Three foci at the science-policy interface for systemic Sustainable Development Goal acceleration

Comment https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-52926-x 1234567890():,; 1234567890():,; Three foci at the science-policy interface for systemic Sustainable Development Goal acceleration Prajal Pradhan, Nina Weitz, Vassilis Daioglou, Gabriel M. Abrahão, Cameron Allen, Geanderson Ambrósio, Frederike Arp, Furqan Asif, Therese Bennich, Tim G. Benton, Frank Biermann, Min Cao, Henrik Carlsen, Fang Chen, Min Chen, Michiel Daams, Jonathan H. P. Dawes, Shobhakar Dhakal, Elisabeth Gilmore, Luis Javier Miguel González, Klaus Hubacek, Yuanchao Hu, Wander Jager, Samir KC, Norman M. Kearney, Utkarsh Ashok Khot, Teun Kluck, Shridhar Kulkarni, Julia Leininger, Chaohui Li, Jing Li, Hermann Lotze-Campen, Gonzalo Parrado-Hernando, Matteo Pedercini, RamKumar Phuyal, Christina Prell, Arpan Rijal, Vanessa Schweizer, Frans J. Sijtsma, Bjoern Soergel, Nathalie Spittler, Detlef van Vuuren, Anne Warchold, Eartha Weber, Birka Wicke, Oscar Widerberg, Rienne Wilts, Christopher Wingens, Chaoyang Wu, Qiang Xing, Jin Yan, Zifeng Yuan, Xin Zhou & Caroline Zimm 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 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 nature communications Check for updates 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. The current scientific insights of SDG interactions are highly policy-relevant and sufficient to inform systemic prioritization of actions to accelerate SDG progress. However, a stronger focus on actionable guidance could strengthen their policy use. There is enough knowledge about changes needed to achieve SDGs but not how, particularly in different political and social contexts. A way forward is to bring together different research communities working on specific subfields and to combine quantitative and qualitative approaches6 for identifying interventions for decision-makers. A deeper integration of various approaches is needed to better represent different dynamics. Providing sound recommendations requires contextualized SDG interaction analyses, accounting for their spatial and temporal characteristics, including opportunities for policy interventions, sound governance, and stakeholders’ actions. Policymakers’ priorities are (2024)15:8600 | 1 Comment BOX 1 Examples of interactions between Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and gaps SDG interactions depend on actions and policies: Achieving climate action (SDG13) through large-scale land-based mitigation can negatively impact food security (SDG 2), water (SDG 6), or biodiversity (SDGs 14 and 15). However, reducing energy demand and enhancing sustainable agricultural practices can also ensure food security with positive impacts on water, soil, land, and biodiversity. SDG interactions can also be indirect or occur through complex feedback chains. Importance of addressing SDG trade-offs: Pursuing a fossil fuel-based development pathway negatively impacts environmental goals, which can accumulate and escalate over time. Instead, a shift towards renewable energy may result in short-term trade-offs, such as missed opportunities for economic growth through resource extraction or the loss of livelihoods of dependent communities. However, this pathway could also unlock investments, green economies, and employment opportunities over the longer term. Uneven understanding of SDG interactions: There are considerable knowledge gaps concerning peace, political institutions, diversity, agestructure changes, and gender-related issues, whereas climate and health (e.g., COVID) have been given more attention. This gap also holds for the empirical understanding of SDG interactions at different spatial scales, including transboundary spillover effects. BOX 2 Modeling methodologies for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and their limitations SDG modeling methodologies: A wide range of methods for modeling SDGs includes (complex adaptive) system dynamics, soci (...truncated)