Synergies and Trade-Offs in Reaching the Sustainable Development Goals

Abstract

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted in 2015 integrate diverse issues such as addressing hunger, gender equality and clean energy and set a common agenda for all United Nations member states until 2030. The 17 SDGs interact and by working towards achieving one goal countries may further—or jeopardise—progress on others. However, the direction and strength of these interactions are still poorly understood and it remains an analytical challenge to capture the relationships between the multi-dimensional goals, comprising 169 targets and over 200 indicators. Here, we use principal component analysis (PCA), an in this context novel approach, to summarise each goal and interactions in the global SDG agenda. Applying PCA allows us to map trends, synergies and trade-offs at the level of goals for all SDGs while using all available information on indicators. While our approach does not allow us to investigate causal relationships, it provides important evidence of the degree of compatibility of goal attainment over time. Based on global data 2000–2016, our results indicate that synergies between and within the SDGs prevail, both in terms of levels and over time change. An exception is SDG 10 ‘Reducing inequalities’ which has not progressed in tandem with other goals.

Energy Self-Sufficiency Aiming for Sustainable Wastewater Systems: Are All Options Being Explored?

“…2 Hydropower contribution (%) to energy self-sufficiency. 3 Value calculated applying KPI definition (annual electricity generated with renewable technologies/annual consumption) × 100%. 4 Value calculated applying KPI definition (annual electricity generated with hydropower/annual consumption) × 100%.…”

“…This plan includes 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and 169 specific targets, integrating the economic, environmental, and social perspectives. However, these SDGs are not isolated goals, as they can present some important interrelations among them [1][2][3]. This is the case, for example, of SDG 6 'Clean water and sanitation', SDG 7 'Affordable and clean energy', SDG 11 'Sustainable cities and communities', and SDG 13 'Climate actions'.…”

“…Nutrients usually include Nitrogen or Phosphorus separately 2. Energy self-sufficiency (%): Ratio (annual electricity generated with renewable technologies/annual WWTP consumption) × 100 3. Hydropower contribution (%) to energy self-sufficiency.…”

“…Hydropower inlet flow or electricity output out of the boundary limits of the WWTP 2. Year installation, last update 3. "Before year": According to the date of the first reference found about that existing case study 4.…”

Climate mitigation policies and the potential pathways to conflict: Outlining a research agenda

“…The SDGs are a multi‐dimensional set of indicators that lay out a vision for a more sustainable and peaceful society. However, there are synergies and trade‐offs across the SDGs with the effects being generated by complex interactions of different mitigation measures and their management (Hegre et al, 2020 ; Kroll et al, 2019 ). Elaborating these trade‐offs within the context of SDG16 could further motivate peace by shifting the focus from narratives of more catastrophic futures to those that are more resilient to climate change (Barnett, 2018 ).…”