No.23 SDG Localization A systematic review of key themes and research modalities

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), established by the United Nations in 2015, comprise 17 global objectives to address social, economic, and environmental challenges by 2030. SDG localization refers to the adaptation of these goals, targets, or indicators to local contexts. SDG localization is a growing area of study as countries adopt various approaches and levels of engagement. This literature review explores the underpinnings of SDG localization, focusing on research themes and modalities to guide future studies, identifying trends in SDG implementation efforts and research gaps, and suggesting areas for further exploration to assist policymakers, researchers, and stakeholders in developing effective SDG localization strategies. In this context, research modalities refer to the different methodological approaches - such as frameworks, tools, measurements, or indicators that are used by researchers to analyze SDG localization. In terms of research themes, we found that the integration of the SDGs into policy, planning and capacity building was the most commonly examined theme—in particular, its integration with national development policies. The second most prevalent theme was environmental and climate resilience, particularly its sub-theme of ecosystem services (ES). Regarding research modalities, we found that developing a framework for adapting SDGs attracted the strongest attention from researchers, but less attention was paid to measurements and indicators for the attainment of the SDGs. We recommend that policymakers integrate the SDGs into national policies, such as the environment—especially ES and climate change—to accelerate the process of adapting the SDGs to local contexts. We also suggest that the scientific community develop ways to measure SDG progress more effectively by focusing on developing robust indicators, which are the key to measuring the achievement of SDGs.