Crandi

Researchers Offer Three Foci At The Science Policy Interface To

Leo Migdal
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researchers offer three foci at the science policy interface to

Nature Communications volume 15, Article number: 8600 (2024) Cite this article The integrated and indivisible nature of the SDGs is facing implementation challenges due to the silo approaches. We present the three interconnected foci (SDG interactions, modeling, and tools) at the science-policy interface to address these challenges. Accounting for them will support accelerated SDG progress, operationalizing the integration and indivisibility principles. The 2024 Summit of the Future aimed to accelerate efforts to meet existing international commitments. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is the pre-eminent international commitment to be achieved by 2030, comprising 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with the underpinning principles of integration, indivisibility, and universality.

However, these principles have yet to be prominent in SDG implementation. Since countries are not on track to achieve all SDGs1, accelerating efforts is crucial in the time remaining to 2030 and for informing a post-2030 sustainable development agenda2. The SDGs’ integrated nature challenges the traditional silo implementation approaches. Thus, we present the three interconnected foci (i.e., SDG interactions, modeling, and tools) to support accelerated SDG progress and operationalize integration and indivisibility principles. SDG interactions refer to the complex and dynamic relationships between SDGs. They can be unidirectional or bidirectional, and their strength in each direction might vary.

Actions and policies to pursue one goal can have synergies or trade-offs for achieving the others (Box 1)3. Thus, accounting for SDG interactions and aiming to strengthen synergies and mitigate trade-offs in policymaking is crucial. Doing so can guide toward more systemic, coherent, and effective SDG implementation. Accelerating sustainable development efforts requires shifting focus from achieving specific SDGs in the short term to a more holistic system-wide approach. Current studies identify more synergies than trade-offs among SDGs, which are dynamic and context-specific4. While trade-offs may be fewer, they are important considerations from a policy perspective (Box 1), e.g., based on just transition approaches.

SDG interactions are currently well understood at global and national scales but not at subnational scales due to limited data and research. Knowledge of their temporal and spatial dynamics is also restricted. Further, leaving no one behind requires a better understanding of SDG interactions for underrepresented groups. Current SDG interaction studies often rely on anecdotal evidence, statistical analysis, or models. Thus, understanding the mechanisms behind underlying SDG interactions is crucial to identifying levers for accelerating systemic changes and SDG progress. Knowledge of interactions is unevenly distributed across SDGs due to limited data and coherent methodology (Box 1).

The consistent SDG data protocols and methods can address this issue5. Another gap is understanding the interaction between SDGs and other intergovernmental frameworks (e.g., the Paris Agreement and the Global Biodiversity Framework). Coupling the 2030 Agenda with other intergovernmental processes can leverage co-benefits and minimize conflicts, accelerating progress toward a more sustainable future. At the UN Summit of the Future, held on September 22-23, 2024, world leaders agreed to take bold, ambitious, accelerated, just, and transformative actions to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Published last week in Nature Communications, an international group of more than 50 experts offers three foci at the science-policy interface that are needed to implement this agreement. By embracing these foci, governments worldwide can ensure a safer, more sustainable, and equitable future, argue the authors.

They call for urgent, systemic action as the window to meet the 2030 deadline for the SDGs narrows. The article is based on a workshop held at the Rudolf Agricola School for Sustainable Development, University of Groningen, in the Netherlands, which brought together researchers and policymakers from various countries. “Due to silo approaches, the integrated and indivisible principles of the SDGs are facing implementation challenges,” argues Dr. Prajal Pradhan, assistant professor at the University of Groningen and the lead author of this study. He continues, “Now, SDG implementation strategies must be changed. To break the silo approaches, we offer three foci at the science-policy interface to support implement the integrated and indivisible nature of SDGs.”

Frank Biermann, professor of Global Sustainability Governance at Utrecht University’s Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development and a coauthor of this study, says: “Research led by Utrecht University has consistently shown that the SDGs have... Most SDG targets are not on track to be achieved by 2030. This new paper outlines innovative pathways to operationalize the integration and indivisibility principles that underlie the SDGs, as one element of a broader reform agenda.” First, the experts call for actionable strategies to navigate the complex interactions between the SDGs and develop coherent, systemic solutions that align economic, social, and environmental objectives. Understanding SDG interactions is crucial to designing strategies that promote multiple SDGs simultaneously, ensuring that efforts in one area do not conflict with progress in another. Policymakers can create more comprehensive and effective plans to meet SDG targets by identifying synergies between goals and minimizing potential conflicts.

Received 2024 Jul 7; Accepted 2024 Sep 12; Collection date 2024. Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License, which permits any non-commercial use, sharing, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate... You do not have permission under this licence to share adapted material derived from this article or parts of it. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from... To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/.

The integrated and indivisible nature of the SDGs is facing implementation challenges due to the silo approaches. We present the three interconnected foci (SDG interactions, modeling, and tools) at the science-policy interface to address these challenges. Accounting for them will support accelerated SDG progress, operationalizing the integration and indivisibility principles. Subject terms: Sustainability, Scientific community, Environmental sciences The 2024 Summit of the Future aimed to accelerate efforts to meet existing international commitments. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is the pre-eminent international commitment to be achieved by 2030, comprising 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with the underpinning principles of integration, indivisibility, and universality.

However, these principles have yet to be prominent in SDG implementation. Since countries are not on track to achieve all SDGs1, accelerating efforts is crucial in the time remaining to 2030 and for informing a post-2030 sustainable development agenda2. The SDGs’ integrated nature challenges the traditional silo implementation approaches. Thus, we present the three interconnected foci (i.e., SDG interactions, modeling, and tools) to support accelerated SDG progress and operationalize integration and indivisibility principles. in: Nature Communications 15, article 8600 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-52926-x Open access

The 2024 Summit of the Future aimed to accelerate efforts to meet existing international commitments. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is the pre-eminent international commitment to be achieved by 2030, comprising 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with the underpinning principles of integration, indivisibility, and universality. However, these principles have yet to be prominent in SDG implementation. Since countries are not on track to achieve all SDGs, accelerating efforts is crucial in the time remaining to 2030 and for informing a post-2030 sustainable development agenda. The SDGs’ integrated nature challenges the traditional silo implementation approaches. Thus, we present the three interconnected foci (i.e., SDG interactions, modeling, and tools) to support accelerated SDG progress and operationalize integration and indivisibility principles.

Press release / Experts propose three strategies to break barriers and accelerate global progress on the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 and beyond. 10 October 2024 / About Public policy and Sustainable Development Goals Other publication / This report underscores how forests and trees can strengthen agrifood systems by supporting climate regulation, soil health and resilient production. 1 December 2025 / About Climate policy, Food and agriculture and Forests Perspective / As the Paris Agreement approaches its 10-year anniversary, Sara Vigil reflects on its impact and future. In the Summit of the Future , held on 22 and 23 September 2024, world leaders agreed to take bold, ambitious, accelerated, just, and transformative actions to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).

An international group of more than 50 experts offers three foci at the science-policy interface to implement this agreement in Nature Communications . The article is based on a workshop held at the Rudolf Agricola School for Sustainable Development, University of Groningen, in the Netherlands, with participants from various countries representing researchers and policymakers: 'Due to silo approaches, the integrated and indivisible principles of the SDGs are facing implementation challenges,' argues Dr. Prajal Pradhan, assistant professor at the University of Groningen and the lead author of this study. Now, SDG implementation strategies must be changed. To break the silo approaches, we offer three foci at the science-policy interface to support implement the integrated and indivisible nature of SDGs.

Our three foci offer policymakers means to implement the integrated and indivisible nature of the SDGs. By understanding the complex interactions between different SDGs, we can develop coherent strategies that balance economic, social, and environmental goals. This approach allows us to leverage synergies while addressing trade-offs, ensuring accelerated SDG progress by 2030 and beyond.' Prof. Klaus Hubacek, co-author and Professor at the University of Groningen, emphasized the importance of a systemic, long-term approach: 'Sustainable development requires a deep understanding of the interconnectedness between human activities and environmental systems. By incorporating systems thinking and evidence-based solutions, we can design policies that not only address immediate challenges but also create long-lasting benefits for both people and the planet.'

In the Summit of the Future, held on September 22-23, 2024, world leaders agreed to take bold, ambitious, accelerated, just, and transformative actions to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). An international group of more than 50 experts offers three foci at the science-policy interface to implement this agreement in Nature Communications. The article is based on a workshop held at the Rudolf Agricola School for Sustainable Development, University of Groningen, in the Netherlands, with participants from various countries representing researchers and policymakers. “Due to silo approaches, the integrated and indivisible principles of the SDGs are facing implementation challenges,” argues Dr. Prajal Pradhan, assistant professor at the University of Groningen and the lead author of this study. He continues, “Now, SDG implementation strategies must be changed.

To break the silo approaches, we offer three foci at the science-policy interface to support implement the integrated and indivisible nature of SDGs.” Three science-policy interface foci are a way forward

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