987 ) and the Rio Declaration of the United Nations was endorsed in 1992 (UN 1992 ), unfortunately, only quite some time later has this insight become common place all over the world and that an overall consensus has developed that a sustainable development is essential for the survival of ecosystems and humankind. Along these lines, ICRP as an international organisation has an ethical responsibility to contribute towards sustainable development.

Sustainability is already an implicit part of the current System. However, whether this could be more clearly articulated for example, through including sustainability as a core element of the System, remains to be addressed. Currently the UN SDGs are mentioned in many contexts and perhaps at times overused in order to gain political currency so that one may get the impression that in those cases other agendas are being pursued. Such “greenwashing” should be avoided as it has the potential to compromise the credibility of the UN SDG campaign. Therefore, the inclusion of sustainable development and the SDGs in the System through the three pillars: scientific evidence, ethics, and experience, must be carefully considered and developed, including the best way to express those. The challenges for the System associated with the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development need to be identified and discussed with the international community interested in radiological protection, to properly address the issue of sustainability in the System.

Data availability

No datasets were generated or analysed during the current study.

Böse F, Wimmers A, Neugebauer J, Lösel T, Hermes T, Beppler J, Nickel M-S, Morawe P, Weber M, v Hirschhausen C (2024) Putting radioactive materials on the sustainability agenda: a report from a workshop on the sustainability of human-made radioactive materials held at the safeND Research Symposium 2023. Radiat Environ Biophys 63:1–6. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00411-024-01061-8

Charity Commission (2019) Diversity and inclusion strategy 2019 to 2023. Charity Commission for England and Wales. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/charity-commission-diversity-and-inclusion-strategy-2019-to-2023/diversity-and-inclusion-strategy-2019-to-2023 ; retrieved April 11, 2023

Clement C, Rühm W, Harrison JD, Applegate KE, Cool D, Larsson CM, Cousins C, Lochard J, Bouffler SD, Cho K, Kai M, Laurier D, Liu S, Romanov SA (2021) Keeping the ICRP recommendations fit for purpose. J Radiol Prot 41:1390–1409

Article   Google Scholar  

Eisenbud M (1983) The human environment – past, present and future. Lauriston S. Taylor Lectures in Radiation Protection and Measurements. Lecture No. 7. National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements, Bethesda, MD. 20814, US

EPA (2024) Greenhouse gas equivalencies calculator. United States Environmental Protection Agency. https://www.epa.gov/energy/greenhouse-gas-equivalencies-calculator . Retrieved April 24, 2024

ICRP (1991) 1990 recommendations of the International Commission on Radiological Protection. ICRP publication 60. Ann ICRP 21:1–3

Google Scholar  

ICRP (1993) Protection Against Radon-222 at Home and at work. ICRP publication 65. Ann ICRP 23(2)

ICRP (2003) A Framework for assessing the impact of Ionising Radiation on non-human species. ICRP publication 91. Ann ICRP 33(3)

ICRP (2006) The optimisation of Radiological Protection – broadening the process. ICRP publication 101b. Ann ICRP 36(3)

ICRP (2007) The ICRP 2007 recommendations of the International Commission on Radiological Protection. ICRP publication 103. Ann ICRP 37:2–4

ICRP (2008) Environmental Protection – the Concept and Use of reference animals and plants. ICRP publication 108. Ann ICRP 38:4–6

ICRP (2009a) Application of the Commission’s recommendations for the protection of people in emergency exposure situations. ICRP publication 109. Ann ICRP 39(1)

ICRP (2009b) Application of the Commission’s recommendations to the Protection of people living in long-term contaminated areas after a Nuclear Accident or a Radiation Emergency. ICRP publication 111. Ann ICRP 39(3)

ICRP (2013a) Radiological Protection in Geological Disposal of Long-lived solid radioactive waste. ICRP Publication 122 Ann ICRP 42(3)

ICRP (2013b) Assessment of radiation exposure of astronauts in space. ICRP publication 123. Ann ICRP 42(4)

ICRP (2014a) Protection of the environment under different exposure situations. ICRP Publication 124 Ann ICRP 43(1)

ICRP (2014b) Radiological Protection against Radon exposure. ICRP publication 126. Ann ICRP 43(3)

ICRP (2015a) Radiation dose to patients from radiopharmaceuticals: a compendium of current information related to frequently used substances. ICRP Publication 128 Ann ICRP 44(2 suppl).

ICRP (2015b) Radiological Protection in Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT). ICRP publication 129. Ann ICRP 44(1)

ICRP (2015c) Occupational intakes of radionuclides. Part 1. ICRP publication 130. Ann ICRP 44(2)

ICRP (2015d) Stem Cell Biology with respect to Carcinogenesis aspects of Radiological Protection. ICRP publication 131. Ann ICRP 44(3/4)

ICRP (2016a) Radiological protection from cosmic radiation in aviation. ICRP Publication 132 Ann ICRP 45(1)

ICRP (2016b) The ICRP computational framework for internal dose assessment for reference adults: specific absorbed fractions. ICRP Publication 133 Ann ICRP 45(2):1–74

ICRP (2016c) Occupational intakes of radionuclides. Part 2. ICRP publication 134. Ann ICRP 45(3/4)

ICRP (2016d) Proceedings of the International Workshop on the Fukushima dialogue Initiative. Ann ICRP 45(2S)

ICRP (2017a) Diagnostic reference levels in medical imaging. ICRP publication 135. Ann ICRP 46(1)

ICRP (2017b) Dose coefficients for nonhuman biota environmentally exposed to radiation. ICRP publication 136. Ann ICRP 46(2)

ICRP (2017c) Occupational intakes of radionuclides. Part 3. ICRP publication 137. Ann ICRP 46(3/4)

ICRP (2018a) Ethical foundations of the system of Radiological Protection. ICRP publication 138. Ann ICRP 47(1)

ICRP (2018b) Occupational radiological protection in interventional procedures. ICRP publication 139. Ann ICRP 47(2)

ICRP (2019a) Radiological protection in therapy with radiopharmaceuticals. ICRP publication 140. Ann ICRP 48(1)

ICRP (2019b) Occupational intakes of radionuclides. Part 4. ICRP publication 141. Ann ICRP 48:2–3

ICRP (2019c) Radiological protection from naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM) in industrial processes. ICRP Publication 142 Ann ICRP 48(4)

ICRP (2020a) Paediatric Computational Reference Phantoms. ICRP publication 143. Ann ICRP 49(1)

ICRP (2020b) Dose coefficients for external exposures to environmental sources. ICRP Publication 144 Ann ICRP 49(2)

ICRP (2020c) Adult mesh-type reference computational phantoms. ICRP publication 145. Ann ICRP 49(3)

ICRP (2020d) Radiological protection of people and the environment in the event of a large nuclear accident: update of ICRP publications 109 and 111. ICRP publication 146. Ann ICRP 49(4)

ICRP (2021a) Use of dose quantities in radiological protection. ICRP Publication 147 Ann ICRP 50(1)

ICRP (2021b) Radiation weighting for reference animals and plants. ICRP publication 148. Ann ICRP 50(2)

ICRP (2021c) Occupational radiological protection in brachytherapy. ICRP Publication 149 Ann ICRP 50(3)

ICRP (2021d) Cancer risk from exposure to plutonium and uranium. ICRP publication 150. Ann ICRP 50(4)

ICRP (2021e) Proceedings of the International Conference on Recovery after Nuclear Accidents: Radiological Protection Lessons from Fukushima and Beyond. Ann. ICRP 50(S1)

ICRP (2022a) Occupational intakes of Radionuclides: part 5. ICRP publication 151. Ann ICRP 51:1–2

ADS   Google Scholar  

ICRP (2022b) Radiation detriment calculation methodology. ICRP Publication 152 Ann ICRP 51(3)

ICRP (2022c) Radiological protection in veterinary practice. ICRP Publication 153 Ann ICRP 51(4)

ICRP (2024a) Strategic Priorities 2024–2028. Retrieved April 9, 2024 https://www.icrp.org/admin/ICRP_StrategicPriorities_2024-2028.pdf

ICRP (2024b) Optimisation of Radiological Protection in Digital Radiology Techniques for Medical Imaging. ICRP Publication 154 in press

ICRP (2024c) Specific absorbed fractions for reference paediatric individuals. ICRP publication 155 Ann ICRP in press

ICRP (2024d) Publication paediatric mesh-type reference computational phantoms. ICRP Publication Ann ICRP in press

ICRP (2024e) Ethics in Radiological Protection for patients in diagnosis and treatment. ICRP Publication Ann ICRP in press

ICRP (2024f) Application of the Commission’s recommendations for Surface and Near Surface Disposal of Solid Radioactive Waste. ICRP Publication, Ann. ICRP; in press

ICRP (2024g) Practical aspects in optimisation of Radiological Protection in Digital Radiography, Fluoroscopy, and CT. ICRP Publication Ann ICRP; in preparation

ICRP (2024h) Code of Ethics: https://www.icrp.org/admin/ICRP%20Code%20of%20Ethics.pdf . Accessed 02 May 2024.

IEA (2019) Nuclear Power in a Clean Energy System. OECD Publishing, Paris. https://doi.org/10.1787/fc5f4b7e-en

Book   Google Scholar  

ISO (2018) Contributing to the UN Sustainable Development Goals with ISO standards. International Organization for Standardization (ISO), Geneva, Switzerland

Kühlein T, Macdonald H, Kramer B, Johansson M, Woloshin S, McCaffery K, Brodersen JB, Copp T, Jørgensen KJ, Møller A, Scherer M (2023) Scientific Committee of the Preventing Overdiagnosis Conference. Overdiagnosis and too much medicine in a world of crises. BMJ. 382, 1865. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.p1865

Laurier L, Rühm W, Paquet F, Applegate K, Cool D, Clement C, on behalf of the International Commission on Radiological Protection ICRP (2021) Areas of research to support the system of radiological protection. Radiat Environ Biophys 60:519–530

Lenzen M, Malik A, Li M, Fry J, Weisz H, Pichler PP, Chaves SM, Capon A, Pencheon D (2020) The environmental footprint of health care: a global assessment. Lancet Planet Health 4(7):e271–e279. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2542-5196(20)30121-2

Mayall A (2022) Developing the system of radiological protection to enhance its contribution to sustainable development. Proceedings of the sixth International Symposium on the System of Radiological Protection. Ann. ICRP 52(S1), 2023

Nature (2023) The world’s plan to make humanity sustainable is failing. Science can do more to save it. Nature 618, 647, 2023 https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-023-01989-9

Picano E, Mangia C, D’Andrea A (2023) Climate Change, Carbon Dioxide emissions, and Medical Imaging Contribution. J Clin Med 12(1):215. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm12010215

Rühm W, Clement C, Cool D, Laurier D, Bochud F, Applegate K, Schneider T, Bouffler S, Cho K, Hirth G, Kai M, Liu S, Romanov S (2022) Summary of the 2021 ICRP workshop on the future of radiological protection. J Radiol Prot 42:023002

Rühm W, Cho K, Larsson CM, Wojcik A, Clement C, Applegate K, Bochud F, Bouffler S, Cool D, Hirth G, Kai M, Laurier D, Liu S, Romanov S, Schneider T (2023a) Vancouver Call for Action to strengthen expertise in Radiological Protection Worldwide. Radiat Environ Biophys 62:175–180

Rühm W, Yu H, Clement C, Ainsbury EA, Andresz S, Bryant P, Chapple C-L, Croüail P, Damilakis J, Ermacora MG, Eurajoki T, Gering F, Hodgson S, Hupe O, Impens N, Lassmann M, Martins JO, Mazzoni LN, Mogg C, Morgan J, Perko T, Pinak M, Santos J, Stritt N, Tanner R, Turcanu C, Vermeersch F (2023b) ICRP workshop on the review and revision of the system of radiological protection: a focus on research priorities—feedback from the international community. J Radiol Prot 43(4), 043001, 2023

UK DESNZ (2020) Carbon calculator. UK Government, Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/carbon-calculator . Retrieved April 24, 2024

UK DESNZ (2023) Green Book supplementary guidance: valuation of energy use and greenhouse gas emissions for appraisal. UK Government, Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/65aadd020ff90c000f955f17/valuation-of-energy-use-and-greenhouse-gas-emissions-for-appraisal.pdf . Retrieved April 24, 2024

UK (2010) Equality act 2010. Legislation Government UK. https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/contents . Retrieved April 11, 2024

UN (2023) Times of crisis, times of change: Science for accelerating transformations to sustainable development. Global sustainable development report 2023. United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs

UN (1992) UN Rio Declaration on Environment and Development https://www.un.org/en/development/desa/population/migration/generalassembly/docs/globalcompact/A_CONF.151_26_Vol.I_Declaration.pdf . Retrieved April 24, 2024

UN General Assembly (2015) Transforming our world: the 2030 agenda for Sustainable Development. 25. September 2015. United Nations, New York, USA

United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (2017) UNSCEAR 2016 Report to the General Assembly, with scientific annexes: Annex B – Radiation exposures from Electricity Generation. United Nations, New York

United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (2022) UNSCEAR volume I report to the General Assembly, with scientific annexes report 2020–2021: ANNEX A - evaluation of medical exposure to Ionizing Radiation. United Nations, New York

WCED 1987 Brundtland report: Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development: Our Common Future. United Nations (1987) https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/documents/5987our-common-future.pdf . Retrieved April 24, 2024

WHO (2023) Universal Health Coverage (UHC), 5th October 2023. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/universal-health-coverage-(uhc) ; Retrieved April 10, 2024

Wimmer A, Böse F, Beppler J, Morawe P, Weber M, v Hirschhausen C (2024) (Re)Integrating Radioactive Materials and Waste into a Global Sustainable Development Context. Radiat Environ Biophys, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00411-024-01088-x

Download references

Open Access funding enabled and organized by Projekt DEAL.

Author information

Authors and affiliations.

Federal Office for Radiation Protection, Ingolstädter Landstraße 1, Neuherberg, D-85764, Germany

University of Kentucky College Medicine, 800 Rose Street MN 150, Lexington, Kentucky, 40506, USA

K. Applegate

Institute of Radiation Physics, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Rue du Grand-Pré 1, Lausanne, CH-1007, Switzerland

Institut de radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire, BP 17 - 92262 Fontenay-aux-Roses Cedex, 31 avenue de la Division Leclerc, Fontenay-aux-Roses, Île-de-France, 92260, France

Nuclear Protection Evaluation Centre, 28, rue de la Redoute, Fontenay aux Roses, F-92260, France

T. Schneider

UK Health Security Agency, Radiation Protection Sciences Division, Didcot, Oxon, OX11 0RQ, UK

S. Bouffler

Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety, PO Box 114, Yuseong, Daejeon, 34142, Korea

International Commission on Radiological Protection, 350 Albert Street, Ottawa, Ontario, K1R 1A4, Canada

C. Clement & O. German

Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency, 619 Lower Plenty Road, Yallambie, VIC, 3085, Australia

Nippon Bunri University, 1727 Ichigi, Ōita, 870-0397, Japan

China Institute of Atomic Energy, PO Box 275 (1), Beijing, CN-102413, People’s Republic of China

Environment Agency, Ghyll Mount, Gillan Way, Penrith, Cumbria, CA11 9BP, UK

Southern Urals Biophysics Institute, Ozyorsk, Chelyabinsk Region, Russian Federation

Centre for Radiation Protection Research, Stockholm University, Svante Arrheniusväg 20C, Stockholm, 106 91, Sweden

Institute of Biology, Jan Kochanoski University, Kielce, 25-406, Poland

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Contributions

All authors contributed in writing this manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to W. Rühm .

Ethics declarations

Competing interests.

The authors have no competing interests to declare that are relevant to the content of this article.

Additional information

Publisher’s note.

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ .

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Rühm, W., Applegate, K., Bochud, F. et al. The system of radiological protection and the UN sustainable development goals. Radiat Environ Biophys (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00411-024-01089-w

Download citation

Received : 11 May 2024

Accepted : 06 August 2024

Published : 10 September 2024

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/s00411-024-01089-w

Share this article

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

• UN Sustainable Development Goals
• System of Radiological Protection
• International Commission on Radiological Protection

Advertisement

• Find a journal
• Publish with us
• Track your research

WHO seeks $135 million to defeat mpox

The current mpox outbreak “can be controlled and can be stopped”, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) emphasized on Friday, announcing an action plan that calls for $135 million over the next six months.  

Read Full Story on UN News