This handbook brings together a collection of seminal research on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and investigates the effectiveness of the 17 goals for achieving transformative change toward sustainable development.

As a collection of inter- and transdisciplinary research from around the world, this volume explores the applications, implications, and best practices of the goals at thematic, regional, and national levels, providing specific examples from a diverse range of places, such as Australia, Brazil, China, DRC, India, Italy, the Sahel region of Africa, and the USA, among others. The book serves as a mid-term evaluation of the SDGs, bringing to the fore comprehensive experiences and evidence related to the SDGs, whilst highlighting the interlinkages between the different goals. The handbook is divided into two parts: Part I brings together groundbreaking research to define, identify, and present conceptual frameworks for a sustainable future, whilst Part II focuses on the policies, practices, and implementation of the SDGs. The chapters identify key aspects missing from the 2030 Agenda, such as global power imbalances, cultural diversity, Indigenous rights, and unsustainable levels of consumption; they also critically evaluate the overall delivery and effectiveness of the SDGs whilst outlining potential future directions for the post-SDG 2030 Agenda.

This handbook is aimed at a diverse and global audience of academics and students of economics, business studies, political science, and development studies. It will also serve as a valuable reference for leaders in the industry, the public sector, civil society, and international policymakers keen to gain a better understanding of the SDGs.

Ranjula Bali Swain is Research Director at the Center for Sustainability Research (CSR), SIR, Stockholm School of Economics, and Professor of Economics at Södertörn University, Stockholm. She is affiliated with the Center for European Research in Microfinance (CERMi), at the Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management. Bali Swain has worked at the International Labour Organisation, Geneva, and at Uppsala University and has been Visiting Professor at the University of California, Berkeley; Stanford University; Tufts University; University of Pretoria, South Africa; and UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, New York, USA, to name a few. She has researched and published widely in the fields of sustainable development, environmental economics, energy, circular economy, sustainable finance, gender, and development economics. She has written and edited nine books, of which her edited volume Interlinkages between the Sustainable Development Goals was published in 2023.

Peter Dobers is Professor in Business Studies at Södertörn University and previous Dean of the Faculty Board between 2016 and 2022; Principal Editor of the journal Business Strategy and the Environment (BSE) between 2010 and 2024, currently with an impact factor of 12.5; President of the International Sustainable Development Research Society (ISDRS) between 2021 and 2023; and book series editor of Routledge/ISDRS Series on Sustainable Development Research between 2019 and 2024. He has been a board member of the Knowledge Foundation since 2022. He has published extensively in fields such as corporate social responsibility, urban development, and sustainable development. He has written and edited five books and eight special issues in BSE, Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, Sustainable Development, and Scandinavian Journal of Management.