Sustainable Development Goals List: The 17 Global Goals Explained
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a set of 17 shared goals adopted by United Nations Member States in 2015. They form the heart of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, a global plan to improve people’s lives, protect the planet and support peace and prosperity.
The goals are intended for every country and cover social, economic and environmental challenges. Each goal includes specific targets, making 169 targets in total. The SDGs are interconnected: progress in one area can support progress in others.
The 17 Sustainable Development Goals
- No Poverty: End poverty in all its forms everywhere, and improve access to essential services, resources and social protection.
- Zero Hunger: End hunger, improve nutrition, achieve food security and promote sustainable agriculture.
- Good Health and Well-being: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for people of all ages.
- Quality Education: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.
- Gender Equality: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.
- Clean Water and Sanitation: Ensure the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.
- Affordable and Clean Energy: Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all.
- Decent Work and Economic Growth: Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all.
- Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure: Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation, and foster innovation.
- Reduced Inequalities: Reduce inequality within and among countries.
- Sustainable Cities and Communities: Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.
- Responsible Consumption and Production: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns.
- Climate Action: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.
- Life Below Water: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources.
- Life on Land: Protect, restore and promote the sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, manage forests sustainably, combat desertification, halt and reverse land degradation, and halt biodiversity loss.
- Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions: Promote peaceful and inclusive societies, provide access to justice for all, and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions.
- Partnerships for the Goals: Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the global partnership for sustainable development.
Why the SDGs matter
The SDGs offer a common framework for addressing challenges that cross borders and affect people in different ways. For example, access to quality education can support better employment prospects, while clean energy can improve health and help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Tackling these issues together can lead to more lasting progress.
Governments have a central role in putting the goals into practice, but businesses, charities, communities and individuals can also contribute. Actions might include reducing waste, supporting fair working conditions, improving access to education or protecting local habitats. The most effective approaches consider how decisions in one area may affect people and the environment elsewhere.
Working towards 2030
The SDGs set a shared direction, rather than a guarantee that every challenge will be solved by 2030. Meeting them requires sustained effort, cooperation and reliable information about what is working. Understanding the full list is a useful first step towards seeing how local choices and wider policies can contribute to a fairer, healthier and more sustainable future.
8 Essential Tips for Engaging with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
- Learn the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
- Explore how the goals connect to one another.
- Choose a goal that matters to your community.
- Check progress using reliable data.
- Support projects that reduce poverty and inequality.
- Save energy and choose low-carbon travel.
- Reduce waste and protect nature.
- Share the goals and encourage others to act.
Learn the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Learning the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is a useful first step towards understanding the world’s shared priorities for a fairer, healthier and more sustainable future. Adopted by the United Nations, the goals cover issues ranging from ending poverty and improving education to protecting biodiversity and tackling climate change. Knowing what each goal means can help you spot how they connect, make more informed everyday choices and identify ways to support positive change in your community.
Explore how the goals connect to one another.
Explore how the Sustainable Development Goals connect to one another, as progress in one area can support—and sometimes depend on—progress in others. For example, access to quality education can help people find decent work, while affordable clean energy can improve health and support climate action. Seeing these links encourages joined-up solutions that address several challenges at once and avoid unintended consequences.
Choose a goal that matters to your community.
Choose a Sustainable Development Goal that matters to your community, such as access to clean water, quality education or affordable clean energy. Focusing on a local priority makes the goal feel relevant and helps you identify practical ways to contribute. Talk with community members, charities or local organisations to understand what is needed, then consider how your time, skills or resources could support meaningful progress.
Check progress using reliable data.
Check progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals using reliable, up-to-date data from trusted sources, such as the United Nations, national statistics offices and recognised research organisations. Clear evidence helps show whether actions are making a difference, highlights gaps between communities and makes it easier to adjust plans where progress is slow. Look beyond headline figures where possible, as data broken down by factors such as age, gender, income or location can reveal who is being left behind.
Support projects that reduce poverty and inequality.
Supporting projects that reduce poverty and inequality helps create fairer, stronger communities and advances several Sustainable Development Goals, including No Poverty and Reduced Inequalities. You could donate to a trusted organisation, volunteer your time, support inclusive local services or choose businesses that provide fair working conditions. Before getting involved, find out how a project works, who it benefits and how it measures its impact.
Save energy and choose low-carbon travel.
Saving energy and choosing low-carbon travel are practical ways to support the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goal 7 on clean energy and Goal 13 on climate action. Turn off lights and appliances when they are not in use, choose energy-efficient options where possible, and walk, cycle or use public transport for shorter journeys. For longer trips, consider lower-emission alternatives when they are practical. Small changes in daily routines can help reduce energy use and greenhouse gas emissions.
Reduce waste and protect nature.
Reducing waste and protecting nature are practical ways to support several Sustainable Development Goals, including Responsible Consumption and Production, Climate Action and Life on Land. Choose reusable items, repair or donate belongings where possible, recycle correctly and avoid unnecessary packaging. You can also help protect local nature by respecting wildlife, planting native species and keeping green spaces free from litter. Small, consistent actions can conserve resources, reduce pollution and help ecosystems thrive.
Share the goals and encourage others to act.
Sharing the Sustainable Development Goals is a simple way to help turn awareness into action. Talk about the goals with friends, family, colleagues or your local community, and highlight practical steps people can take, such as reducing waste, supporting fair working conditions or protecting local green spaces. By encouraging others to get involved and sharing examples of progress, you can help build momentum towards a fairer, healthier and more sustainable future.