Sustainable Development Goals
The 17 goals adopted by UN member states in 2015 to address poverty, health, education, climate, nature and other priorities by 2030.
Example
Goal 13 concerns climate action, while others cover clean energy, cities, oceans and life on land.
The catch
Linking an activity to a goal does not show that it made measurable progress towards it.
Related terms
1.5°C goal, Carbon pricing, Carbon tax, Climate justice, Conference of the Parties, CSRD
In more depth
Sustainable Development Goals, explained.
The Sustainable Development Goals are built to be measured. Each goal breaks into specific targets, and each target has indicators that national statistical offices report on, which gives any claimed contribution a concrete test.
Goals interact. Expanding energy access can raise emissions if the energy comes from fossil sources, while clean cooking cuts indoor air pollution and black carbon at once, a co-benefit that serves several goals. IPCC AR6 assesses many such synergies and trade-offs between climate mitigation and development. The UN's own progress reports show most targets off track. When a company cites a goal, look for the target and the indicator it claims to move, and for the measured change.