The American Leadership on the Sustainable Development Goals initiative of the UN Foundation and the Brookings Institution’s Center for Sustainable Development launched a virtual hub for the SDGs in the US. The website provides updates from the annual UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) and highlights new research on SDG progress and barriers.
In an effort to foster a greater community and better coordination of SDG resources and narratives in the US, the hub targets “the SDG-curious as well as [those] looking to deepen their knowledge of the Goals, particularly in the American context.” It explains how local action by changemakers working on economic resilience, social inclusion, and environmental protection across the US can drive national progress for global impact.
The hub describes the SDGs as “people-powered” and “aspirational but attainable.” According to the website, the Goals work for everyone by “breaking down barriers” and leaving no one behind. It notes that they provide a vision for the country and the world we want and offer a shared language for shared values.
The hub unpacks the SDGs, targets, and indicators, as well as other concepts central to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including: the five ‘Ps’ of people, planet, prosperity, peace, and partnership; the principle of leaving no one behind; and tracking and reporting on SDG progress through voluntary national reviews (VNRs). It also describes the linkages between the SDGs and the Paris Agreement on climate change.
The website offers information about the American Leadership on the Sustainable Development Goals initiative, which “connects domestic stakeholders across all sectors working to achieve the SDGs at home and abroad, and highlights stories, best practices, and lessons learned from the people and places making progress on the Goals that matter to current and future generations.”
The hub invites its readers to take a quiz to test their SDG awareness before guiding them to featured stories, curated resources, a newsletter archive, and a calendar of events.
USAforSDGs.org was launched in July, alongside HLPF 2024. [American Leadership on the Sustainable Development Goals]