Hsu on hurdles to getting data and science into UN Sustainable Development Goals
Rigorous integration will ensure the goals inspire rather than deter commitment, say Angel Hsu and Alisa Zomer.
Sustainable development is an elusive concept, one that is open to interpretation and difficult to define, let alone measure. UN negotiators therefore have a challenging task: how to specify a clear set of indicators to track the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) before they are finalised in September.
The SDGs are an opportunity to reach consensus on a vision for development that is science-based and applicable everywhere. But there are challenges that we - UN negotiators, donors and civil society - must collectively address to ensure the SDGs are successful and transformative.
Four of those challenges are worth highlighting for their importance in ensuring the goals are measurable in a way that sets the world on a sustainable future pathway.
