Promises and pitfalls of implementing the Sustainable Development Goals: a research agenda

Abstract

This chapter lays out a research program on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), drawing on insights from an online expert survey conducted with members of the Earth System Governance Project. Based on the opinions collected through this survey, the chapter identifies five governance areas in which the adoption of the SDGs has had some political steering effects but where more research is also needed, namely, global governance, national policy integration, subnational initiatives, private governance, and education and learning. Furthermore, the chapter emphasizes several concrete research needs to advance the implementation of the SDGs. The chapter further highlights critical research directions to advance SDG implementation, including understanding goal interlinkages and synergies, explaining divergent policy outcomes, and identifying opportunities and barriers in sustainability transformations. Overall, the research agenda presented in this chapter underscores the imperative for global cross-disciplinary collaboration and strong partnerships between scholars and practitioners worldwide.