Dear Colleagues,

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were adopted by the UN General Assembly in September 2015 as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The next step is implementation. There was a general consensus that the first global agreement on sustainable development in 1992, Agenda 21, was not implemented well. Insufficient implementation was the main theme of both its 10 and 20 year reviews (the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation and Rio+20). In contrast, the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were considered to have been implemented more effectively, so Rio+20 called for the establishment of SDGs to be modelled to some extent after the MDGs. The means of implementation (MOI) are addressed not only in SDG 17 and the targets under the other 16 goals, but also in a separate agreement, the Addis Ababa Action Agenda (AAAA), which was adopted by the Third International Conference on Financing for Development in July 2015. SDGs are also related to the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, adopted in December 2015, since Goal 13 on climate references the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Now one year has passed since the adoption of SDGs, so it is timely to consider issues related to their implementation. On one hand, in some countries, implementation may not have started yet, or may be in the initial stages. The SDGs are very complex, with 17 goals and 169 targets; the number of indicators has still not been finalized, but is expected to be over 200. There are many challenges ranging from a lack of gathered data to weak institutions. On the other hand, some more enthusiastic countries have already begun implementation, or have already made progress on institutional arrangements for implementation.

Implementation is closely related to governance, which in turn, has many different aspects such as decision making, monitoring and evaluation, accountability, transparency, etc. Governance also occurs at multiple levels including global, regional, national, and subnational. Mainstreaming sustainability issues into other policy areas is one key issue. Lack of data on many targets and indicators is also a major challenge to implementation and an obstacle to effective governance.  

Many different stakeholders are expected to be involved implementation. The SDGs were created by national governments, which bear the final responsibility. However, major efforts from business and civil society will be indispensable, and cities and other subnational governments will play key roles. The UN, multilateral development banks, and other international organizations will assist, not only at the global level, but also at the regional, national, and local levels.

A key issue is to what extent an integrated approach to implementing the SDGs is feasible. On one hand, the SDGs are intended to promote an integrated approach, going beyond the traditional siloed “three pillars” approach (economic, social, and environmental pillars). The “nexus” approach between food, water, and energy is one important example of an integrated approach, but other nexuses between other combinations of areas can also be considered. Many goals have interlinkages, and some explicitly call for integrated approaches, such as integrated water management. On the other hand, 169 targets may seem overwhelming for many countries, and some argue that there is a need to prioritize, especially for countries with insufficient capacity for implementation. The governance structures of many countries are not well-suited for integrated approaches. The siloed approach has prevailed for a long time and is deeply rooted in both governmental and non-governmental organizations, so a key question is what kind of strategies could effectively engage the actors working in different silos and who do not know about or are not interested in sustainable development. The capacity for implementation of national governments as well as of non-state actors needs to be enhanced.

This Special Issue welcomes papers on all aspects related to the implementation of the SDGs. Papers may focus on one goal, or a subset of goals, or the SDGs as a whole. Some countries have already started implementation, but others have not. There are many challenges, ranging from a lack of gathered data to weak institutions. Implementation is closely related to governance, which, in turn, has many different aspects, such as decision-making, monitoring and evaluation, accountability, transparency, etc. Governance also occurs at multiple levels including global, regional, national, and subnational. Mainstreaming sustainability issues into other policy areas is one key issue. Lack of data on many targets and indicators is also a major challenge to implementation and an obstacle to effective governance. The feasibility of an integrated approach to implementing the SDGs, as well as what kind of strategies could effectively engage the actors working in different silos and who do not know about or are not interested in sustainable development, are key issues. Many different stakeholders are expected to be involved implementation. The SDGs were created by national governments, which bear the final responsibility. However, major efforts from business and civil society will be indispensable, and cities and other subnational governments will play key roles The UN, multilateral development banks, and other international organizations will assist, not only at the global level, but also at the regional, national, and local levels. The capacity of all stakeholders, including governments, as well as non-state actors, will need to be enhanced.

Prof. Hironori Hamanaka
Dr. Mark Elder
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• sustainable development goals
• means of implementation
• governance
• policy integration
• nexus approach