Space for the Sustainable Development Goals: mapping the contributions of space-based projects and technologies to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

André Baumgart,Jorge Del Rio Vera,Simonetta Di Pippo,Eirini Ioanna Vlachopoulou

doi:10.1186/s42055-021-00045-6

André Baumgart, Jorge Del Rio Vera + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1186/s42055-021-00045-6

Copy DOI

Journal: Sustainable Earth	Publication Date: Dec 1, 2021
Citations: 7	License type: open-access

Affiliation: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime

Abstract

Progress towards the achievement of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in many ways presupposes the utilisation of science, technology and innovation. Many sustainability-oriented projects across industries make use of space-based technologies and services to contribute to the Goals. Among others, satellite-based Earth observation, positioning, navigation and communication services are used in an array of sectors ranging from monitoring environmental conditions and changes to supporting search and rescue missions. In order to illustrate contributions to the SDGs, space agencies and other institutions have aligned their projects to the SDG framework. This study attempts a more holistic, aggregate mapping of such alignments to gauge which SDGs benefit the most and from space-based projects and technologies, as opposed to those benefiting the least. The results demonstrate that the number of contributing projects varies significantly across the Goal spectrum, as does the share of the various technologies involved, with particular focus on industrial development, hunger elimination, and improved healthcare. Nevertheless, the range of application of space-based technologies is wide and highlights the relevance of space to support the transition towards a sustainable future.

Highlights

In September 2015, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a set of global objectives, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development ( 2030 Agenda), a roadmap for future generations to inherit a more sustainable and thriving planet [55]
Due to inherent limitations with regard to the design of the research, only sources authored by institutions directly involved in, or responsible for, space-based projects and space-related activities were taken into consideration, and among those sources, only those explicitly aligning projects with the SDGs at a Goal or Target level were considered eligible for inclusion in the final compilation
It is worth noting that, as the projects examined have been aligned to the components of the SDG framework by the source-institutions, the project alignments may happen at different levels, namely either the Target or the Goal level

Summary

Introduction

In September 2015, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a set of global objectives, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development ( 2030 Agenda), a roadmap for future generations to inherit a more sustainable and thriving planet [55]. The SDGs are a globally recognizable symbol and a banner under which the various initiatives for sustainable development can assemble and re-brand themselves. To make these high-level objectives translatable at the policy level and facilitate the implementation of strategies, policies, and initiatives for the achievement of the SDGs, 169 Targets were identified to underpin the Goals. These Targets provide a platform to identify policies and other initiatives that aim at the various individual aspects that constitute the SDGs, and translate high-level values into actionable regional and (2021) 4:6 local needs. The relevance of the indicators is assessed regularly [56]

Objectives

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion