The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and SD Strategies & Tools

In 2023The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are the follow-up of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) with two important differences: firstly, the SDGs are universal, i.e. applicable to all countries; secondly their sustainability focus is much stronger. In September 2015, the UN General Assemblee adopted the SDGs and the process of implementation started in all countries. In 2023 we are half-way: only 7 years to go to the target year 2030. More an more it can be observed that the problem of underachievement is not because of the goals itself (policy) but the lagging implementation (governance). That is why we focus on better governance to support policies.

What Sustainable Development Strategies (SDS) look like and what impact they have depends on what those who formulated them believe is the best definition of ‘strategy’. Mintzberg described ten schools of thinking about strategy.With regard to sustainable development, the strategy definition is crucial. If strategy is a sustained learning process in dealing with complex issues, an SDS based on this definition might be able to recognise ‘wicked’ problems. On the other hand, if the starting point is that the world is well-structured, a strategy in the form of a concrete action plan might be the most desirable. Of course, a combination may be the best solution.