Mapping interactions between the sustainable development goals: lessons learned and ways forward
Open accessAbstract
Pursuing integrated research and decision-making to advance action on the sustainable development goals (SDGs) fundamentally depends on understanding interactions between the SDGs, both negative ones ("trade-offs") and positive ones ("co-benefits"). This quest, triggered by the 2030 Agenda, has however pointed to a gap in current research and policy analysis regarding how to think systematically about interactions across the SDGs. This paper synthesizes experiences and insights from the application of a new conceptual framework for mapping and assessing SDG interactions using a defined typology and characterization approach. Drawing on results from a major international research study applied to the SDGs on health, energy and the ocean, it analyses how interactions depend on key factors such as geographical context, resource endowments, time horizon and governance. The paper discusses the future potential, barriers and opportunities for applying the approach in scientific research, in policy making and in bridging the two through a global SDG Interactions Knowledge Platform as a key mechanism for assembling, systematizing and aggregating knowledge on interactions.
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Health is influenced by many systemic factors, including climate change; action is needed to increase the density and connectedness of urban and suburban areas and to increase active, public, and shared transport within and between them.
“health is influenced by many systemic factors, including climate change; action is needed to increase the density and connectedness of urban and suburban areas and to increase active, public, and shared transport within and between them (70, 113).”
From Review of the Impact of Housing Quality on Inequalities in Health and Well-Being (2023) · cites this paper as [113]
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- Authors
- Nilsson, M., Chisholm, E., Griggs, D., Howden-Chapman, P., McCollum, D., Messerli, P., Neumann, B., Stevance, A.-S., Visbeck, M., & Stafford-Smith, M.
- Affiliations
- Stockholm Environment Institute (SE)
- University of Otago (NZ)
- University of Warwick (GB)
- International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (AT)
- University of Bern (CH)
- Research Institute for Sustainability at GFZ (DE)
- International Council for Science (FR)
- Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel (DE)
- Corresponding author
- Nilsson, Måns
- ORCID
- Venue
- Sustainability Science
- Published
- 2018-07-13
- Volume
- 13
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 1489-1503
- ISSN
- 1862-4057 (ISSN-L)
- 1862-4065
- PMC
- PMC6267157
- OpenAlex
- W2884562313
- Cited by
- 640
- References
- 69
- Citations by year
- 2026: 55 · 2025: 67 · 2024: 91 · 2023: 101 · 2022: 107 · 2021: 100 · 2020: 79 · 2019: 37 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 1
- FWCI
- 95.72
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Sustainability Science (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, other-oa)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel (GEOMAR) (acceptedVersion, other-oa)
- IIASA PURE (International Institute of Applied Systems Analysis) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- BORIS (University Library Bern) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Publication Database GFZ (GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences) (submittedVersion)
- Publication Database IASS (Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS)) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Warwick Research Archive Portal (University of Warwick) (submittedVersion)
- Open Access CRIS of the University of Bern
- Funders
- Horizon 2020 Framework Programme (642147)
- Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency Sida (SE)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law › Sustainable Development and Environmental Policy
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Global and Planetary Change › Sustainability and Climate Change Governance
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Water Science and Technology › Water-Energy-Food Nexus Studies
- Keywords
- Sustainable Development Goals, SDG interactions, trade-offs, co-benefits, 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, conceptual framework, typology, energy, ocean, governance, resource endowment, time horizon, knowledge platform, policy making
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