The 2030 Agenda, with its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), 169 targets, and 232 indicators, agreed by all countries, are intended to “transform the world”. Realising the Transformative Potential of the SDGs, examines the ability of the SDGs to actually trigger this transformation and to suggest some key actions to make the SDGs more transformative. It examines the roles of key actors—governments, cities, and the private sector—and two key means of implementation—finance and technology.
It is important to ensure that implementing the SDGs is not just about record keeping or only chasing small wins; it is essential to have broad strategies that are ambitious enough to achieve multiple goals. A key message is that it is not necessary to wait to take action until all of the indicators have been developed and all the data has been collected.