Time and date: 11:00-12:30, 10 July, 2025
Location: Rooftop Café

This session introduces the Routledge Handbook of the UN Sustainable Development Goals Research and Policy,
a comprehensive scholarly assessment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and their capacity to drive transformative change towards sustainable development. The Handbook consolidates inter- and transdisciplinary research from a global cohort of scholars, offering critical insights into the implementation, implications, and contextual applications of the 17 SDGs across thematic, regional, and national levels. Drawing on case studies from diverse contexts—including Australia, Brazil, China, the Democratic Republic of Congo, India, Italy, the Sahel region, and the United States—the volume functions as a mid-term evaluation of the Agenda 2030 framework.

Structured in two parts, the first section presents foundational theoretical and conceptual frameworks, while the second addresses the practicalities of SDG implementation. Collectively, the 30 chapters from 65 scholars highlight overlooked dimensions of the SDGs, such as systemic power asymmetries, cultural and Indigenous rights, and overconsumption, while proposing critical reflections and pathways for a post-2030 agenda.

Editors and session leaders: Ranjula Bali Swain (online) and Peter Dobers (in person)