Transformation towards long-term sustainability beyond Sustainable Development Goals

Project Information

BeyondSDG

Grant agreement ID: 101077492

DOI

10.3030/101077492

EC signature date 20 April 2023

Start date 1 September 2023

End date 31 August 2028

Funded under

• European Research Council (ERC)

Total cost

€ 1 499 997,50

EU contribution

€ 1 499 997,50

Coordinated by

RIJKSUNIVERSITEIT GRONINGEN
Netherlands

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - BeyondSDG (Transformation towards long-term sustainability beyond Sustainable Development Goals)

Reporting period: 2023-09-01 to 2026-02-28

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Countries are not on track to meet the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which comprises 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and 169 targets to be achieved by 2030. Although SDGs aim to shift the world onto a sustainable and resilient path, countries are not yet able to make transformative changes for long-term sustainability that require building social prosperity and foundations within planetary boundaries. Failing to achieve SDGs will negatively affect billions of people and worsen environmental conditions and socio-economic problems. Therefore, BeyondSDG aims to understand the necessary conditions for long-term sustainability, including achieving SDGs, based on the following specific objectives: i) identify critical targets for prioritizing SDGs; ii) investigate the effects of (under)achieving SDGs on long-term sustainability beyond 2030; and iii) identify sustainability targets for the post-2030 development agenda. For this, BeyondSDG will apply a threefold scientific approach that combines statistical analysis of empirical and modelled data, qualitative analysis of literature, and knowledge co-creation with stakeholders, including sectoral experts and policymakers, based on systems thinking. This combination of three approaches is complementary and essential to deal with the complex topic of long-term sustainability. Consequently, BeyondSDG will lead to a breakthrough in interdisciplinary research by combining approaches from sustainability science, earth system modelling, and environment and resource management. Mainly, it will bring the following ground-breaking findings: critical targets where adequate actions can lead to progress across most SDGs, negative impacts of underachieving SDGs on people, the planet, and prosperity, required extra efforts for long-term sustainability besides achieving SDGs, and sustainability targets for the post-2030 Agenda based on lessons learned from SDGs, state-of-the-art science, and stakeholder partnerships.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

During its first two years, BeyondSDG has built the analytical and institutional foundation for understanding how Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) interact through synergies and trade-offs, thereby influencing long-term sustainability. BeyondSDG applies a threefold approach that integrates quantitative analysis, qualitative evidence synthesis, and stakeholder engagement. Systematic reviews, topic modelling, and text-mining techniques have been used to identify the mechanisms that drive synergies and trade-offs among goals. These methods were applied in studies on urban agriculture, bioeconomy strategies, climate and sustainability linkages in IPCC reports, and food systems. A new unified SDG database was created by merging data from the United Nations, World Bank, and Sustainable Development Report. This resource allows consistent analysis of SDG trends and interactions across countries and time. The project advanced a causal inference framework to move beyond simple correlations and identify directional relationships among SDG targets, demonstrated through a study of the European bioeconomy that revealed bidirectional synergies and trade-offs. In parallel, modeling collaborations were initiated with the iSDG and WILLIAM teams to explore how SDGs can be represented in integrated assessment frameworks, using the Netherlands as an initial test case for scenario development.


The project has published more than twenty peer-reviewed papers in leading journals and organised two international Groningen SDG Workshops (2024 and 2025). The first workshop produced a Nature Communications commentary defining shared priorities for linking SDG interaction studies, modelling, and tools, while the second focused on collaboration between science, policy & governance, the private sector, and civil society in preparation for the 2027 UN SDG Summit. In parallel, the ERC grant supported the creation of the Sustainability Nexus research group at IREES, University of Groningen, which now hosts ten PhD students and one postdoctoral researcher, alongside the PI, working on interconnected themes in sustainability science.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

During the first reporting period, BeyondSDG achieved several advances that move SDG research beyond the current state of the art. These combine methodological innovation, conceptual development, and network building across disciplines and sectors, shifting SDG research from goal-specific assessments toward a more integrated, evidence-based, and policy-linked systems perspective. Our research has generated new empirical and conceptual insights into the mechanisms and directions of SDG interactions.


BeyondSDG developed systematic evidence syntheses to identify the mechanisms by which SDGs interact across different contexts. Instead of relying on statistical associations, the project combines systematic literature reviews, topic modelling, and expert consultations to extract insights from scientific and policy discourses. This approach has been applied to analyse mechanisms linking urban agriculture to the SDGs, to assess how the SDGs are reflected in IPCC processes, and to examine how bioeconomy strategies shape economic transitions toward sustainability. By combining qualitative synthesis with stakeholder insights, BeyondSDG advances a replicable methodology for mapping and understanding SDG mechanisms.


The project also developed an extended social-foundation framework integrating 725 well-being indicators across 108 sustainability studies. The framework captures underrepresented social dimensions alongside conventional socioeconomic metrics and provides the basis for a forthcoming Social Foundation Index linked to long-term sustainability. In parallel, the development of the unified SDG database and the first implementation of a causal inference approach establish the empirical foundation for analysing interlinkages among SDGs. The bioeconomy case study demonstrates that synergies and trade-offs often operate in both directions and that the bioeconomy’s transformative potential remains constrained by resource competition and unsustainable consumption patterns. These findings strengthen the project’s capacity to investigate interlinked sustainability transitions.


BeyondSDG has also played a key role in connecting the SDG research community. The Groningen SDG Workshops in 2024 and 2025 established an active interdisciplinary platform that unites experts across science, policy, and practice. Through such activities, the project continues to expand its international collaboration, provides insights for the 2027 UN SDG Summit, and shapes a potential post-2030 agenda.

The distribution of model types and publication year of papers on SDG models

The top five bioeconomy principles (BEPs) and Sustainable Development Goal (SDGs) interactions.

Climate change and sustainability linkages in the AR5 and AR6 IPCC reports

Integrated social foundation framework with interplay between individuals, society, and environment

Urban agriculture’s opportunities and hurdles to achieving SDGs

BeyondSDG’s threefold scientific approach and conceptual framework for ensuring sustainability.