The present Global Sustainable Development Report was prepared following the decision of the United Nations Member States at the 2016 high-level political forum for sustainable development (HLPF) (see E/HLS/2016/1, annex IV, para. 7). The Report reflects the universal, indivisible and integrated nature of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It also seeks to strengthen the science-policy interface as an evidence-based instrument to support policymakers and other stakeholders in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda across the social, economic and environmental dimensions of sustainable development.
The Global Sustainable Development Report is distinct from, and complementary to, the annual Sustainable Development Goals progress report prepared by the Secretary-General, which tracks progress across goals and targets using indicators from the global indicator framework. It does not produce new evidence; rather it capitalizes on existing knowledge across disciplines, through an “assessment of assessments”. It highlights state-of-the-art knowledge for transformations towards sustainable development and identifies concrete areas where rapid, transformational change is possible. The Report is not only a product but also a process for advancing collaboration among actors in science, Government, the private sector and civil society in all regions of the world towards identifying and realizing concrete pathways for transformation driven by evidence.
The Report draws upon an extensive and diverse knowledge base, including numerous published articles in scholarly literature; and international assessments, like the Secretary General’s Sustainable Development Goals progress report (2019), the Global Environment Outlook 6 (GEO-6) regional assessments (2019), the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) special report (2018), the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) global assessment (2019), the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) reports on the future of work (2019) and others. It benefitted from five regional consultations with academic, policy, business and civil society communities; an extensive series of inputs received following an online call; a review by approximately one hundred experts coordinated by the International Science Council (ISC), the InterAcademy Partnership
(IAP) and the World Federation of Engineering Organizations (WFEO); and comments on an earlier draft from United Nations Member States and accredited stakeholders.
The Global Sustainable Development Report was prepared by an independent group of scientists appointed by the Secretary-General, comprising 15 experts from various regions and representing a variety of scientific disciplines and institutions.

The present Global Sustainable Development Report was prepared following the decision of the United Nations Member States at the 2016 high-level political forum for sustainable development (HLPF) (see E/HLS/2016/1, annex IV, para. 7). The Report reflects the universal, indivisible and integrated nature of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It also seeks to strengthen the science-policy interface as an evidence-based instrument to support policymakers and other stakeholders in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda across the social, economic and environmental dimensions of sustainable development.
The Global Sustainable Development Report is distinct from, and complementary to, the annual Sustainable Development Goals progress report prepared by the Secretary-General, which tracks progress across goals and targets using indicators from the global indicator framework. It does not produce new evidence; rather it capitalizes on existing knowledge across disciplines, through an “assessment of assessments”. It highlights state-of-the-art knowledge for transformations towards sustainable development and identifies concrete areas where rapid, transformational change is possible. The Report is not only a product but also a process for advancing collaboration among actors in science, Government, the private sector and civil society in all regions of the world towards identifying and realizing concrete pathways for transformation driven by evidence.
The Report draws upon an extensive and diverse knowledge base, including numerous published articles in scholarly literature; and international assessments, like the Secretary General’s Sustainable Development Goals progress report (2019), the Global Environment Outlook 6 (GEO-6) regional assessments (2019), the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) special report (2018), the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) global assessment (2019), the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) reports on the future of work (2019) and others. It benefitted from five regional consultations with academic, policy, business and civil society communities; an extensive series of inputs received following an online call; a review by approximately one hundred experts coordinated by the International Science Council (ISC), the InterAcademy Partnership
(IAP) and the World Federation of Engineering Organizations (WFEO); and comments on an earlier draft from United Nations Member States and accredited stakeholders.
The Global Sustainable Development Report was prepared by an independent group of scientists appointed by the Secretary-General, comprising 15 experts from various regions and representing a variety of scientific disciplines and institutions.