IISD's State of Sustainability Initiatives Review: Standards and the Sustainable Development Goals

The report examines the intersection of voluntary sustainability standards (VSSs) and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), specifically focusing on how VSS data can alleviate government reporting burdens in Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs). Through benchmarking 13 VSSs against five SDGs (2, 6, 8, 12, and 15) and providing practical reporting examples for Uganda, India, and Tanzania, the document demonstrates that VSSs can provide granular, on-the-ground data and 'best practice' case studies that complement state-centric reporting. It concludes with generic guidelines for governments to improve coordination with VSS bodies to advance the 2030 Agenda.

• VSSs are broadly aligned with the UN SDGs, with the strongest formal alignment typically found in SDG 2 (zero hunger), SDG 8 (decent work and economic growth), and SDG 12 (responsible consumption and production).
• A benchmarking of 13 VSSs shows they are well-positioned to advance SDG 2 by ensuring legal land-use rights and implementing integrated pest management (IPM), though coverage of living wages and climate-related emergency response plans remains limited.
• VSSs demonstrate high to moderate coverage of SDG 6 targets, particularly in preventing runoff of waste chemicals and monitoring water-use efficiency, though some organic standards lack criteria on the management of hazardous chemicals.
• There is overall high coverage of SDG 8 targets among VSSs, specifically regarding the prohibition of forced and child labour, although there is room for improvement in addressing women's rights at work and working hours for young workers.
• VSSs show diverse coverage of SDG 12, with strong focus on prohibiting hazardous chemicals and GMOs and supporting composting, but very few standards require the reduction of total solid waste volumes.
• Coverage of SDG 15 is moderate-to-low; while many VSSs prohibit the conversion of forests to production lands, there is very low coverage of forest remediation and regeneration of tree cover after logging.
• In Uganda, VSSs have contributed to SDG 2 by improving farmer incomes through premiums and diversification, and to SDG 8 by establishing 'child labour-free zones' in collaboration with local partners.
• In India, VSSs have supported SDG 2 through organic basmati cultivation, which was found to be 105% more profitable than conventional methods, and SDG 6 through the AWS Standard's water stewardship plans.
• In Tanzania, VSSs have advanced SDG 2 by increasing incomes for rose plantation workers by 30% through Fairtrade minimum wages and supported SDG 15 through FSC-certified forests showing better structure and regeneration.
• VSSs can address government data gaps in VNRs by providing granular, site-specific data, such as the Bonsucro calculator used in Indian sugar mills to track water use and GHG emissions.

APA

Kosolapova, E., Verma, R., Turley, L., & Wilkings, A. (2023). IISD's State of Sustainability Initiatives Review: Standards and the Sustainable Development Goals. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2023-05/ssi-review-standards-sustainable-development-goals-sdgs.pdf

Chicago

Kosolapova, Elena, Rupal Verma, Laura Turley, and Ann Wilkings. IISD's State of Sustainability Initiatives Review: Standards and the Sustainable Development Goals. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2023. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2023-05/ssi-review-standards-sustainable-development-goals-sdgs.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Kosolapova |first1=Elena |last2=Verma |first2=Rupal |last3=Turley |first3=Laura |last4=Wilkings |first4=Ann |title=IISD's State of Sustainability Initiatives Review: Standards and the Sustainable Development Goals |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=May 2023 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2023-05/ssi-review-standards-sustainable-development-goals-sdgs.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{kosolapova2023iisds, author = {Kosolapova, Elena and Verma, Rupal and Turley, Laura and Wilkings, Ann}, title = {{IISD's State of Sustainability Initiatives Review: Standards and the Sustainable Development Goals}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2023}, month = may, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2023-05/ssi-review-standards-sustainable-development-goals-sdgs.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }