Essential Concepts for Implementing the Sustainable Development Goals An A-Z Guide

About the editors

List of contributors

Acknowledgements

1       Essential Concepts for Implementing the Sustainable Development Goals: An Introduction

Frank Biermann, Thomas Hickmann, Yi hyun Kang, Carole-Anne Sénit and Yixian Sun

2       2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

Steven Bernstein

3       Accountability

Magdalena Bexell

4       Anthropocene

Denis Francesconi

5       Artificial intelligence

Noémi Bontridder and Yi hyun Kang

6       Brundtland Report

Rosalind Warner

7       Budgeting for Sustainable Development

Elisabeth Hege

8       Business sector

Janis Bragan Balda

9       Civil society

Carole-Anne Sénit

10    Climate change and sustainable development

Shrijana Vaidya, Jing Li and Prajal Pradhan

11    Climate finance

Yuen Gu and Yixian Sun

12    Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD)

Pamela Chasek

13    Coordination

Maya Bogers

14    Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

Philip Schleifer

15    Custodians

Thiago Gehre Galvão, Denise Kronemberger and Rodrigo Correa Ramiro

16    Data gaps

Guilherme Iablonovski, Isabella Massa and Samory Toure

17    Development banks

Elise Dufief

18    Discourse and discursive effects

Ilona Rac and Karmen Erjavec

19    Education for Sustainable Development

Thiago Gehre Galvão and Crystal Green

20    Effectiveness

Moira V. Faul, Liliana B. Andonova and Dario Piselli

21    Finance mechanisms

Aurelie Charles

22    Fragmentation

Joshua Philipp Elsässer and Fariborz Zelli

23    Gender mainstreaming

Antra Bhatt, Laura Rahm and Tara Patricia Cookson

24    Global Sustainable Development Reports (GSDR)

Shirin Malekpour and Cameron Allen

25    Governance by global goal-setting

Norichika Kanie

26    High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF)

Thomas Hickmann

27    Human Rights

Andrea Schapper

28    Implementation

Kristina Jönsson and Marie Stissing Jensen

29    Inclusiveness

Guilherme de Queiroz-Stein

30    Independent Group of Scientists (IGS)

Ibrahima Hathie

31    Indicators

Félicien Pagnon and Grayson Fuller

32    Indigenous views

Rosalind Warner

33    Inequality (global and national)

Hristo Dokov

34    Institutions and institutional effects

Ha B. Vien

35    Integration

Basil Bornemann

36    Integrity (ecological and planetary)

Rosalind Warner

37    Interaction and interlinkages

Ivonne Lobos Alva

38    International Environmental Agreements

Rakhyun E. Kim

39    International Monetary Fund (IMF)

Jakob Skovgaard

40    International organizations

Thomas Hickmann

41    Justice perspectives

Elke Kellner

42    Leave No One Behind

Rodrigo Correa Ramiro

43    Legitimacy

Matteo De Donà

44    Living wages

Elizabeth A. Bennett

45    Localization

Rodrigo Führ

46    Major groups and other stakeholders

Jano Richter and Carole-Anne Sénit

47    Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)

Estefanía Charvet

48    Modelling

Chaohui Li, Teun Kluck and Prajal Pradhan

49    Multilevel governance

Aurelie Charles

50    National Sustainable Development Strategies

Basil Bornemann

51    Negotiation of the Sustainable Development Goals

Pamela Chasek

52    Network analysis

Anne Warchold, Utkarsh Khot and Prajal Pradhan

53    Nexus governance

Montserrat Koloffon Rosas

54    Norms and normative effects

Aurelie Charles

55    North-South relations

Dhanasree Jayaram

56    Official development assistance (ODA)

Li Li and Hyeyoon Park

57    Orchestration

Joshua Philipp Elsässer

58    Paris Agreement

Joshua Philipp Elsässer

59    Participation

Okechukwu Enechi

60    Partnerships

Maximilian S. T. Wanner

61    People, Planet, Prosperity, Peace, Partnerships (5 Ps)

Laura Rahm, Tara Patricia Cookson and Ginette Azcona

62    Philanthropic foundations

Cornelia Ulbert

63    Planetary boundaries

Lena Partzsch

64    Policy coherence and integration (at domestic level)

Alex San Martim Portes

65    Policy coherence for sustainable development (at global level)

Amandine Orsini

66    Political impact and steering effects

Frank Biermann

67    Political will and leadership

Joanna Stanberry

68    Private finance

Lisa-Maria Glass

69    Private governance

Yixian Sun

70    Rainbow washing

Elizabeth A. Bennett

71    Rankings and performance measurement

Grayson Fuller and Félicien Pagnon

72    Regional organizations

Chol Bunnag

73    Responsibility

Magdalena Bexell

74    Science, technology and innovation

Yi hyun Kang

75    Scientific community

Mara Wendebourg

76    SDG summits

Chol Bunnag

77    Silo approach

Maya Bogers

78    Stockholm+50

Nina Weitz

79    Subnational initiatives

Rodrigo Führ

80    Summit of the Future (2024)

Fronika de Wit

81    Sustainable finance

Maximilian Bruder and Daniel Duma

82    Synergies and goal complementarity

Simon Beaudoin

83    Targets

Mark Elder

84    Trade-offs and goal conflicts

Alex San Martim Portes

85    Transdisciplinarity

Kerstin Krellenberg, Florian Koch and Julia Wesely

86    Transformation

Sabine Weiland

87    United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (1992)

Pamela Chasek

88    United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (2012)

Frank Biermann

89    United Nations Conference on the Human Environment (1972)

Simon Beaudoin

90    United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA)

Guísela Almeida de Pereira and Estefanía Charvet

91    United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

Sajid Amin Javed and Michele Joie Prawiromaruto

92    United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

Maria Ivanova

93    United Nations General Assembly (UNGA)

Leonie Grob

94    United Nations Secretary-General (UNSG)

Michele Joie Prawiromaruto

95    United Nations Statistical Commission

Citra Kumala and Virgi Sari

96    Universality

Carole-Anne Sénit

97    UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN)

Amber Webb

98    Voluntary Local Reviews

Kerstin Krellenberg, Florian Koch and Julia Wesely

99    Voluntary National Reviews

Mark Elder

100    Vulnerability

Sujoy Subroto

101    World Bank

Susan Park

102    World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED)

Valentina Brogna

103    World Health Organization (WHO)

Cornelia Ulbert

104    World Summit on Sustainable Development (2002)

Loïc Cobut

105    World Trade Organization (WTO)

Noémie Laurens

106    Youth

Yi hyun Kang

Annex: The 17 Sustainable Development Goals

Biography

Frank Biermann is Professor of Global Sustainability Governance at the Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Utrecht University, the Netherlands, and the 2025 Zennström Visiting Professor in Climate Change Leadership at Uppsala University, Sweden.

Thomas Hickmann is Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science at Lund University in Sweden. He is highly committed to interdisciplinary collaborations, research-based education and engagements with civil society to identify pathways towards sustainability transformations.

Yi hyun Kang is Postdoctoral Researcher in the Department of Political Science at Lund University in Sweden. Her research explores the role of civil society and technology in environmental politics and governance. Her research interests have been shaped by professional experiences in journalism, international development, and applied research.

Carole-Anne Sénit is Assistant Professor of Inclusive Sustainability Governance with the Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development at Utrecht University, the Netherlands. The corpus of her research assesses the democratic legitimacy of sustainability governance, with a particular attention to whether and how citizens can take part in and influence the decisions that affect their lives.

Yixian Sun is Associate Professor in International Development and a UKRI Future Leaders Fellow at the University of Bath, United Kingdom. He studies transnational governance, environmental politics and sustainable development with a focus on emerging economies.

"This meticulously organized A-Z guide arrives at a crucial moment in our global pursuit of sustainable development. It strikes an excellent balance between theoretical depth and practical application. What sets this book apart is its accessibility and clear focus on governance and implementation challenges, making it an invaluable resource for students, policymakers, and sustainability practitioners alike.” - Måns Nilsson, Executive Director of Stockholm Environment Institute

 

“This book is an essential resource for anyone seeking to understand and accelerate progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals. Its accessible format, A-Z structure, and practical examples make complex concepts easy to navigate. Offering valuable insights from global experts with a focus on transformative change, the book will equip policymakers, practitioners, and advocates with tools to drive real impact. To address the halting pace of change, we must redouble efforts to build inclusive societies and a livable planet. This guide is indispensable for shaping a more just, peaceful, and sustainable future.” - Anita Bhatia, Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations and Deputy Executive Director of UN Women

“Sharing knowledge and research to support coordinated and informed decision-making is crucial to accelerating progress on the interlinked Sustainable Development Goals. This timely publication delivers much needed practical solutions and shows how everyone can contribute to transformative change.” - Astra Bonini, Senior Sustainable Development Officer at the Division for the Sustainable Development Goals, United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs

“As a youth representative having participated in the processes of the 2030 Agenda, I believe that this book can be very useful to any person willing to understand the problems and challenges related to the implementation of the SDGs. It presents key concepts in an easy-to-navigate fashion. I hope it will help structure the thinking of people who wish to fight for a better world." - Jean Servais, Belgian UN Youth Delegate for Sustainable Development 2022-24

“This book is an invaluable resource for anyone working to advance the Sustainable Development Goals. With contributions from experts worldwide—including researchers from Southern Voice—it offers a clear, accessible, and practical guide to the essential concepts shaping the global effort to implement the 2030 Agenda. At a time of uneven SDG progress and growing urgency, this A–Z guide is a timely tool to help those in academia, policy, and practice navigate complexity and sharpen their contribution to sustainable development.” - Margarita Gómez, Executive Director at Southern Voice and Visiting Fellow at the Blavatnik School of Government, Oxford University