The sustainome of global goal interactions varies by country income and is disproportionately influenced by inequalities

TL;DR

This study maps the complex interactions among the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) globally, revealing how these interactions vary by country income and are heavily influenced by inequalities, affecting sustainable development efforts.

Contribution

It introduces the concept of the sustainome, a comprehensive network of SDG interactions, and analyzes how these interactions differ across income levels and are shaped by inequalities.

Findings

SDG interactions form a complex network that varies by country income.

Inequalities significantly influence the nature of SDG interactions.

Addressing inequalities and poverty can positively impact multiple SDGs.

Abstract

We interact with each other and our environment in rich and complex ways. These interactions form socioecological systems in which human, economic, or natural resources are used and replenished. In 2015, the United Nations set seventeen sustainable development goals (SDGs) to attempt to change the way we live and create by 2030 a sustainable future balancing equitable prosperity within planetary boundaries. We have tended to tackle SDGs in isolation and now we realise that a key hurdle to SDG implementation are conflicts arising from SDG interactions. We estimate here for the first time the sustainome, a global picture of those interactions, and determine the main hurdles to maximising SDG implementation. We show that the relative contribution of SDGs to global sustainable success differ by country income. SDG conflicts within the sustainome mean that we must find new ways to address the impacts of climate change, approaches to reducing inequalities and responsible consumption. Focussing on poverty alleviation and reducing inequalities will also have compounded positive effects on the sustainome. This network approach to sustainability provides a way to prioritise SDG and contextualise targets.