What are the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)?
Table of Contents
By: Amanda Phagan, Edited by: Valerie Black
Published: April 18, 2025
Most people want a more equitable, healthier, and sustainable future — but how can we achieve this? In 2015, the United Nations (U.N.) introduced 17 goals with actionable targets to help member countries build this brighter future. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) address some of today's most pressing global challenges, such as climate change, poverty, and inequality. Learn more about the 17 goals in our guide.
History of the SDGs
The global desire for more sustainable progress began in the early 1980s. In 1983, the U.N. created the World Commission on Environment and Development, introducing sustainable development practices to member countries. In 1992, the U.N. developed and adopted Agenda 21, a comprehensive plan for global sustainability.
In 2000, the U.N. introduced eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to be achieved by 2015. These consisted of:
- Eradicating extreme poverty and hunger
- Achieving universal primary education
- Promoting gender equality and female empowerment
- Reducing child mortality
- Improving maternal health
- Combatting HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases
- Ensuring environmental sustainability
- Developing a global partnership for development
In 2011, Colombia proposed 17 Sustainable Development Goals to update and expand upon the MDGs. A few years later, in 2015, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) officially introduced the SDGs as part of its Post-2025 Development Agenda.
A UNGA resolution added specific targets and key performance indicators to each goal in 2017. Most SDGs have a deadline of 2030, but some lack a defined timeline.
What is the United Nations?
The U.N. is an international organization founded in 1945 after World War II. Its 193 member countries gather to discuss shared problems and develop solutions that benefit humanity.
The 17 SDGs
The 17 interconnected Sustainable Development Goals enable U.N. member countries to take action on the world's top socioeconomic, environmental, and humanitarian challenges. The U.N.'s overarching objective is to "leave no one behind" in the wake of progress.
Below are the 17 SDGs:
1. No poverty
"No poverty" means eradicating extreme poverty globally by 2030. According to the U.N., extreme poverty was defined in 2017 as earning the equivalent of or less than $2.15 per person per day. The U.N. cites that an estimated 8.4% of the world's population lives in extreme poverty.
How the private sector can help: Hiring candidates from all socioeconomic backgrounds, donating a portion of revenue to poverty alleviation organizations, and paying fair and equal wages.
2. Zero hunger
The second goal is to eliminate hunger by 2030. In 2022, the U.N. cited that approximately 9.2% of the world's population suffered from chronic hunger. Several factors contribute to hunger, including poverty, war, climate change, and disease.
How the private sector can help: Invest in climate-friendly facilities, reduce food waste, and support organizations that invest in agricultural integrity.
3. Good health and well-being
Good health and well-being means healthcare (including vaccines) for all, access to safe medications, and the elimination of epidemics like malaria, tuberculosis, and AIDS by 2030.
How the private sector can help: Start or support initiatives to educate and uplift under-resourced communities, provide employee health insurance with inclusive coverage (including for LGBTQ+ individuals, pregnant people, and children), and hold vaccination clinics or blood drives.
4. Quality education
Ensuring quality education by 2030 includes offering all children free primary and secondary education, providing affordable access to vocational training, eliminating gender and economic disparities in schools, and achieving universal access to high-quality higher education. This goal is key to the other 16 SDGs, since access to education often helps people break the cycle of poverty, build healthier habits, and overcome socioeconomic barriers.
How the private sector can help: Pressure governing bodies to prioritize education for all, support philanthropic groups that provide education to historically excluded populations, and offer vocational workshops for under-resourced communities.
5. Gender equality
The gender equality SDG ensures that people of all genders experience fair opportunities, pay, and treatment worldwide. According to the U.N., women still earn 23% less than men globally. Additionally, women spend triple the hours working in unpaid domestic roles than men.
How the private sector can help: Hire people without regard to their gender identity, ensure fair pay and inclusive benefits for all employees, and support organizations/initiatives that fight gender-based violence and exploitation.
6. Clean water and sanitation
Two of the most basic human needs are clean drinking water and a sanitary place to call home. This goal includes investing in sanitation infrastructure, restoring ecosystems that provide water for people and animals, and providing universal global access to safe drinking water.
How the private sector can help: Invest in water research and development initiatives, incorporate "low-flow" facilities (sinks and toilets) that conserve water, and get involved in holidays like World Water Day to encourage activism.
7. Affordable and clean energy
According to the U.N., energy consumption accounts for around 60% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Affordable and clean energy means investing in eco-friendly energy sources like wind, solar, and thermal, upgrading outdated infrastructure, and encouraging the implementation of clean energy in under-resourced countries.
How the private sector can help: Update facilities with clean energy technologies to reduce your organization's carbon footprint, lobby for clean energy implementation, and prioritize hybrid/remote work to reduce workforce energy consumption.
8. Decent work and economic growth
Decent work and economic growth ensure fair wages, plentiful opportunities for everyone to work, and economic empowerment. This goal is centered around the equal opportunities often promised within democratic societies.
How the private sector can help: Pay equal and fair wages proportionate to the local cost of living, invest in youth mentorship and vocational training programs, and practice sustainable finance.
9. Industry, innovation, and infrastructure
A key part of sustainable development is the focus on industry, innovation, and infrastructure. This includes investing in worldwide internet access, sustainable technologies, and under-resourced countries.
How the private sector can help: Pressure local and federal governments to prioritize sustainable infrastructure, support initiatives and organizations that equip under-resourced countries with updated technology, and incorporate sustainability into your organization's core values.
10. Reduced inequalities
According to the U.N., one in six people worldwide report that they have experienced discrimination. Reduced inequality means eradicating extreme poverty, eliminating hunger, investing in equitable healthcare and education, and ensuring that under-resourced communities have access to essential services.
How the private sector can help: Promote inclusivity in the workplace, follow equitable hiring practices, and reject policies that alienate under-resourced people or communities.
11. Sustainable cities and communities
Seventy percent of the world's population is expected to live in cities by 2050, per the U.N. As a result, this goal aims to ensure that urban communities are safe, sustainable, and inclusive. This means reducing urban sprawl, limiting pollution, and prioritizing public green spaces.
How the private sector can help: Build human- and environment-friendly facilities that use green energy, ensure easy access to public transportation, and incorporate green space.
12. Responsible consumption and production
Responsible consumption and production means finding ways to reuse and recycle materials, choosing a lifestyle that is less reliant on consumption, and minimizing resource depletion. This goal involves companies, consumers, and regulatory bodies.
How the private sector can help: Adopt sustainable manufacturing practices, prioritize products designed for longevity and recyclability, and invest in biodegradable materials.
13. Climate action
Climate action is instrumental to the rest of the SDGs. To meet the goal of limiting global warming to a 1.5°C rise by 2030, emissions should already be decreasing — and they aren't. Climate action means striving for net-zero emissions worldwide and committing to sustainable development.
How the private sector can help: Switch facilities to climate-friendly energy sources, encourage telecommunications to limit employee carbon emissions, and volunteer for "green" initiatives in your community.
14. Life below water
This goal is about protecting our natural water sources. Since three-quarters of the earth is covered by water, we rely on the health of our oceans, lakes, and rivers — and the many organisms that call them home. Aquatic ecosystems provide food, fuel, medicines, and even global warming mitigation.
How the private sector can help: Reduce plastic production and consumption, participate in recycling programs, and support wildlife and habitat conservation groups.
15. Life on land
According to the U.N., at least 100 million hectares of land were degraded or destroyed between 2015 and 2019, impacting 1.3 billion people. Goal 15 is to conserve and restore land ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, and maintain biodiversity.
How the private sector can help: Source and/or produce food locally, participate in recycling and waste reduction programs, and support sustainable/ethical development that does not harm ecosystems.
16. Peace, justice, and strong institutions
Goal 16 is about ensuring our societies are fair, inclusive, and peaceful. This means holding governing bodies accountable for injustice, protecting people from discrimination and violence, and rejecting extreme punitive measures such as torture and sexual violence.
How the private sector can help: Promote fair and inclusive employment practices, communicate with elected officials, and support organizations that advocate for peace.
17. Partnerships for the goals
The final Sustainable Development Goal is a call to action for U.N. member states to partner with their governments, the private sector, and citizens to ensure adherence to the rest of the SDGs. This may also mean supporting nations that need extra funding and guidance so they can meet the goals.
How the private sector can help: Cooperate with local and federal SDG initiatives, align your corporate values to the SDGs, and spread the word to encourage other organizations to adopt the SDGs.
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