Sustainable Development Goals
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a global agenda, adopted by countries in 2015, with a vision of ending poverty, protecting the planet and ensuring that all people enjoy peace and prosperity.
The 17 SDGs and 169 targets are part of what is known as the 2030 Agenda, which recognizes "that eradicating poverty in all its forms and dimensions, including extreme poverty, is the greatest global challenge and an indispensable requirement for sustainable development." In adopting the agenda, countries resolved to take the "bold and transformative steps which are urgently needed to shift the world onto a sustainable and resilient path. As we embark on this collective journey, we pledge that no one will be left behind."
The goals and targets are universal, meaning they apply to all countries around the world, not just poor countries. Reaching the goals requires action on all fronts – governments, businesses, civil society and people everywhere all have a role to play.
To learn more about efforts to implement the SDGs around the world, visit IISD’s SDG Knowledge Hub.
- Blog
Overseeing Agenda 2030—How to Avoid a Repeat of the Commission on Sustainable Development
The High-Level Political Forum is responsible for tracking and facilitating the implementation of Agenda 2030 and its Sustainable Development Goals. Two things must happen if it is to be successful.
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Solving Our Food Crisis Requires a Fundamental Transformation of the System
Global food supply is at an all-time high, yet so is hunger and malnutrition. The right policy changes can account for such complexity and set us on a sustainable path, but we must act now.
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Tomorrow Needs Us Today: IISD’s 2020-2025 Strategic Direction
We are guided by five core priorities—Climate, Resources, Economies, Act Together and Engage—which form our CREATE strategy, presented in this document.
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Potential Implementation Steps of a WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies
As members of the WTO negotiate new rules to curb harmful fisheries subsidies, this policy brief examines the potential steps governments could take to implement successful subsidy reform that promotes more sustainable fisheries.
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Mapping India's Energy Subsidies 2020: Fossil fuels, renewables and electric vehicles
How have India’s energy subsidy policies changed? What have been the most significant developments in India’s dynamic energy policy environment? And is public support aligned with India’s desired energy future?
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Progressing National SDGs Implementation: An Independent Assessment of the Voluntary National Review Reports Submitted to the United Nations High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development in 2019
The report reviews trends, gaps and best practices in the 47 Voluntary National Reviews countries submitted in 2019 to the United Nations to share their progress on the SDGs.
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Impact Tokens: A blockchain-based solution for impact investing
Impact tokens and blockchain technology offer promising solutions to mobilizing investments toward the Sustainable Development Goals by addressing the underlying challenges of the impact investing industry.
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The State of Global Environmental Governance 2019
A global team of reporters points to the successes, shortcomings and overall trends in international environmental negotiations in 2019.
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Buildings and Construction: A sleeping giant for climate action
Today, the construction and operation of buildings is responsible for 40% of all energy-related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Energy demand from this sector is expected to grow by another 50% by 2050.
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2019 Our City: A Peg Report on Winnipeg and the Sustainable Development Goals
The Peg report 2019 Our City is a window into how Winnipeg is progressing and where we need to focus more energy to move toward targets set by the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
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