Introduction, by Felix Dodds, Adjunct Professor at the Water Institute, University of North Carolina, and a Fellow at Stakeholder Forum for a Sustainable Future
The primer, evolved from an earlier version – A Discussion Paper for Engaging Stakeholders in the 2027 Review of the 2030 Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals, Focusing on the Environmental SDGs – is offered to stakeholders as they prepare for the 2027 SDG review.
It is intended to galvanise the global stakeholder community thinking about how they might approach, as an organisation or a coalition of stakeholder groups, the 2027 review of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (the SDGs).
Stakeholder Forum, in cooperation with the Civil Society Unit at UNEP, developed this document to focus greater attention on the environmentally focused SDGs because there will not be another United Nations Environmental Assembly – where those discussions take place – before the 8th session of the United Nations Environment Assembly in December 2027.
This version of the primer was informed by a side event at UNEA 7, followed by outreach to relevant stakeholders and an invitation to them to comment via a web-based portal dedicated to the initiative. While this document reflects much of that input, some of the comments and suggestions offered by stakeholders went beyond the scope of the current initiative. We hope that future funding will allow us to address that broader range of input.
We hope that this primer will help organisations evolve their strategy for the 2027 SDG review, and that it will enable stakeholders to engage proactively on the environment and the SDGs outlined below. The focus on the eight environmental SDGs outlined below originates from priorities identified by the European Commission, funder of the UNEP grant that made this initiative possible. Nevertheless, in consideration of the integrated nature of the SDGs, we hope others will be inspired to address those SDGs not highlighted here.
Activities Stakeholders Might Undertake Between UNEA 7 and the 2027 Review of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
This primer proposes activities stakeholders might undertake between UNEA 7 and the 2027 review of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and in particular the Sustainable Development Goals. It will also enable greater stakeholder input to the UN80 process.
Overview of which SDGs the main focus should be on:
The SDGs are integrated, and as such, each has environmental elements. But to enhance the environmental dimension of the SDGs, we are focusing on the SDGs with the most significant environmental components, such as those below. Click on each image below to see a summary of key components, targets and indicators:
From UNEA 7 to the 2027 Review
As UNEA 7 was one of the major gatherings before the 2027 Review of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, some of the input should come from UNEA 7’s overall theme:
‘Advancing sustainable solutions for a resilient planet’
It should also be informed by UNEP’s Medium-Term Strategy and, in particular, the Global environmental challenges and crises, including climate change, desertification, land degradation and drought, biodiversity loss, and pollution and waste.
Each of the eight SDGs on this page outlines individual primers covering the following:
- Overview of the SDG
- Key components
- Challenges and progress
- Key actions needed
- Targets and indicators
- The SDG and the UNEP Medium-Term Strategy
- Key interlinkages with other sustainable development goals
- Key science reports for the SDG
- The SDG and what is needed to fund it
- The SDG and the just transition
- Partnerships and commitments
- Examples of SDG partnerships
- Key events for water in preparation for the 2027 High-level Review of the SDGs
- Previous key events
- Stakeholder engagement
We are suggesting to create momentum and engagement through a month of action and partnerships on each of the environmental SDGs, leading up to the July 2027 review of the 2030 Agenda:
- October 2026: SDG 15 Life on Land (the month of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity)
- November 2026: SDG 13 Climate Change (the month of the UN Convention on Climate Change)
- December 2026: SDG 6 Water (the month of the UN Water Conference)
- January 2027: SDG 17 Partnerships (the month of the UN Partnership Forum)
- February 2027: SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy (the month of the International Renewable Energy conference)
- April 2027: SDG 10 Responsible Consumption and Production
- May 2027: Sustainable Cities and Communities (the month of the World Urban Forum)
- June 2027: SDG 14: Life Below Water (the month of the Nairobi Oceans Conference)
What we hope for
- This primer document, completed, incorporating suggestions from stakeholders.
- A website portal to solicit and consider input for the discussion on how it can be more useful for stakeholders preparing for the 2027 review, focused on each of the 8 SDGs.
Elements of the Website Portal to Collect the Work Being Undertaken to Deliver the Environmental SDGs
Framed around the 2027 review of the 2030 Agenda, the focus will be on the environmental SDGs as they relate to the global environmental challenges and crises, including climate change, desertification, land degradation and drought, biodiversity loss, and pollution and waste. They are interrelated by nature, and as follows:
Climate change
SDG 13: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts
SDG 7: Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all
Biodiversity loss
SDG 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas, and marine resources for sustainable development
SDG 15: Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
Pollution:
SDG 6: Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
SDG 11: Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable
SDG 12: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
Cross-Cutting
SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
Suggested Key Events to Engage with for Calendar Years 2026 and 2027
2026
February 24–27: HLPF regional meeting Asia-Pacific (ESCAP Bangkok, Thailand)
March 3-6: UN Statistical Commission
March 31–2 April: HLPF regional meeting Western Asia (ESCWA Beirut, Lebanon – tentative)
April 13–17: HLPF regional meeting Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC Santiago, Chile
April 21-22: HLPF regional meeting Europe and Central Asia (UNECE Geneva, Switzerland)
April 28-30: HLPF regional meeting Africa (ECA Kampala, Uganda)
April 20-24: ECOSOC Forum on Financing Development, addresses the means of implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
May 6-7: The 11th Multi-stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation for the Sustainable Development Goals: Theme “Transformative, equitable, innovative and coordinated actions for the 2030 Agenda and its SDGs for a sustainable future for all”. The Goals to undergo in-depth review are Goals 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), 9 (Industry Innovation and Infrastructure), 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), and 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).
June 8-18: Preparatory SBs for UNFCCC COP31, Bonn
July 6-16: High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development: Theme “Transformative, equitable, innovative and coordinated actions for the 2030 Agenda and its SDGs for a sustainable future for all”. The Goals to undergo in-depth review are Goals 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), 9 (Industry Innovation and Infrastructure), 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), and 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).
July 27-1 August: Twenty-eighth meeting of Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA-28)
August 4-12: Seventh meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Implementation (SBI-7)
August 17-28: UNCCD 17th Conference of the Parties (COP17) in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Focus on sustainable land management, land restoration, and drought resilience.
September date TBC: Publication of the Global Sustainable Development Report
September 21-25: UNGA High Level Week and Climate Week (20th-27th)
October 19-30: UN Biodiversity Conference (Seventeenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP-17) – Yerevan, Armenia
November 9-20: UNFCCC COP31, Türkiye
December 2-4: UN Water Conference, UAE
2027
January date TBC: ECOSOC Partnership Forum
Feb/March date TBC: UN Statistical Commission
Feb-April: HLPF regional meetings
March date TBC: Publication of the draft Global Sustainable Development Report
March date TBC: Publication of the IPCC Special Report on Climate Change and Cities
April date TBC: ECOSOC Forum on Financing Development addresses the means of implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
May 5-6: 12th Multi-stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation for the Sustainable Development Goals
June 7-17: Preparatory SBs for UNFCCC COP32, Bonn
July date TBD: High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development: Theme “Scaling up just transitions to achieving sustainable development, poverty eradication and the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda and its SDGs”. The SDGs to be reviewed in depth are Goals 4 (Quality Education), 10 (Reduced Inequalities), 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), 15 (Life on Land) and 17 (Partnerships for the Goals)
September 20-24: UNGA High Level Week and Climate Week (19-26)
September date TBD: Every four years, the High-level Political Forum meets under the auspices of the General Assembly at the Heads of State and Government level (the SDG Summit). The next SDG Summit will be held in September 2027.
November 8:19: UNFCCC COP32 venue to be decided.