How to Achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (edX)

On September 25, 2015, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, along with a new set of goals collectively called the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This ambitious agenda is a call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity.

This course on How to Achieve the SDGs provides an in-depth look at planning for SDG implementation. The range of topics covers financing, policy development, roles of stakeholders, and more. A comprehensive understanding of the societal transformations needed to achieve the SDGs is conveyed.
This course is for:

• Policy professionals who want to understand frameworks for SDG planning.
• Sustainable development practitioners seeking knowledge on goals-based development.
• Advanced undergraduates and graduate students interested in key concepts related to the SDGs

What you'll learn

• The scale, scope, and establishment of the Sustainable Development Goals
• The societal transformations required to meet the SDGs
• The governance, planning, and financing essential for progress
• The role of civil society and the business sector in advancing global development
• The types of transboundary cooperation needed to achieve global goals

Syllabus

Module 1: The SDG framework and Agenda 2030

• Chapter 1: Scale and Scope of the SDGs
• Chapter 2: A Brief History of the SDGs
• Chapter 3: Transformation Challenges
• Chapter 4: Differential Diagnosis
• Chapter 5: Structures of power and decision making

Module 2: Transformation Pathways to Success

• Chapter 1: Education, Inclusion, Jobs, and Growth
• Chapter 2: Health and Wellbeing
• Chapter 3: Clean Energy and Industry
• Chapter 4: Sustainable Food and Land Use
• Chapter 5: Smart Cities and Transport
• Chapter 6: Digital Technologies and E-Governance

Module 3: Government and the SDGs

• Chapter 1: Planning and Back-casting
• Chapter 2: Organizing Government for the SDGs
• Chapter 3: SDG Policy Instruments
• Chapter 4: SDG Pathways: The Case of Deep Decarbonization
• Chapter 5: Industrial Policies and the SDGs

Module 4: SDG Financing

• Chapter 1: Needs assessments: estimating resource needs for the SDGs
• Chapter 2: Types of Financing
• Chapter 3: Capital Markets and the SDGs
• Chapter 4: New financing mechanisms and Global Funds
• Chapter 5: Development financing for the SDGs.

Module 5. The Business Sector and the SDGs

• Chapter 1. The Role of Business in the SDGs
• Chapter 2. Shareholders and Stakeholders
• Chapter 3. Global Value Chains
• Chapter 4. Unsustainable Industries
• Chapter 5. Public-Private-Civil Society Partnerships

Module 6. Civil Society and the SDGs

• Chapter 1. Public awareness and Consumer Activism
• Chapter 2. Data for Accountability and Decision-making
• Chapter 3. Investor Activism
• Chapter 4. Litigation and Human Rights
• Chapter 5. Social business, CSOs, and operations where government is weak

Module 7: Global Partnerships for the SDGs

• Chapter 1: Development Assistance
• Chapter 2: Other dimensions of Global Partnership
• Chapter 3: The Role of Universities and SDSN
• Chapter 4: Moral Advocacy: Religious Leaders
• Chapter 5: Cross-Border Cooperation
• Chapter 6: The World in 2030: Mapping a path forward