Essential Concepts for Implementing the Sustainable Development Goals

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

• About the editorsList of contributorsAcknowledgements1 Essential Concepts for Implementing the Sustainable Development Goals: An Introduction2 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development3 Accountability4 Anthropocene5 Artificial intelligence6 Brundtland Report7 Budgeting for Sustainable Development8 Business sector9 Civil society10 Climate change and sustainable development11 Climate finance12 Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD)13 Coordination14 Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)15 Custodians16 Data gaps17 Development banks18 Discourse and discursive effects19 Education for Sustainable Development20 Effectiveness21 Finance mechanisms22 Fragmentation23 Gender mainstreaming24 Global Sustainable Development Reports (GSDR)25 Governance by global goal-setting26 High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF)27 Human Rights28 Implementation29 Inclusiveness30 Independent Group of Scientists (IGS)31 Indicators32 Indigenous views33 Inequality (global and national)34 Institutions and institutional effects35 Integration36 Integrity (ecological and planetary)37 Interaction and interlinkages38 International Environmental Agreements39 International Monetary Fund (IMF)40 International organizations41 Justice perspectives42 ‘Leave no one behind’43 Legitimacy44 Living wages45 Localization46 Major groups and other stakeholders47 Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)48 Modelling49 Multi-level governance50 National Sustainable Development Strategies (NSDS)51 Negotiation of the Sustainable Development Goals52 Network analysis53 Nexus governance54 Norms and normative effects55 North-South relations56 Official development assistance (ODA)57 Orchestration58 Paris Agreement59 Participation60 Partnerships61 People, Planet, Prosperity, Peace, Partnerships (5 Ps)62 Philanthropic foundations63 Planetary boundaries64 Policy coherence and integration (at domestic level)65 Policy coherence for sustainable development (at global level)66 Political impact and steering effects67 Political will and leadership68 Private finance69 Private governance70 Rainbow washing71 Rankings and performance measurement72 Regional organizations73 Responsibility74 Science, technology and innovation75 Scientific community76 SDG summits77 Silo approach78 Stockholm+5079 Subnational initiatives80 Summit of the Future (2024)81 Sustainable finance82 Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN)83 Synergies and goal complementarity84 Targets85 Trade-offs and goal conflicts86 Trans-disciplinarity87 Transformation88 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (1992)89 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (2012)90 United Nations Conference on the Human Environment (1972)91 United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA)92 United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)93 United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)94 United Nations General Assembly (UNGA)95 United Nations Secretary-General (UNSG)96 United Nations Statistical Commission97 Universality98 UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN)99 Voluntary Local Reviews100 Voluntary National Reviews101 Vulnerability102 World Bank103 World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED)104 World Health Organization (WHO)105 World Summit on Sustainable Development (2002)106 World Trade Organization (WTO)107 YouthAnnex: The 17 Sustainable Development Goals