There is consensus that extensive transformations will be required in order for countries to achieve the goals and targets set out in the 2030 United Nations Sustainable Development Agenda. But what is ‘transformation’? Is it different from ‘resilience’, or ‘sustainable development’? How are they related? What exactly will these transformations require? Will they vary according to country or geographic region? How should they be operationalized? Which stakeholders and partnerships will be critical and why? What are the barriers? Are there limits? What opportunities exist or can be created?
A recent paper by Sachs et al. (2019) argues that there are six transformations that simultaneously synergize several of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and provide an actionable roadmap:
- Education, gender, and inequality – SDG 1, 5, 7-10, 12-15, 17
- Health, wellbeing, and demography – SDG 1-5, 8, 10
- Energy decarbonization, and sustainable industry – SDG 1-16
- Sustainable food, land, water, and oceans – SDG 1-3, 5-6, 8, 10-15
- Sustainable cities and communities – SDG 1-16
- Digital revolution for sustainable development – SDG 1-4, 7-13, 17
This Special Issue of Sustainability will feature research articles, reviews, and case studies that answer the above questions from various theoretical, methodological, conceptual, and geographic perspectives.
Papers will interrogate the extent to which the six transformations are relevant or applicable to the Global South, particularly small island developing states, the least developed countries, and African countries, given their complex histories and varying development circumstances and trajectories. Where the transformations are relevant or applicable, papers will critically engage with ideas around whether one might be more relevant or applicable than others, and the modifications that will be required in the political, economic, social, and environmental spheres at various scales—from individual to international. Also of interest are papers that consider the role of transformations in non-traditional, underrepresented, or otherwise neglected domains, including but not limited to institutional/governance architectures, climate change adaptation and climate-related loss and damage, justice and human rights, and cultural economies/creative industries.
Guest Editor: Assist. Prof. Stacy-ann Robinson
Manuscript submission information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline of 31 December 2021.
All papers will be peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited.