SDG interactions as a national policy driver

It is well-established within global change and sustainability science that socio-economic and environmental systems are strongly interconnected and that achieving sustainable development requires a systems-approach as action towards meeting one goal can affect the possibilities to meet other ones. In fact, the transformative potential of the 2030 Agenda lies in the ability to leverage synergies and manage conflicts between SDGs . 

As we are already a third of the way into the period of implementation of the SDGs with insufficient progress and even worrying trends, there is a need to strengthen collaboration across the scientific communities working on these issues in order to support a coherent approach to implementation that takes full account of the dynamic and integrated nature of the SDGs and other related global frameworks, and meet the very diverse needs across sectors and governance scales. Such an integrated offer from science needs to go hand-in-hand with a better understanding of the demand for science from decision-makers.

The ISC working with its partners facilitated conversations to make the existing scientific knowledge and tools more readily accessible and useful for sustainability science communities as well as decision-makers from policy, business, and civil society to strengthen the impact of science in SDG implementation.

Anticipated impact

Accelerated implementation of the 2030 Agenda through support for interactions-based research and policy prioritization and programming at all levels of governance.

SDG Interactions Toolkit

The ISC has provided guidance and support to a number of organizations that have developed further the tools and methods related to SDG interactions analysis. This activity builds on the ISC’s work on SDGs that proposed a framework for understanding the complex linkages across SDGs domains and the many synergies and trade-offs that need to be addressed to support effective and coherent SDG implementation.

Impact

• Delivery of a case study in Ireland through partnership with University College Cork.
• In June 2020, SEI launched SDG Synergies official website.
• Access the SDG Synergies Tool.
• Publication of the paper How policymakers and other leaders can build a more sustainable post-COVID-19 ‘normal’ in the Discover Sustainability journal.