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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

The concept of Sustainable Development in India has even greater relevance due to the controversy surrounding the big dams and mega projects and related long-term growth. Since it is quite a frequently asked topic in school tests as well as competitive exams , we are here to help you understand what this concept means as well as the mantras to drafting a well-written essay on Sustainable Development with format and examples.

This Blog Includes:

What is sustainable development, 250-300 words essay on sustainable development, 300 words essay on sustainable development, 500 words essay on sustainable development, 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. 

Looking for ideas to incorporate in your Essay on Sustainable Development? Read our blog on Energy Management – Find Your Sustainable Career Path and find out!

To give you an idea of the way to deliver a well-written essay, we have curated a sample on sustainable development below, with 250-300 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:

Must Read: Article Writing

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:

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 in the correct manner. 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

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The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Essay

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.

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IvyPanda. (2023, October 29). The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-united-nations-sustainable-development-goals/

"The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals." IvyPanda , 29 Oct. 2023, ivypanda.com/essays/the-united-nations-sustainable-development-goals/.

IvyPanda . (2023) 'The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals'. 29 October.

IvyPanda . 2023. "The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals." October 29, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-united-nations-sustainable-development-goals/.

1. IvyPanda . "The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals." October 29, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-united-nations-sustainable-development-goals/.

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IvyPanda . "The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals." October 29, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-united-nations-sustainable-development-goals/.

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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.

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Essay On Sustainable Development

500 words essay on  sustainable development.

Sustainable development is basically an action plan which helps us to achieve sustainability in any activity which makes use of the resource. Moreover, it also demands immediate and intergenerational replication. Through essay on sustainable development, we will help you understand the concept and its advantages.

Through sustainable development, we formulate organising principles which help to sustain the limited resources essential to provide for the needs of our future generations. As a result, they will be able to lead a content life on the planet .

What is Sustainable Development?

The World Commission on Environment and Development popularized this concept in 1987. Their report defines the idea as a “development which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.”

In other words, they aimed to prevent the stripping the natural world of resources which the future generations will require. As we all know that usually, one particular need drives development. Consequently, the wider future impacts are not considered.

As a result, a lot of damage happens due to this type of approach. Thus, the longer we continue to pursue unsustainable development, the more severe will the consequences be. One of the most common is climate change which is being debated widely worldwide.

In fact, climate change is already wreaking havoc on our surroundings. So, the need of the hour is sustainable development. We must ask ourselves, must we leave a scorched planet with an ailing environment for our future generations?

In order to undo the mess created by us, we must follow sustainable development. This will help us promote a more social, environmental and economical thinking. Most importantly, it is not that difficult to attain this.

We must see that world as a system which connects space, and time. Basically, it helps you understand that water pollution in South Africa will ultimately impact water quality in India. Similarly, it is the case for other things as well.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Measures to Practice Sustainable Development

There are many measures to take up for practising sustainable development. To begin with, it is important to ensure clean and hygienic living and working conditions for the people.

Next, sponsoring research on environmental issues which pertains to regions. Further, ensuring safety against known and proven industrial hazards. It is also important to find economical methods to salvage dangerous industrial wastes.

Most importantly, we must encourage afforestation . Including environmental education as part of the school and college curriculum will also help. Similarly, it is essential to socialize and humanize all environmental issues.

Further, we must encourage uses of non-conventional sources of energy, especially solar energy. Looking for substitutes for proven dangerous materials on the basis of local resources and needs will help. Likewise, we must produce environment-friendly products.

It is also essential to popularize the use of organic fertilizers and other biotechniques. Finally, the key is environmental management which must be monitored and ensure accountability.

Conclusion of Essay on Sustainable Development

To sum it up, sustainable development continuously seeks to achieve social and economic progress in ways which will not exhaust the Earth’s finite natural resources. Thus, we must all develop ways to meet these needs so that our future generations can inherit a healthier and greener planet.

FAQ on Essay on Sustainable Development

Question 1: State two measures we can take for sustainable development.

Answer 1: The first measure we can take is by finding economical methods for salvaging hazardous industrial wastes. Next, we must encourage afforestation.

Question 2: What is the aim of sustainable development?

Answer 2 : The aim of sustainable development is to maximise human well-being or quality of life without having to risk the life support system.

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Sustainable Development Essay

500+ words essay on sustainable development.

Sustainable development is a central concept. It is a way of understanding the world and a method for solving global problems. The world population continues to rise rapidly. This increasing population needs basic essential things for their survival such as food, safe water, health care and shelter. This is where the concept of sustainable development comes into play. Sustainable development means meeting the needs of people without compromising the ability of future generations. In this essay on sustainable development, students will understand what sustainable development means and how we can practise sustainable development. Students can also access the list of CBSE essay topics to practise more essays.

What Does Sustainable Development Means?

The term “Sustainable Development” is defined as the development that meets the needs of the present generation without excessive use or abuse of natural resources so that they can be preserved for the next generation. There are three aims of sustainable development; first, the “Economic” which will help to attain balanced growth, second, the “Environment”, to preserve the ecosystem, and third, “Society” which will guarantee equal access to resources to all human beings. The key principle of sustainable development is the integration of environmental, social, and economic concerns into all aspects of decision-making.

Need for Sustainable Development?

There are several challenges that need attention in the arena of economic development and environmental depletion. Hence the idea of sustainable development is essential to address these issues. The need for sustainable development arises to curb or prevent environmental degradation. It will check the overexploitation and wastage of natural resources. It will help in finding alternative sources to regenerate renewable energy resources. It ensures a safer human life and a safer future for the next generation.

The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the need to keep sustainable development at the very core of any development strategy. The pandemic has challenged the health infrastructure, adversely impacted livelihoods and exacerbated the inequality in the food and nutritional availability in the country. The immediate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic enabled the country to focus on sustainable development. In these difficult times, several reform measures have been taken by the Government. The State Governments also responded with several measures to support those affected by the pandemic through various initiatives and reliefs to fight against this pandemic.

How to Practise Sustainable Development?

The concept of sustainable development was born to address the growing and changing environmental challenges that our planet is facing. In order to do this, awareness must be spread among the people with the help of many campaigns and social activities. People can adopt a sustainable lifestyle by taking care of a few things such as switching off the lights when not in use; thus, they save electricity. People must use public transport as it will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution. They should save water and not waste food. They build a habit of using eco-friendly products. They should minimise waste generation by adapting to the principle of the 4 R’s which stands for refuse, reduce, reuse and recycle.

The concept of sustainable development must be included in the education system so that students get aware of it and start practising a sustainable lifestyle. With the help of empowered youth and local communities, many educational institutions should be opened to educate people about sustainable development. Thus, adapting to a sustainable lifestyle will help to save our Earth for future generations. Moreover, the Government of India has taken a number of initiatives on both mitigation and adaptation strategies with an emphasis on clean and efficient energy systems; resilient urban infrastructure; water conservation & preservation; safe, smart & sustainable green transportation networks; planned afforestation etc. The Government has also supported various sectors such as agriculture, forestry, coastal and low-lying systems and disaster management.

Students must have found this essay on sustainable development useful for practising their essay writing skills. They can get the study material and the latest updates on CBSE/ICSE/State Board/Competitive Exams, at BYJU’S.

Frequently Asked Questions on Sustainable development Essay

Why is sustainable development a hot topic for discussion.

Environment change and constant usage of renewable energy have become a concern for all of us around the globe. Sustainable development must be inculcated in young adults so that they make the Earth a better place.

What will happen if we do not practise sustainable development?

Landfills with waste products will increase and thereby there will be no space and land for humans and other species/organisms to thrive on.

What are the advantages of sustainable development?

Sustainable development helps secure a proper lifestyle for future generations. It reduces various kinds of pollution on Earth and ensures economic growth and development.

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

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• Development studies
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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.

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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 .

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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).

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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

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Goal 2: Zero Hunger

Goal 2 is about creating a world free of hunger by 2030.The global issue of hunger and food insecurity has shown an alarming increase since 2015, a trend exacerbated by a combination of factors including the pandemic, conflict, climate change, and deepening inequalities.

By 2022, approximately 735 million people – or 9.2% of the world’s population – found themselves in a state of chronic hunger – a staggering rise compared to 2019. This data underscores the severity of the situation, revealing a growing crisis.

In addition, an estimated 2.4 billion people faced moderate to severe food insecurity in 2022. This classification signifies their lack of access to sufficient nourishment. This number escalated by an alarming 391 million people compared to 2019.

The persistent surge in hunger and food insecurity, fueled by a complex interplay of factors, demands immediate attention and coordinated global efforts to alleviate this critical humanitarian challenge.

Extreme hunger and malnutrition remains a barrier to sustainable development and creates a trap from which people cannot easily escape. Hunger and malnutrition mean less productive individuals, who are more prone to disease and thus often unable to earn more and improve their livelihoods.

2 billion people in the world do not have reg- ular access to safe, nutritious and sufficient food. In 2022, 148 million children had stunted growth and 45 million children under the age of 5 were affected by wasting.

How many people are hungry?

It is projected that more than 600 million people worldwide will be facing hunger in 2030, highlighting the immense challenge of achieving the zero hunger target.

People experiencing moderate food insecurity are typically unable to eat a healthy, balanced diet on a regular basis because of income or other resource constraints.

Why are there so many hungry people?

Shockingly, the world is back at hunger levels not seen since 2005, and food prices remain higher in more countries than in the period 2015–2019. Along with conflict, climate shocks, and rising cost of living, civil insecurity and declining food production have all contributed to food scarcity and high food prices.

Investment in the agriculture sector is critical for reducing hunger and poverty, improving food security, creating employment and building resilience to disasters and shocks.

Why should I care?

We all want our families to have enough food to eat what is safe and nutritious. A world with zero hunger can positively impact our economies, health, education, equality and social development.

It’s a key piece of building a better future for everyone. Additionally, with hunger limiting human development, we will not be able to achieve the other sustainable development goals such as education, health and gender equality.

How can we achieve Zero Hunger?

Food security requires a multi-dimensional approach – from social protection to safeguard safe and nutritious food especially for children to transforming food systems to achieve a more inclusive and sustainable world. There will need to be investments in rural and urban areas and in social protection so poor people have access to food and can improve their livelihoods.

What can we do to help?

You can make changes in your own life—at home, at work and in the community—by supporting local farmers or markets and making sustainable food choices, supporting good nutrition for all, and fighting food waste.

You can also use your power as a consumer and voter, demanding businesses and governments make the choices and changes that will make Zero Hunger a reality. Join the conversation, whether on social media platforms or in your local communities.

Facts and Figures

Goal 2 targets.

• Despite global efforts, in 2022, an estimated 45 million children under the age of 5 suffered from wasting, 148 million had stunted growth and 37 million were overweight. A fundamental shift in trajectory is needed to achieve the 2030 nutrition targets.
• To achieve zero hunger by 2030, urgent coordinated action and policy solutions are imperative to address entrenched inequalities, transform food systems, invest in sustainable agricultural practices, and reduce and mitigate the impact of conflict and the pandemic on global nutrition and food security.

Source: The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2023

2.1 By 2030, end hunger and ensure access by all people, in particular the poor and people in vulnerable situations, including infants, to safe, nutritious and sufficient food all year round.

2.2 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.

2.3 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.

2.4 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.

2.5 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.

2.A 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.

2.B 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.

2.C 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.

International Fund for Agricultural Development

Food and Agriculture Organization

World Food Programme

UNICEF – Nutrition

Zero Hunger Challenge

Think.Eat.Save.   Reduce your foodprint.

UNDP – Hunger

Fast Facts: No Hunger

Infographic: No Hunger

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Advancing social justice, promoting decent work ILO is a specialized agency of the United Nations

Migrated Content

Promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment and decent work for all.

How Decent Work drives Sustainable development

A few facts

• Employment growth since 2008 has averaged only 0.1% annually, compared with 0.9% between 2000 and 2007
• Over 60 per cent of all workers lack any kind of employment contract
• Fewer than 45 per cent of wage and salaried workers are employed on a full-time, permanent basis, and even that share is declining.
• By 2019, more than 212 million people will be out of work, up from the current 201 million
• 600 million new jobs need to be created by 2030, just to keep pace with the growth of the working age population

Targets for Goal 8

Promoting jobs and enterprise, guaranteeing rights at work, extending social protection and promoting social dialogue are the four pillars of the ILO Decent Work Agenda with gender as a cross-cutting theme." Guy Ryder, ILO Director-General

COVID-19 and Social Dialogue

COVID-19 and Social Dialogue:

Social dialogue key to combating COVID-19

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Opinion: GDP not enough to measure a country's development. What if we used Sustainable Development Goals instead?

by Eric Champagne and Cristina D'Alessandro, The Conversation

Gross domestic product (GDP) has long been the main indicator of economic growth used almost everywhere in the world.

However, the measurement does not take into account other factors essential to a country's growth and development, such as social inequalities , the environment and the well-being of citizens.

In the last ten years, the climate deadlock and the limits of the current economic model based on the infinite growth of capitalism have prompted discussions of a "post-GDP" era .

We are two researchers affiliated with the Center on Governance at the University of Ottawa . In recent years, we have become interested in the question of implementing the UN's Sustainable Development Goals framework . In this article we explain why we believe it is now necessary to think about an alternative measure of economic activity and growth.

Sustainable development, much more than an environmental issue

The United Nations' 2030 Agenda is a universal action plan to promote sustainable development by considering social, economic and environmental aspects. It is meant to apply to all countries, even the richest.

At the heart of the agenda are 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These cover a wide range of development challenges, encompassing aspects of human well-being, equity and social inclusion. The goals explicitly recognize that sustainable development cannot be achieved through isolated actions focused on a single dimension (the environment, for example), but require a co-ordinated effort across several domains.

Could SDGs be used to replace traditional growth measures such as GDP? This is one of the questions we raised at a conference organized by the University of Ottawa's Center on Governance . In this article, we provide the beginnings of an answer.

"Beyond GDP" is a new concept that expresses the need for a more inclusive and sustainable measure of development that goes beyond simply assessing a country's economic output.

Using the 2030 Agenda as an example, this article proposes an exploratory analysis of the role of this global framework in the context of wealthy countries, using Canada and France as examples.

We identify and analyze the various policies set in place by these two countries to align their development strategies with the SDGs. Although these actions are real, they remain largely unknown to the general public. Our aim is to shed light on these initiatives and show their potential as measures of development.

Multidimensional goals

The SDGs offer an alternative, more comprehensive means for measuring countries' progress and development and represent a clear departure from traditional economic indicators such as GDP.

The SDGs were adopted in 2015 through a negotiation process involving the 193 member states of the United Nations, to address a series of interconnected global challenges humanity faces.

But more importantly, the SDGs recognize the need for a change in direction in what is now a context of profound and rapid economic, social and environmental transformations. For example, the SDGs were designed to address extreme poverty, social inequality, the climate crisis and biodiversity loss. By contrast, as a measure of economic activity, GDP does not take into account the equitable distribution of wealth, the sustainability of growth or the preservation of natural resources.

In short, adopting the SDGs as a multiscale measure (from the most local to continental and global scales, via the national level) of countries' growth and development could make it possible to assess countries' progress in a more representative, fairer and more inclusive way, in line with the principles of sustainable development.

France takes action

But is it really possible to measure sustainable development? To answer this question, we first need to look at the efforts individual countries are making.

The case of France offers an interesting perspective on how to integrate SDGs into measurements of development. By hosting COP21, the UN climate conference in 2015, France not only served as a platform for the adoption of the Paris Agreement , it also took on the role of mediator between nations and helped forge a global consensus on the need to limit global warming.

France acted quickly in operationalizing the SDGs by implementing a series of strategies, initiatives and collaborations. For example, France's Roadmap for the 2030 Agenda , published in September 2019, focuses on a fair transition and a transformation of the societal model to promote low carbon assets .

In addition, French policies emphasize citizen participation in the choice of projects to be carried out . For example, the town of Saint-Fons has developed a "sustainable development framework plan" to register, review and assess its actions and projects in relation to the implementation of the SDGs in its urban area.

And what about Canada?

The process of integrating the SDGs in Canada, although more recent than in France, is showing encouraging signs through various ongoing initiatives.

In 2021, Canada adopted a national strategy for the 2030 Agenda—Moving Forward Together . For Canada, this represents, first and foremost, a commitment to meet its international obligations to the United Nations by aligning its actions with the 17 SDGs, while adopting a more holistic approach to improving the economic, social and environmental well-being of its population.

In order to quantify the SDGs, indicators need to be put in place and information collected. To do this, Statistics Canada created the Global Indicator Framework for the Sustainable Development Goals Data Hub , which plays an important role in monitoring and reporting Canada's progress on the SDGs to the United Nations. This online portal offers freely accessible data.

Although this project is still in its first steps, Statistics Canada is continuing to examine different sources of data that could potentially be used to report on the SDGs to international bodies such as the UN, as well as internally to various Canadian stakeholders, including governments, the private sector, civil society and communities.

A colossal task

Despite this progress, there is still a huge amount of work to be done. Adopting the SDGs as a measure of development in rich countries requires a major paradigm shift. Many challenges need to be overcome, particularly in terms of methodology, data collection, policy implementation and social acceptability.

The SDGs and their indicators represent a useful and innovative instrument for measuring the development of societies that takes into account a multiplicity of social and environmental factors, as well as political and economic ones.

Even if achieving the SDGs or decarbonizing the economy by 2030 seems unattainable, they are still legitimate . Not achieving all the targets doesn't mean we should give up trying. This is provided, of course, that we take a step in the right direction by adopting a holistic approach to sustainable development, as opposed to using strictly economic indicators such as GDP. The vision proposed by the SDG framework provides a framework and objectives for guiding and implementing public policies that are better adapted to current and future challenges.

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