Global Sustainable Development
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)/Global Goals are 17 linked global goals as “blueprint for achieving a better & more sustainable future for all”
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) or Global Goals are 17 interlinked global goals designed to be a "blueprint for achieving a better and more sustainable future for all". The SDGs were set up in 2015 by the United Nations General Assembly (UN-GA) and are intended to be achieved by 2030. They are included in an UN-GA Resolution called the 2030 Agenda or what is colloquially known as Agenda 2030. The SDGs were developed in the Post-2015 Development Agenda as the future global development framework to succeed the Millennium Development Goals, which ended in 2015.
The 17 SDGs are:
(1) No Poverty
(2) Zero Hunger
(3) Good Health and Well-being
(4) Quality Education
(5) Gender Equality
(6) Clean Water and Sanitation
(7) Affordable and Clean Energy
(8) Decent Work and Economic Growth
(9) Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
(10) Reduced Inequality
(11) Sustainable Cities and Communities
(12) Responsible Consumption and Production
(13) Climate Action
(14) Life Below Water
(15) Life On Land
(16) Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions
(17) Partnerships for the Goals.
Though the goals are broad and interdependent, two years later (6 July 2017), the SDGs were made more "actionable" by a UN Resolution adopted by the General Assembly. The resolution identifies specific targets for each goal, along with indicators used to measure progress toward each target. The year the target is meant to be achieved is usually between 2020 and 2030. For some of the targets, no end date is given.
To facilitate monitoring, various tools exist to track and visualise progress towards the goals. All intention is to make data more available and easily understood. For example, the online publication SDG Tracker, launched in June 2018, presents available data across all indicators. The SDGs pay attention to multiple cross-cutting issues, like gender equity, education, and culture cut across all of the SDGs. There were severe impacts and implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on all 17 SDGs in 2020.
Further Reading
Study with Learnsignal: ESG and sustainability CPD for finance professionals. Explore CPD.
What sustainable development actually means
Sustainable development is most often defined as meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. In practice it rests on three interconnected pillars: economic development, social inclusion and environmental protection. The idea is that long-term prosperity depends on balancing all three rather than pursuing growth in isolation — an economy that depletes its natural resources or deepens inequality is not considered sustainable, however fast it grows in the short term. This framing has become central to how governments, investors and businesses set strategy.
The role of finance and accounting
Sustainable development has moved from the margins to the core of finance. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals give governments and organisations a shared framework, and the financial system increasingly channels capital towards activities aligned with them. For accountants and finance professionals, this shows up in environmental, social and governance (ESG) reporting, sustainability disclosures, and the growing expectation that non-financial information is measured and assured to the same standard as financial data. Reporting frameworks and standards in this area continue to develop, so it is worth checking the current requirements that apply to your organisation or jurisdiction.
Why it matters for businesses
For businesses, sustainable development is both a responsibility and a commercial reality. Customers, employees and investors increasingly favour organisations that can demonstrate genuine environmental and social credentials, while regulators are tightening disclosure rules. Companies that embed sustainability into strategy — rather than treating it as a public-relations exercise — tend to manage risk better, attract capital more easily and build more durable reputations. The finance function is central here, providing the data, controls and reporting that make sustainability claims credible.
Common questions
What are the three pillars of sustainable development?
They are economic development, social inclusion and environmental protection — sometimes summarised as profit, people and planet. The central idea is balancing all three rather than trading one off against the others.
How does sustainable development relate to ESG?
ESG (environmental, social and governance) is the framework investors and companies use to measure and report performance against many of the goals that sit under sustainable development. Sustainable development is the broad objective; ESG is one of the main ways progress towards it is assessed and disclosed. You can build ESG and sustainability-reporting knowledge through our CPD courses hub.
Building your knowledge
As sustainability becomes a core competency in finance, keeping your skills current matters. Understanding ESG principles, sustainability reporting and the evolving standards landscape is increasingly valuable across accounting roles, from practice to industry, and demand for professionals who can connect financial and non-financial reporting continues to grow. That makes this a worthwhile area to develop, whether you are early in your career or an experienced professional broadening your expertise. You can explore relevant continuing professional development to build these skills.
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Evita Veigas
Expert Tutor at Learnsignal
Qualified professional with years of experience in teaching and helping students achieve their accounting qualifications.
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