Monitoring and Reporting on Sustainable Development Goals: Cross-scale linkages

This briefing note outlines the challenges and opportunities in establishing monitoring and reporting systems for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It argues for a balance between using existing data and innovating new metrics, emphasizes the need to integrate indicators into the full policy cycle to ensure they are actually used for decision-making, and highlights the importance of cross-scale coordination between international bodies, national governments, and scientific communities.

• Monitoring and reporting on the SDGs face a tension between the need for continuity with existing data and the requirement for innovation to address new goals. While progress tracking relies on existing monitoring capacity, new metrics are necessary to fill persistent data gaps and measure new goals that cover social, environmental, and economic dimensions.
• There is a risk that indicators may be developed but not utilized to improve policy and practice. To avoid this, monitoring and reporting must be integrated into all stages of the policy cycle, including goal setting, planning, implementation, evaluation, and learning, with indicators established early to create necessary baselines.
• Several technical and conceptual advancements provide opportunities to improve SDG measurement, including the UN Statistical Commission's Framework for the Development of Environmental Statistics (FDES)—which covers energy, agriculture, and climate change—and the Group on Earth Observation's GEOSS Common Infrastructure (GCI) for geospatial data.
• International efforts to develop SDG monitoring frameworks involve a diverse range of actors, including the Open Working Group (OWG), the UN Statistical Commission, and the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN). These initiatives aim to strengthen the evidence base for implementation through a 'data revolution' involving governmental, corporate, and civil society partnerships.
• Effective SDG monitoring requires the integration of scientific knowledge, specifically regarding the Earth's resource base, planetary boundaries, and the understanding of the Earth as a complex adaptive system. This scientific input is distinct from the technical task of data collection handled by statistical communities.
• At national and subnational levels, governments should synchronize global SDGs while allowing for national differentiation through specific subgoals and targets. It is recommended that governments engage national statistical offices and geospatial data communities early to identify indicators and assess existing capacities.
• National Sustainable Development Strategies (NSDS) and integrated development plans are critical for connecting across sectors and goals. The NSDS community can catalyze involvement in countries where governments are not yet active in the official process and help move the discourse beyond technical agencies to finance and sector departments.

APA

Pintér, L. (2014). Monitoring and Reporting on Sustainable Development Goals: Cross-scale linkages. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/sdplannet_monitoring_and_reporting.pdf

Chicago

Pintér, László. Monitoring and Reporting on Sustainable Development Goals: Cross-scale linkages. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2014. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/sdplannet_monitoring_and_reporting.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Pintér |first1=László |title=Monitoring and Reporting on Sustainable Development Goals: Cross-scale linkages |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=April 2014 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/sdplannet_monitoring_and_reporting.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{pintr2014monitoring, author = {Pintér, László}, title = {{Monitoring and Reporting on Sustainable Development Goals: Cross-scale linkages}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2014}, month = apr, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/sdplannet_monitoring_and_reporting.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }