Benin Sustainable Development Report 2025

A theory of change approach to enhance the post-2030 sustainable development agenda

**Now Available: Benin Sustainable Development Report 2025**  
_Green Transition: Agroecology and Renewable Energies_

**Ten Years of Progress Towards the Sustainable Development Goals: Benin Lays a Strong Foundation to Accelerate its Green Transition**

Available in: [English](/static/news/press-release-benin-sustainable-development-report-2025/english-pr.pdf) | [French](/static/news/press-release-benin-sustainable-development-report-2025/french-pr.pdf)

_A decade after the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals, Benin is emerging as a regional model for green transition, placing agroecology and renewable energy at the heart of its sustainable development strategy._

January 21, 2026 (Paris, France) — Released today by the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), the _Benin Sustainable Development Report 2025_ reveals that Benin has emerged as one of Africa’s leaders in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Since 2015, the country has achieved a \+10.1-point increase in its SDG Index score, outpacing the West African average of \+3.1 points.

This progress reflects the country’s sustained commitment to the 2030 Agenda. Notably, Benin became the first African country to issue an SDG Bond in 2021, raising €500 million to advance the SDGs and positioning itself as a pioneer on the continent in innovative sustainable finance. In recent years, the country has intensified its efforts, particularly in combating climate change. September 2025 marked a significant milestone for the country, with the launch of the National Green Financing Framework, designed to coordinate climate action and align public and private investments with Benin’s green transition efforts.

Since 2021, the SDSN has partnered with the Government of Benin to support the country’s SDG implementation efforts. The _Benin Sustainable Development Report 2025_ marks the fourth edition produced under this partnership. This edition assesses Benin’s overall SDG...

As the 2030 deadline for the SDGs approaches and progress remains far off track, researchers are increasingly calling for reforms to the global sustainable development framework. This article argues that future proposals for a post-2030 agenda must go beyond adding new goals or targets, and instead be grounded in a clear “theory of change” that explains how real-world transformations will occur. By reconstructing the implicit logic behind the current SDGs, the authors identify key successes and shortcomings, and propose a systematic way to assess post-2030 proposals based on both their potential impact and political feasibility.

Guillaume Lafortune (SDSN) is a co-author of this article and, together with Katsia Paulavets, participated in a series of international workshops in Indonesia and Sweden over the past 18 months that informed this research.

This is the author's version of the work. It is posted here by permission of the AAAS for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Science on 15 January 2026, [https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adz5704](https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adz5704).

[Access the article](/static/docs/blog-posts/theory-of-change-approach-to-enhance-the-post-2030-sustainable-development-agenda.pdf)


The Hidden Costs of Global Trade: Building Sustainable and Resilient Supply Chains

 Background

Global supply chains are the backbone of international trade, yet they are increasingly vulnerable to geopolitical tensions, climate risks, natural disasters, regulatory uncertainty, and economic fluctuations. Recent crises - from the COVID-19 pandemic to climate-related disasters and rising geopolitical instability - have highlighted how disruptions in supply chains can cascade across the global economy.

Beyond their role in trade and economic growth, global supply chains are powerful determinants of environmental, social, and economic outcomes worldwide. From raw material extraction to manufacturing and logistics, supply chains generate significant spillover effects, including greenhouse gas emissions, resource depletion, biodiversity loss, labor exploitation, and social inequities. These impacts often occur far from the point of consumption, disproportionately affecting communities and ecosystems in emerging and developing countries.

In today’s uncertain world, understanding and measuring these impacts is critical for building sustainable and resilient supply chains. By quantifying environmental, social, and economic spillovers, governments and businesses can identify vulnerabilities, anticipate risks, and prioritize interventions to reduce exposure to shocks. Systematic assessment of supply chain impacts enables trade networks to be designed in ways that mitigate environmental harm, improve social outcomes, enhance global resilience, and boost competitiveness.

The session will examine key global trade and governance reforms needed to enhance the sustainability and resilience of global supply chains, while exploring the role of governments in addressing systemic vulnerabilities and negative externalities. It will also demonstrate how science-based tools and robust data systems for measuring trade impacts can help minimize exposure to risks and shocks and build supply chains and trade systems aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals.

The...

The Nordic Sustainable Development Report 2025

The Nordic Sustainable Development Report 2025 provides a critical examination of how the Nordic countries advance the SDGs, both domestically and through their effects abroad. While the region continues to score highly within Europe, the assessment shows that these results largely reflect long-standing institutional strengths rather than recent progress. The report highlights substantial and persistent challenges, including major environmental pressures and significant negative international spillovers that undermine global sustainability efforts. By bringing these issues into clearer focus, the analysis underscores the need for renewed commitment and more transformative action across the Nordic region.

Access the [report](/reports/nordic-sustainable-development-report-2025)


Europe Sustainable Development Report 2025: Public Consultation is Closed

![ESDR Public Consultation Banner](/static/imagery/reports/2026/esdr/esdr-2026-pc-horizontal.png)

**The consultation is now closed.**

The Europe Sustainable Development Report, to be published in February 2026, provides a comprehensive regional assessment of countries’ progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) It complements official SDG indicators and Voluntary National Reviews by relying exclusively on internationally comparable and published data. We particularly encourage input from national statistical offices, research institutions, and civil society experts who can help identify data gaps or suggest additional indicators.

We also invite you to take our newly launched survey: [2025 SDSN Global Survey on SDG Challenges and Means for Implementation](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfvWWRpTXqs1E-CiEg5Jwx42Y1wOwnjLxcAfEjZ9weTvjplyQ/viewform).

We are launching this global data collection to understand persisting challenges and barriers for implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This short survey aims to collect your views on progress made since 2015 on the SDGs and understand the priorities that must be addressed to accelerate SDG progress by 2030 and beyond. The results will be presented in the next edition of the Sustainable Development Report.

For any questions, please contact us at [info@sdgindex.org](info@sdgindex.org).


2025 SDSN Global Survey on SDG Challenges and Means for Implementation

The 2025 SDSN Global Survey on SDG challenges and Means for Implementation aims to gauge your perception on progress made and persisting barriers to implement the SDGs. This survey can be answered by anyone involved in research and practical implementation of the SDGs. It includes 3 questions and should take no longer than 5 minutes to respond. The deadline to respond to this survey is set to 30 January 2026.

Access the [2025 SDSN Global Survey on SDG Challenges and Means for Implementation](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfvWWRpTXqs1E-CiEg5Jwx42Y1wOwnjLxcAfEjZ9weTvjplyQ/viewform?usp=dialog)


Promoting Progress on SDG 16 and SDG 5 as Pathways to Inclusive Social Development

On 13 November 2025, the SDSN’s SDG Transformation Center, in collaboration with International IDEA and a wide coalition of partners, will launch the SDG 16 Data Initiative 2025 Report, entitled _“Promoting Progress on SDG 16 and SDG 5 as Pathways to Inclusive Social Development.”_
The report takes stock of global progress toward SDG 5 (Gender Equality) and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions) - two interlinked goals that are essential for building inclusive, just, and resilient societies. As the world enters the final years of the 2030 Agenda, the principles enshrined in the declarations of 30 years ago - gender equality, democratic governance, social development, and peace - remain as relevant and urgent as ever.

SDG 5 and SDG 16 are deeply interconnected. Gender equality is not only a human right but also a prerequisite for sustainable development. Similarly, peace, justice, and strong institutions are essential for building inclusive societies. However, progress on both goals has been uneven and, in some areas, regressive. While there have been modest gains in gender equality, such as a rise in women’s parliamentary representation, transformative change remains elusive. Many countries still lack female leadership at the highest levels, the gender pay gap persists, and violence against women continues at alarming rates.

At the same time, SDG 16 is facing serious setbacks, with declines in the rule of law, institutional transparency, and civic freedoms. These trends threaten the democratic and inclusive foundations envisioned in 1995 and reaffirmed in the 2030 Agenda. The erosion of trust in institutions, rising authoritarianism, and shrinking civic space undermine efforts to achieve people-centred development.

The report features a chapter developed by SDSN colleagues, Guilherme Iablonovski and Eduardo Weirich, titled _“Surge in Military Spending, Sanctions, and the Erosion of Financing for Peace and Social Development,”_ exploring how these...

Prosperity for Coffee Producers through SDG Coffee Plans

In partnership with the Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment, the SDG Transformation Center published a report titled Prosperity for Coffee Producers through SDG Coffee Plans. The report offers a three-step methodology to align investments towards thriving, sustainable coffee economies.

This report is the result of two years of work following an idea conceived by coffee growers from around the world gathered in Kigali, Rwanda, at the 3rd World Coffee Producers Forum in February 2023. It is intended to serve as a practical tool—a handbook for coffee farmers and the broader coffee value chain. Its goal is not only to ensure the prosperity of who produces coffee, going beyond simply guaranteeing its quality and availability, but also to secure the prosperity of those who produce it.
It offers a free, accessible guide to support the design, development, and implementation of Coffee SDG Plans—plans that aim to build the structures needed to strengthen the weakest link in the chain: the farmers.

This work aims to facilitate coordinated action among all value chain actors, governments, and local and international stakeholders, enabling producing countries to develop systems that lead to true farmer prosperity.

Read the full report [here](https://ccsi.columbia.edu/sites/ccsi.columbia.edu/files/content/ccsi-coffee-sdg-handbook-english.pdf)


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