What comes after the SDGs and what must change to accelerate progress? These questions were at the centre of the SDSN Northern Europe online member meeting on 10 December.
There is an increased interest in the post-2030 agenda, also in academic publishing. This is why the latest SDSN Northern Europe member meeting focused on how to advance the 2030 Agenda while preparing for the next phase of global sustainable development.
Anna Berlina from Nordregio presented preliminary findings from a Nordic study exploring how municipalities and regions are working with the SDGs and what they need moving forward. The results show that the 2030 Agenda has strengthened understanding of sustainability and supported local engagement, while also revealing challenges such as declining national prioritisation, siloed governance structures and limited resources for monitoring. Participants emphasised the importance of building on the existing framework rather than replacing it, with a stronger focus on implementation, local action and co-creation in a future agenda.
Emily Boyd from Lund University and the Beijer Institute of Ecological Economics shared insights from a global initiative identifying 100 key questions for the post-2030 SDG agenda. The questions span themes such as inequality, governance, climate, health, technology and peace, highlighting the interconnected nature of future sustainability challenges. The findings point to the need for more integrated approaches, clearer pathways for implementation and stronger attention to financing, as well as a shift from abstract visions to more grounded and context-specific futures.
Maria Cortés Puch, Vice President of the UN SDSN, reflected on global progress towards the SDGs and the implications for the post-2030 agenda. According to the Sustainable Development Report 2025, no SDGs are currently on track to be achieved globally, and many trends are moving in the wrong direction. At the same time, the continued engagement with the SDG framework, through national and local reviews, demonstrates its lasting relevance. Looking ahead, the development of a new global agenda is already underway, with formal negotiations expected to begin in 2027.
The discussion highlighted the importance of balancing immediate implementation of the current goals with longer-term thinking about future frameworks. Key themes included the role of research in informing policy, the need for stronger science-policy interfaces, and the importance of communication and narratives that can mobilise action and engagement.
Updates from the SDSN Northern Europe secretariat included the upcoming launch of the Nordic Sustainable Development Report, aimed at strengthening the evidence base for sustainability discussions in the region.
