Essential Concepts for Implementing the Sustainable Development Goals
An A-Z Guide
1st Edition
Published on 24. July 2025
Book
Hardback
206 pages
978-1-032-85725-1 (ISBN)
Description
This book provides a highly accessible and user-friendly overview of the essential concepts and terms related to the current global endeavour to implement the Sustainable Development Goals.
With the first decade of the 15-year timespan of the 2030 Agenda now past, the SDGs show limited progress and several goals are even regressing. It is imperative that SDG implementation is accelerated until 2030 and beyond to foster transformations and set the world onto a sustainable and resilient path. The book starts with a thematic introduction to contextualize the topic and set the stage for the individual entries. It then follows an A-Z format, with over 100 entries which describe an important concept or term, using practical examples to illustrate how it connects to the overall debate about sustainable development. It offers swift introductions to key concepts and terms that are discussed and explained by scholarly and policy experts from around the world in a concise and user-friendly way.
The guide is comprehensive in scope, practically oriented and focused on political and societal processes to drive change on a larger scale. With cross-references to related terms in the entries, this book will be a highly valuable resource for students and practitioners engaged with the SDGs and sustainable development more broadly.
The Open Access version of this book, available at www.taylorfrancis.com, has been made available under a Creative Commons [Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-No Derivative Licence 4.0 International (CC- BY-NC-ND)] 4.0 International license.
With the first decade of the 15-year timespan of the 2030 Agenda now past, the SDGs show limited progress and several goals are even regressing. It is imperative that SDG implementation is accelerated until 2030 and beyond to foster transformations and set the world onto a sustainable and resilient path. The book starts with a thematic introduction to contextualize the topic and set the stage for the individual entries. It then follows an A-Z format, with over 100 entries which describe an important concept or term, using practical examples to illustrate how it connects to the overall debate about sustainable development. It offers swift introductions to key concepts and terms that are discussed and explained by scholarly and policy experts from around the world in a concise and user-friendly way.
The guide is comprehensive in scope, practically oriented and focused on political and societal processes to drive change on a larger scale. With cross-references to related terms in the entries, this book will be a highly valuable resource for students and practitioners engaged with the SDGs and sustainable development more broadly.
The Open Access version of this book, available at www.taylorfrancis.com, has been made available under a Creative Commons [Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-No Derivative Licence 4.0 International (CC- BY-NC-ND)] 4.0 International license.
Reviews / Votes
"This meticulously organized A-Z guide arrives at a crucial moment in our global pursuit of sustainable development. It strikes an excellent balance between theoretical depth and practical application. What sets this book apart is its accessibility and clear focus on governance and implementation challenges, making it an invaluable resource for students, policymakers, and sustainability practitioners alike." - Mans Nilsson, Executive Director of Stockholm Environment Institute"This book is an essential resource for anyone seeking to understand and accelerate progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals. Its accessible format, A-Z structure, and practical examples make complex concepts easy to navigate. Offering valuable insights from global experts with a focus on transformative change, the book will equip policymakers, practitioners, and advocates with tools to drive real impact. To address the halting pace of change, we must redouble efforts to build inclusive societies and a livable planet. This guide is indispensable for shaping a more just, peaceful, and sustainable future." - Anita Bhatia, Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations and Deputy Executive Director of UN Women
"Sharing knowledge and research to support coordinated and informed decision-making is crucial to accelerating progress on the interlinked Sustainable Development Goals. This timely publication delivers much needed practical solutions and shows how everyone can contribute to transformative change." - Astra Bonini, Senior Sustainable Development Officer at the Division for the Sustainable Development Goals, United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs
"As a youth representative having participated in the processes of the 2030 Agenda, I believe that this book can be very useful to any person willing to understand the problems and challenges related to the implementation of the SDGs. It presents key concepts in an easy-to-navigate fashion. I hope it will help structure the thinking of people who wish to fight for a better world." - Jean Servais, Belgian UN Youth Delegate for Sustainable Development 2022-24
"This book is an invaluable resource for anyone working to advance the Sustainable Development Goals. With contributions from experts worldwide-including researchers from Southern Voice-it offers a clear, accessible, and practical guide to the essential concepts shaping the global effort to implement the 2030 Agenda. At a time of uneven SDG progress and growing urgency, this A-Z guide is a timely tool to help those in academia, policy, and practice navigate complexity and sharpen their contribution to sustainable development." - Margarita Gomez, Executive Director at Southern Voice and Visiting Fellow at the Blavatnik School of Government, Oxford University
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Postgraduate, Undergraduate Advanced, and Undergraduate Core
Illustrations
1 s/w Abbildung, 1 s/w Zeichnung
1 Line drawings, black and white; 1 Illustrations, black and white
Dimensions
Height: 250 mm
Width: 175 mm
Thickness: 17 mm
Weight
577 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-032-85725-1 (9781032857251)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Frank Biermann | Thomas Hickmann | Yi hyun Kang
Essential Concepts for Implementing the Sustainable Development Goals
An A-Z Guide
Book
07/2025
1st Edition
Routledge
€63.50
Shipment within 10-20 days
Frank Biermann | Thomas Hickmann | Yi hyun Kang
Essential Concepts for Implementing the Sustainable Development Goals
An A-Z Guide
E-Book
07/2025
Routledge
€0.00
Available for download
Frank Biermann | Thomas Hickmann | Yi hyun Kang
Essential Concepts for Implementing the Sustainable Development Goals
An A-Z Guide
E-Book
07/2025
Routledge
€0.00
Available for download
Persons
Frank Biermann is Professor of Global Sustainability Governance at the Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Utrecht University, the Netherlands, and the 2025 Zennstroem Visiting Professor in Climate Change Leadership at Uppsala University, Sweden.
Thomas Hickmann is Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science at Lund University in Sweden. He is highly committed to interdisciplinary collaborations, research-based education and engagements with civil society to identify pathways towards sustainability transformations.
Yi hyun Kang is Postdoctoral Researcher in the Department of Political Science at Lund University in Sweden. Her research explores the role of civil society and technology in environmental politics and governance. Her research interests have been shaped by professional experiences in journalism, international development, and applied research.
Carole-Anne Senit is Assistant Professor of Inclusive Sustainability Governance with the Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development at Utrecht University, the Netherlands. The corpus of her research assesses the democratic legitimacy of sustainability governance, with a particular attention to whether and how citizens can take part in and influence the decisions that affect their lives.
Yixian Sun is Associate Professor in International Development and a UKRI Future Leaders Fellow at the University of Bath, United Kingdom. He studies transnational governance, environmental politics and sustainable development with a focus on emerging economies.
Thomas Hickmann is Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science at Lund University in Sweden. He is highly committed to interdisciplinary collaborations, research-based education and engagements with civil society to identify pathways towards sustainability transformations.
Yi hyun Kang is Postdoctoral Researcher in the Department of Political Science at Lund University in Sweden. Her research explores the role of civil society and technology in environmental politics and governance. Her research interests have been shaped by professional experiences in journalism, international development, and applied research.
Carole-Anne Senit is Assistant Professor of Inclusive Sustainability Governance with the Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development at Utrecht University, the Netherlands. The corpus of her research assesses the democratic legitimacy of sustainability governance, with a particular attention to whether and how citizens can take part in and influence the decisions that affect their lives.
Yixian Sun is Associate Professor in International Development and a UKRI Future Leaders Fellow at the University of Bath, United Kingdom. He studies transnational governance, environmental politics and sustainable development with a focus on emerging economies.
Content
About the editors
List of contributors
Acknowledgements
1 Essential Concepts for Implementing the Sustainable Development Goals: An Introduction
2 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
3 Accountability
4 Anthropocene
5 Artificial intelligence
6 Brundtland Report
7 Budgeting for Sustainable Development
8 Business sector
9 Civil society
10 Climate change and sustainable development
11 Climate finance
12 Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD)
13 Coordination
14 Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
15 Custodians
16 Data gaps
17 Development banks
18 Discourse and discursive effects
19 Education for Sustainable Development
20 Effectiveness
21 Finance mechanisms
22 Fragmentation
23 Gender mainstreaming
24 Global Sustainable Development Reports (GSDR)
25 Governance by global goal-setting
26 High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF)
27 Human Rights
28 Implementation
29 Inclusiveness
30 Independent Group of Scientists (IGS)
31 Indicators
32 Indigenous views
33 Inequality (global and national)
34 Institutions and institutional effects
35 Integration
36 Integrity (ecological and planetary)
37 Interaction and interlinkages
38 International Environmental Agreements
39 International Monetary Fund (IMF)
40 International organizations
41 Justice perspectives
42 'Leave no one behind'
43 Legitimacy
44 Living wages
45 Localization
46 Major groups and other stakeholders
47 Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
48 Modelling
49 Multi-level governance
50 National Sustainable Development Strategies (NSDS)
51 Negotiation of the Sustainable Development Goals
52 Network analysis
53 Nexus governance
54 Norms and normative effects
55 North-South relations
56 Official development assistance (ODA)
57 Orchestration
58 Paris Agreement
59 Participation
60 Partnerships
61 People, Planet, Prosperity, Peace, Partnerships (5 Ps)
62 Philanthropic foundations
63 Planetary boundaries
64 Policy coherence and integration (at domestic level)
65 Policy coherence for sustainable development (at global level)
66 Political impact and steering effects
67 Political will and leadership
68 Private finance
69 Private governance
70 Rainbow washing
71 Rankings and performance measurement
72 Regional organizations
73 Responsibility
74 Science, technology and innovation
75 Scientific community
76 SDG summits
77 Silo approach
78 Stockholm+50
79 Subnational initiatives
80 Summit of the Future (2024)
81 Sustainable finance
82 Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN)
83 Synergies and goal complementarity
84 Targets
85 Trade-offs and goal conflicts
86 Trans-disciplinarity
87 Transformation
88 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (1992)
89 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (2012)
90 United Nations Conference on the Human Environment (1972)
91 United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA)
92 United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
93 United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
94 United Nations General Assembly (UNGA)
95 United Nations Secretary-General (UNSG)
96 United Nations Statistical Commission
97 Universality
98 UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN)
99 Voluntary Local Reviews
100 Voluntary National Reviews
101 Vulnerability
102 World Bank
103 World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED)
104 World Health Organization (WHO)
105 World Summit on Sustainable Development (2002)
106 World Trade Organization (WTO)
107 Youth
Annex: The 17 Sustainable Development Goals
List of contributors
Acknowledgements
1 Essential Concepts for Implementing the Sustainable Development Goals: An Introduction
2 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
3 Accountability
4 Anthropocene
5 Artificial intelligence
6 Brundtland Report
7 Budgeting for Sustainable Development
8 Business sector
9 Civil society
10 Climate change and sustainable development
11 Climate finance
12 Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD)
13 Coordination
14 Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
15 Custodians
16 Data gaps
17 Development banks
18 Discourse and discursive effects
19 Education for Sustainable Development
20 Effectiveness
21 Finance mechanisms
22 Fragmentation
23 Gender mainstreaming
24 Global Sustainable Development Reports (GSDR)
25 Governance by global goal-setting
26 High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF)
27 Human Rights
28 Implementation
29 Inclusiveness
30 Independent Group of Scientists (IGS)
31 Indicators
32 Indigenous views
33 Inequality (global and national)
34 Institutions and institutional effects
35 Integration
36 Integrity (ecological and planetary)
37 Interaction and interlinkages
38 International Environmental Agreements
39 International Monetary Fund (IMF)
40 International organizations
41 Justice perspectives
42 'Leave no one behind'
43 Legitimacy
44 Living wages
45 Localization
46 Major groups and other stakeholders
47 Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
48 Modelling
49 Multi-level governance
50 National Sustainable Development Strategies (NSDS)
51 Negotiation of the Sustainable Development Goals
52 Network analysis
53 Nexus governance
54 Norms and normative effects
55 North-South relations
56 Official development assistance (ODA)
57 Orchestration
58 Paris Agreement
59 Participation
60 Partnerships
61 People, Planet, Prosperity, Peace, Partnerships (5 Ps)
62 Philanthropic foundations
63 Planetary boundaries
64 Policy coherence and integration (at domestic level)
65 Policy coherence for sustainable development (at global level)
66 Political impact and steering effects
67 Political will and leadership
68 Private finance
69 Private governance
70 Rainbow washing
71 Rankings and performance measurement
72 Regional organizations
73 Responsibility
74 Science, technology and innovation
75 Scientific community
76 SDG summits
77 Silo approach
78 Stockholm+50
79 Subnational initiatives
80 Summit of the Future (2024)
81 Sustainable finance
82 Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN)
83 Synergies and goal complementarity
84 Targets
85 Trade-offs and goal conflicts
86 Trans-disciplinarity
87 Transformation
88 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (1992)
89 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (2012)
90 United Nations Conference on the Human Environment (1972)
91 United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA)
92 United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
93 United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
94 United Nations General Assembly (UNGA)
95 United Nations Secretary-General (UNSG)
96 United Nations Statistical Commission
97 Universality
98 UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN)
99 Voluntary Local Reviews
100 Voluntary National Reviews
101 Vulnerability
102 World Bank
103 World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED)
104 World Health Organization (WHO)
105 World Summit on Sustainable Development (2002)
106 World Trade Organization (WTO)
107 Youth
Annex: The 17 Sustainable Development Goals