Brazilian National Policies Related to Sustainable Development Goals: An Overview

Abstract

The integration of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with public policies is a central element of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Brazilian national policies from 1962 to 2019 were analyzed to determine their interactions and synergies with the SDGs through a matrix of interconnections. All national policies have at least one connection to an SDG. SDG 16 was the most connected to national policies, followed by SDG 10. A downscaling policy hierarchy was also performed to identify programs and projects related to national policies, their interactions with the SDGs, and their complexity. At this step, programs and project-level policies in the 2016–2019 Pluriannual Plan were analyzed, and for those with the highest number of connections, didactic qualitative modeling was performed to understand the chain of interdependencies with SDGs. These analyses supported the production of 18 portraits as an educational material to provide systemic comprehension of the relationship among national policies and the SDGs seeking awareness. The studied initiatives are generally within the framework of human rights, which corresponds to the social pillar of sustainability. This means that Brazilian Government mandates, in different periods of the country’s history, were in line with the SDG core guideline, based on a social commitment to “leave no one behind” and reduce global inequalities.KeywordsSDGs2030 AgendaPublic policiesQualitative modelingGovernment actions