By Meghan Hall
Dr. Austin Shelton has seen the effects of climate change on Guam’s oceans and is taking action. His work towards a sustainable future contributed to the founding of an island-led peer-to-peer network to push SDG progress forward.
Growing up in Guam, an unincorporated U.S. territory in Micronesia, Austin Shelton watched as the once-vibrant coral reefs faded.
“Around the time I was in high school, I noticed that the corals just weren’t as colorful and bright anymore,” he recalls. “I wasn’t catching the same size and quality of fish as I used to.”
Home to the most diverse coral reefs in the United States, climate change and land degradation are taking a toll on the health of Guam’s ocean — and on the lives and livelihoods of those who call the Pacific Island home.
Driven by a desire to help his community, Austin became a marine and environmental scientist. He earned his PhD at the University of Hawai’i, and returned home to serve as the Director of the University of Guam Center for Island Sustainability and Sea Grant.
But he soon realized that marine conservation biology alone wouldn’t save the ocean. Enter the Sustainable Development Goals, which he saw as a clear framework for the interconnected challenges confronting islands like Guam. Unpacking the linkages between SDG 14 (Life Below Water) and SDGs 15 (Life on Land) and 13 (Climate Action), Austin explains that “sustainability is key to all of the actions we need to take” — from addressing land use issues like soil runoff to global stressors like climate change that are warming ocean temperatures and causing sea levels to rise.
With Austin’s stewardship, Guam became a founding member of the Local2030 Islands Network in 2019, which provides an island-led, peer-to-peer platform to push SDG progress forward. A few months later, Guam Green Growth was launched. Inspired by the work being done by Hawaiʻi Green Growth, Austin put it all on the line to bring the initiative to Guam — literally.
“I jumped in front of the Lieutenant Governor’s car when he was leaving an event so I could talk to him about it,” he says with a laugh. Luckily, the Lieutenant Governor loved the idea and invited Austin to talk about it in his office the next morning.
Of the many sustainability projects Guam Green Growth has spearheaded, Austin is particularly proud of the work being done to strengthen the circular economy and fortify Guam’s role as a makerspace and innovation hub.
“Guam imports over 90% of all the food and goods we consume, and we have a huge waste management issue,” he explains. “We put our trash in holes in the ground, but we’re running out of space.” To help mitigate the issue, the initiative created a place for entrepreneurs and artists to gather and turn waste into new, marketable products. “It’s really sparked our green economy.”
Guam Green Growth is also training the next generation to build a sustainable future through its conservation corps program, which trains graduates in everything from agriculture to aquaculture, invasive species removal, and renewable energy.
They’re also looking beyond their shores, supporting fellow Pacific islanders. Together with Hawai’i, Guam Green Growth has helped to launch similar initiatives in Palau and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. They are helping the Marshall Islands launch their program in Summer 2025.
“We’ve been here for thousands of years. And we don’t plan on going anywhere,” says Austin, recalling how his ancestors first arrived in Guam some 3,500 to 4,000 years ago. “Indigenous knowledge, and what we call island wisdom, is integrated into everything we do in Guam Green Growth.”
As Austin and the Guam Green Growth team come together to protect their island home, and make it more resilient, he knows that island leadership — and wisdom — can inspire global change. “All of these changes hold really important lessons for the rest of the world,” he says.
Because at the end of the day, “We’re all just floating around on an island called Earth.”
— Megan Rabbitt, United Nations Foundation
By Meghan Hall
Deepa Vedavyas has taken on many roles across urban planning, architecture, philanthropy, academia, and government. Now, she’s leading sustainability and resiliency efforts in Northeast Ohio. Through it all, there is one framework she can’t go without: the Sustainable Development Goals.
Deepa Vedavyas first learned about the Sustainable Development Goals while working as an urban planner in Bangalore, India in 2018. The city, now home to more than 13 million people, was growing so fast at the time that nearly 75,000 new homes — and the infrastructure to support them — were needed every year to keep up with the ballooning population.
“It’s important to look through the telescope as well as through the microscope when you’re an urban planner,” she says, noting the need to have both a big picture goal and an understanding of the small details. “There really aren’t many frameworks that give you this level of nuance like the SDGs.”
When she relocated to Cleveland, Ohio (a homecoming after living there previously) she brought the SDG framework with her to the Mayor’s Office of Sustainability. Because for Deepa, the Goals are a powerful communication tool — one that easily transcends cities, even those as different as Bangalore and Cleveland.
“It’s about helping you communicate better and broadening your reach in terms of resources and partnerships,” she says, noting the Goals’ unique ability to drive collective action by bringing people together across sectors, institutions, and even job functions. “Who wouldn’t want that?”
A grant from the Mott Foundation, for example, mobilized a regional learning cohort that laid the groundwork for collective action and understanding of the framework across community foundations, local governments, and higher education institutions — momentum that ultimately positioned Cleveland as one of five global cities selected for the OECD’s Territorial Approach to the SDGs.
Now, as Director of Resiliency and Sustainability at the Northeast Ohio Public Energy Council (NOPEC), Deepa aligns the organization’s program areas to the SDGs. As the largest governmental energy aggregator in the country supplying natural gas and electricity to 245 cities and communities in Ohio, NOPEC provides about $4.5 to $6 million annually in grants to local governments — grants which Deepa mapped back to the Global Goals. By identifying the five Goals that NOPEC’s grants most strongly intersect with, she has a new story to tell about the breadth of the organization’s impact.
“Energy is a nexus area,” she says, explaining that the SDGs can help reveal where they are moving the needle at NOPEC and where there is intersectionality — and opportunity.
Throughout her career, Deepa has seen firsthand that success at the local level hinges on meeting communities where they are. Because although the SDGs are a communication tool, it matters how they are communicated.
She explains: “People understand hunger. But they don’t understand food insecurity. People understand what it’s like to not be able to pay energy bills. But they don’t understand energy poverty.”
Deepa credits the “high level of social connection” and “refreshing genuineness” of Clevelanders for the region’s ability to drive change, but maintains that the key to lasting success is approaching conversations with a “listening first” mindset.
“If people can connect with you, they will walk with you all the way.”
— Megan Rabbitt, United Nations Foundation
By Meghan Hall
Answers to commonly asked questions about the Sustainable Development Goals, including explanations on the Goals, targets, and indicators; their connection to the Paris Agreement; the Leave No One Behind agenda; and more.
The Sustainable Development Goals, or SDGs, are a shared blueprint and urgent call to action by all countries, in global partnership, to achieve prosperity and peace for people and planet. They are a universal development agenda that applies to all countries and all people, rooted in universal values, common interests, and shared aspirations. The 17 Goals are interconnected, meaning that progress in one will help achieve others. They were adopted by 193 countries in 2015 for achievement by 2030.
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For each Sustainable Development Goal, there is a set of specific targets that will help meet the Goal. There are 169 total targets across the 17 SDGs.
These targets also include 248 indicators (231 unique indicators, with 13 that repeat under two or three different targets). The indicators are a starting set of measurements that can be used to assess progress towards achievement of the Goals.
Governments and organizations at all levels also develop their own indicators to monitor progress made on the Goals and targets that are most relevant to them and that reflect best practice and learning.
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The SDGs are often referred to as the Global Goals and are the same thing. The 2030 Agenda is a larger framework described in a resolution agreed upon through multilateral negotiations that, in addition to the Goals, includes overarching principles, the timeline, and processes for SDG implementation and review.
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The Sustainable Development Goals were preceded by a set of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) that ran from 2000 to 2015, mainly focused on global poverty and international assistance. As the MDGs timeline was ending, a conversation began about what should follow them. The idea began to take hold that this was an opportunity for a new set of goals that could connect a lot of dots and be relevant to all — expressing aspirations for a healthier, safer, and fairer world that were relevant to all societies.
The starting point for developing the 2030 Agenda was the 20th anniversary of the Earth Summit in 2012 (Rio+20), which created an Open Working Group to develop a new set of goals. A “High-level Panel on the Post-2015 Development Agenda” was also launched to spark fresh thinking. These contributed to a multilateral process that has often been called the “most inclusive negotiating process in UN history,” involving all countries, public consultations, expert briefings, a worldwide survey, and high-level deliberations. Agenda 2030 was formally adopted at a historic summit at the UN in September 2015.
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The “5 Ps” of the SDGs are:
These focus areas highlight the intertwined nature of the 17 Goals and are used by educators and communicators as a way to consider stakeholders, impacts, and progress on the Goals. This expands on the three Ps used in many definitions of sustainability (people, planet, and profits), with recognition of the importance of peace and partnership to achieving and maintaining sustainable development for all.
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The United Nations, established in 1945 and now made up of 193 Member States, is the place where every country in the world can come together and tackle common challenges. The SDGs and Agenda 2030 were negotiated at the UN through a comprehensive process over multiple years.
While created through UN processes and negotiations, the Sustainable Development Goals are not the UN’s Goals – they are goals that belong to every country and every citizen on Earth.
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Technically, nothing! The SDGs are not a treaty nor are they legally binding, rather, they are an invitation to citizens and communities to stimulate action around the issues that matter most to them. The 2030 Agenda established a series of steps for reviewing progress toward the Goals, and governments and organizations around the world report on SDG progress in various forms. The United Nations also releases an annual global progress report.
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The mechanism for countries to report on SDG progress is called a Voluntary National Review or VNR. While not required, most countries have regularly reviewed their progress as an opportunity to share experience and learning. As of July 2024, the only countries that have not produced a VNR are the United States, Haiti, and Myanmar.
The SDGs have also stimulated innovations in reporting progress. In 2018, New York City was the first in the United States to present a Voluntary Local Review or VLR and invited other local and regional governments to join the movement. Several other U.S. cities, including Los Angeles, Orlando, and Pittsburgh have since presented VLRs.
In addition to country-led reports, the United Nations releases an annual report assessing global SDG progress, and our resource library includes numerous resources for local governments to engage on the SDGs.
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Some organizations are also choosing to voluntarily report on the Sustainable Development Goals or are using the SDGs as a lens for ESG (environmental, social, and governance) compliance and reporting. Approaches vary widely — some organizations include SDG logos in their reporting of aligned activities, while others undertake an extensive alignment and mapping process to integrate SDGs within their core activities and success metrics.
Learn more:
• SDG Action Manager
• Reporting on the SDGs
At the heart of the SDGs has always been a commitment to focus on the most vulnerable in all our societies at risk of being “left behind” by progress. Leave No One Behind – or LNOB – has thus been core to the SDGs from the very beginning and reflected in both the Goals and targets, as well as indicators that aim to measure how the most vulnerable among us are faring in relation to the Goals. The center of this is a commitment by all countries to focus on the most vulnerable first, and to “eradicate poverty in all its forms, end discrimination and exclusion, and reduce the inequalities and vulnerabilities that leave people behind and undermine the potential of individuals and of humanity as a whole.”
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It is universally understood that strong climate action is essential to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. The SDGs include a dedicated climate goal (Goal 13) and 12 of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals address climate change in some form — from sustainable agriculture to green infrastructure to safe, affordable, and renewable energy for all. The Paris Agreement was adopted three months after the 2030 Agenda.
Learn more:
• Goal 13: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts (see “Paris Agreement – Frequently Asked Questions)
• Action on Climate and SDGs
• Connections between the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda: the case for policy coherence
American Leadership on the SDGs is an initiative of the United Nations Foundation and the Center for Sustainable Development at the Brookings Institution. This initiative connects domestic stakeholders across all sectors working to achieve the SDGs at home and abroad, and highlights stories, best practices, and lessons learned from the people and places making progress on the Goals that matter to current and future generations.
For more information on the SDGs in the U.S., please refer to this Communications Toolkit and our full resource library. Questions about this FAQ? Contact us.
By Meghan Hall
This toolkit is for anyone looking to stay in the know or inform an audience about the Sustainable Development Goals. It also includes guidance on SDG branding, media assets, key social media accounts to watch, and more.
The Sustainable Development Goals are the world’s blueprint for a better future. Yet, understanding of the 17 Goals in the United States — and globally — is inconsistent.
If you play a role in helping your community learn more about the SDGs, this toolkit offers helpful resources — from digital essentials to brand guidelines — to support you in your work to rally Americans around these 17 objectives.
Whether you work in advocacy, communications, partnerships or in another area, use these resources to connect with existing and new audiences.
SDG FACT SHEET
In easy-to-understand terms, this one-pager explains what the SDGs are, what they mean for the U.S., and key moments the SDG-curious should watch.
SDG VISUAL ASSETS, LOGO AND, ICONS
If you’re looking to visually showcase the SDGs in your work, this hub, hosted by the UN, offers helpful tools. From the SDG icon set and logo to downloadable posters and brand guides, you’ll find them on this webpage.
DIGITAL ESSENTIALS
If your role involves sharing about the Goals on your social channels or other digital platforms, knowing which links, tags, and media to include makes creating content easier.
Explore this list for the latest.
Key Accounts (In order of: Twitter/X, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn)
Hashtags
A wide range of hashtags help to organize online conversations about the SDGs.
Some are used more often than others. These primary hashtags are prioritized by UN flagship accounts and the broader SDG community. Other hashtags are more secondary: They can help improve the reach of your content but are not always essential for discoverability and searchability.
When possible, try to integrate hashtags directly into sentences, rather than listing them at the end of a post. Use camel case (uppercasing the first letter of each new word) to improve readability and accessibility. Example: #GlobalGoals versus #globalgoals.
Primary:
#GlobalGoals
#SDGs
#Act4SDGs
Secondary:
#USAforSDGs*
#SDGAction
#ActNow
#Agenda2030
#2030NOW
*Dedicated hashtag for the American Leadership for the Sustainable Development Goals initiative.
Individual SDGs:
Each of the 17 SDGs can also be written in hashtag form. When referring to a specific SDG in a post, use “SDG” or “Goal” as a precursor, followed by the number (without a space).
Example: SDG 5 can be written as #SDG5 or #Goal5.
Social Content for Amplification
By Meghan Hall
By Meghan Hall
By Meghan Hall
As the head of civic partnerships for a non-profit in rural Minnesota, Ben is harnessing his wisdom as a former mayor and restaurateur to spark innovation, collaboration, and opportunity in America’s heartland.
During his tenure as Mayor of Fergus Falls, Minnesota, Ben saw how a small, tangible step — like converting streetlights to energy-efficient LEDs — could save thousands of taxpayer dollars each year. Motivated in part by a coalition of other small-town mayors in the area, Ben recognized how these savings could translate into other investments, like improving local parks, libraries, or even installing solar energy on public buildings.
Ben knows practices like these aren’t just good for the community, they’re good for business too. “Sustainability isn’t just about saving the planet,” he says. “It’s about creating opportunities for rural communities to thrive economically and socially.”
As a restaurateur during the COVID-19 pandemic, he and his wife incorporated sustainability into their businesses by prioritizing local supply chains and creating a community hub during the shutdown that doubled as an incubator for food entrepreneurs. “Local businesses sustain more than the economy, they build community and inspire innovation,” he says. After one municipal liquor store in the area went solar, they introduced a new tagline that nods to the state’s brewery culture: We chill your beer with the sun.
Today, as Director of Civic Partnerships at the West Central Initiative, a regional non-profit dedicated to community-led solutions for local issues ranging from economic development to environmental sustainability, Ben is bringing his experience as an elected official and entrepreneur to foster collective action for the common good. His advocacy for SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy) is just one example of the way civil society can help achieve the SDGs and have an immediate impact on people’s lives.
He’s also a big believer in rural-urban partnerships to ensure inclusive progress. “There are a lot of opportunities in the clean-energy transition, but if they’re seen as only benefiting urban areas, it’s going to further exacerbate the rural-urban divide,” he points out.
Growing up in a state known for its many lakes, prairies, and woodlands, Ben sees why rural communities like his are such vital contributors — and vocal champions — for sustainable development. “The natural beauty here compels us to act,” he says. “By protecting our environment and empowering our people, we can redefine what’s possible for rural America.”
— M.J. Altman, United Nations Foundation
By Meghan Hall
On February 6, 2025, the American Leadership on the SDGs Initiative, co-led by the United Nations Foundation and the Center for Sustainable Development at Brookings, hosted Jolynn Shoemaker, Director of Global Engagements, UC Davis Global Affairs, and Vic Randall, Senior Planner, City of Sacramento, for a presentation and discussion of the recently launched Sacramento Voluntary …
On February 6, 2025, the American Leadership on the SDGs Initiative, co-led by the United Nations Foundation and the Center for Sustainable Development at Brookings, hosted Jolynn Shoemaker, Director of Global Engagements, UC Davis Global Affairs, and Vic Randall, Senior Planner, City of Sacramento, for a presentation and discussion of the recently launched Sacramento Voluntary Local Review.
Speakers:
Jolynn Shoemaker
Director of Global Engagements
UC Davis Global Affairs
Vic Randall
Senior Planner
City of Sacramento
By Meghan Hall
By Meghan Hall