Bonares

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) are a set of goals and targets to be reached by 2030, agreed upon by, and requiring action from all United Nations (UN) member states. Soil functions play an important role for the realisation of multiple targets and underpin the achievement of the SDG agenda as a whole. Although the UN indicators for measuring progress on these targets are designed at the global level, successful achievement of the agenda requires national, regional and local efforts. It is therefore important to also connect the sustainable development goals to effects of policy and management options at these levels. The BonaRes Assessment Platform supports the operationalisation of the SDG targets by defining linkages to soil related ecosystem services and agricultural resource use efficiency.

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) were adopted in 2015 by the General Assembly of the United Nations (UN) as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. There are 17 SDGs in total which include goals to end poverty and hunger, combat inequality and injustice, and tackle climate change by 2030. The SDGs are further broken down into 169 individual time-bound targets and there currently exist 230 indicators against which they can be measured. The goals are not binding under international law but UN member states have a legal obligation to issue progress reports up to the 2030 target date.

The SDGs are universal in nature meaning that they apply to and should be achieved in all countries. Furthermore, the 17 goals are “integrated and indivisible”, designed to balance the three dimensions of sustainable development: the economic, social and environmental (UN, 2016). Efforts to achieve one goal should not hinder progress in other areas.

The SDGs build on the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) which were adopted by world leaders in 2000 to be reached by 2015. These were eight goals aimed primarily at reducing extreme poverty and the related consequences.

Despite only 4 explicit references to soils in the 169 SDG targets (targets 2.4, 3.9, 12.4, 15.3), soil functions play an important role for the realisation of a vast number of targets and underpin the achievement of the SDG agenda as a whole (Montanarella & Alva, 2015). Not only do they have a clear role in achieving SDGs related to the biophysical system (e.g. SDGs 2, 3, 6, 7, 12–15), they are also important to the achievement of socio-economic goals due to the multifunctional benefits they provide (Keesstra et al., 2016).

Unlike the MDGs which focussed on the donor recipient relationship between more developed and poorer countries, the SDGs are universal in nature, meaning that they apply to all countries and should be achieved in all countries. In Germany, Agenda 2030 forms the basis of the latest Sustainable Development Strategy (German Federal Government, 2017), which presents measures to implement the 17 SDGs across the economic, social and environmental spheres.

The UN indicators for measuring progress towards SDGs are designed for impact assessment at the global level and therefore do not directly relate to local, regional or even national decisions. However, successful achievement of the agenda requires efforts at every level in all UN member states. It is therefore important to draw connections between management options and the relevant SDG targets. The BonaRes Assessment Platform supports this by highlighting 25 SDG targets that are directly connected to agricultural management and impact areas under the assessment perspectives of soil related ecosystem services and agricultural resource use efficiency. Table 6 lists the SDG targets for which connections are drawn and provides the codes for the respective impact areas, Table 7 lists the impact areas supported by the BonaRes Assessment Platform to which these codes refer to. The highest numbers of connections were found for target 2.04 (sustainable food production and resilient agriculture) and target 6.06 (protect and restore water related ecosystems).

On the platform, users may first select one of the SDG targets and then choose from a list of connected impact areas. A factsheet for the chosen impact area is then created which provides information on indicators, strengths & weaknesses pertaining to measurements, correlations with agricultural management and examples of published research.

Additional SDG targets and assessment perspectives, such as equity or human health impacts, may be added in future updates to the assessment platform.

Table 6: SDG targets related to agricultural management and impact areas under the perspectives of resource use efficiency and ecosystem services.

SDG Target	Description
01.02	By 2030, reduce at least by half the proportion of men, women and children of all ages living in poverty in all its dimensions according to national definitions. Related Impact Areas: 6, 11, 16, 22, 27, 32, 36, 41, 47, 52, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 83
01.05	By 2030, build the resilience of the poor and those in vulnerable situations and reduce their exposure and vulnerability to climate-related extreme events and other economic, social and environmental shocks and disasters. Related Impact Areas: 73, 74, 75, 76, 80, 81, 87, 103
02.04	By 2030, ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production, that help maintain ecosystems, that strengthen capacity for adaptation to climate change, extreme weather, drought, flooding and other disasters and that progressively improve land and soil quality. Related Impact Areas: 1, 2, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 49, 50, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 73, 75, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 83, 84, 85, 86, 102, 103, 104
02.05	By 2020, maintain the genetic diversity of seeds, cultivated plants and farmed and domesticated animals and their related wild species, including through soundly managed and diversified seed and plant banks at the national, regional and international levels, and promote access to and fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge, as internationally agreed. Related Impact Areas: 66, 67
03.09	By 2030, substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water and soil pollution and contamination. Related Impact Areas: 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 61, 68, 69, 84, 85, 102, 86
04.07	By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including, among others, through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to sustainable development. Related Impact Areas: 90, 91
06.03	By 2030, improve water quality by reducing pollution, eliminating dumping and minimizing release of hazardous chemicals and materials, halving the proportion of untreated wastewater and substantially increasing recycling and safe reuse globally. Related Impact Areas: 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 59, 60, 61, 68, 69, 75, 84, 85, 102, 103, 104
06.04	By 2030, substantially increase water-use efficiency across all sectors and ensure sustainable withdrawals and supply of freshwater to address water scarcity and substantially reduce the number of people suffering from water scarcity. Related Impact Areas: 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 57, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 87, 99, 101
06.06	By 2020, protect and restore water-related ecosystems, including mountains, forests, wetlands, rivers, aquifers and lakes. Related Impact Areas: 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 57, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 59, 34, 35, 36, 60, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 61, 68, 69, 73, 75, 79, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 103
07.02	By 2030, increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix. Related Impact Areas: 2, 9, 13, 19, 25, 29, 35, 38, 44, 50, 5, 10, 15, 21, 26, 31, 40, 46, 65
07.03	By 2030, double the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency. Related Impact Areas: 8, 9, 10, 11, 55
08.02	Achieve higher levels of economic productivity through diversification, technological upgrading and innovation, including through a focus on high-value added and labour-intensive sectors. Related Impact Areas: 6, 11, 16, 22, 27, 32, 36, 41, 47, 52, 63, 64, 65
08.04	Improve progressively, through 2030, global resource efficiency in consumption and production and endeavour to decouple economic growth from environmental degradation, in accordance with the 10-year framework of programmes on sustainable consumption and production, with developed countries taking the lead. Related Impact Areas: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 55, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 57, 34, 35, 36, 60, 63, 64, 65, 73, 75, 77, 78, 79, 83, 84, 85, 86
09.04	By 2030, upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable, with increased resource-use efficiency and greater adoption of clean and environmentally sound technologies and industrial processes, with all countries taking action in accordance with their respective capabilities. Related Impact Areas: 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 73, 75, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 83, 84, 85, 86, 102, 103, 104
10.01	By 2030, progressively achieve and sustain income growth of the bottom 40 per cent of the population at a rate higher than the national average. Related Impact Areas: 63, 64, 65
11.04	Strengthen efforts to protect and safeguard the world’s cultural and natural heritage. Related Impact Areas: 88, 92, 93, 95, 96, 97
12.01	Implement the 10-year framework of programmes on sustainable consumption and production, all countries taking action, with developed countries taking the lead, taking into account the development and capabilities of developing countries. Related Impact Areas: 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 73, 75, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 83, 84, 85, 86, 102, 103, 104
12.02	By 2030, achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources. Related Impact Areas: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 55, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 57, 34, 35, 36, 60, 73, 79, 83, 84, 85, 86
12.04	By 2020, achieve the environmentally sound management of chemicals and all wastes throughout their life cycle, in accordance with agreed international frameworks, and significantly reduce their release to air, water and soil in order to minimize their adverse impacts on human health and the environment. Related Impact Areas: 68, 69, 70, 84, 85, 86, 102, 104
13.01	Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries. Related Impact Areas: 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 54, 66, 67, 74, 75, 76, 80, 81, 87, 103
13.02	Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning. Related Impact Areas: 7, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 23, 33, 42, 48, 53, 56, 83, 86, 87, 90, 91
13.03	Improve education, awareness-raising and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warning. Related Impact Areas: 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 56, 90, 91
14.01	By 2025, prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution of all kinds, in particular from land-based activities, including marine debris and nutrient pollution. Related Impact Areas: 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 59, 34, 35, 36, 60, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 61, 68, 69, 73, 85, 102, 103, 104
15.01	By 2020, ensure the conservation, restoration and sustainable use of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems and their services, in particular forests, wetlands, mountains and drylands, in line with obligations under international agreements. Related Impact Areas: 68, 69, 73, 79, 84, 87, 88, 89, 92, 93, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104
15.03	By 2030, combat desertification, restore degraded land and soil, including land affected by desertification, drought and floods, and strive to achieve a land degradation-neutral world. Related Impact Areas: 73, 75, 79, 83, 103

№	Impact Areas Resource Use Efficiency	№	Impact Area Ecosystem Services
1	Grain/Fruit/ Tuber yield per Area of land	63	Food from plants
2	Aboveground Biomass per Area of land	64	Fibres from plants
3	Jobs per Area of land	65	Energy from plants
4	Embodied Nitrogen per Area of land	66	Seeds for breeding purposes
5	Embodied Energy per Area of land	67	Plants for breeding purposes
6	Financial benefits per Area of land	68	Bio-remediation
7	Sequestered Carbon per Area of land	69	Biotic filtration/sequestration/storage/accumulation
8	Grain/Fruit/ Tuber yield per Energy	70	Smell reduction
9	Aboveground Biomass per Energy	71	Noise reduction
10	Embodied Energy per Energy	72	Visual screening
11	Financial benefits per Energy	73	Erosion control
12	Grain/Fruit/ Tuber yield per GHG emissions	74	Mass movement buffering & reduction
13	Aboveground Biomass per GHG emissions	75	Hydrological cycle & water flow regulation
14	Embodied Nitrogen per GHG emissions	76	Wind protection
15	Embodied Energy per GHG emissions	77	Pollination
16	Financial benefits per GHG emissions	78	Seed dispersal
17	Sequestered Carbon per GHG emissions	79	Maintaining habitats
18	Grain/Fruit/ Tuber yield per Water	80	Pest control
19	Aboveground Biomass per Water	81	Disease control
20	Embodied Nitrogen per Water	82	Weathering & soil development
21	Embodied Energy per Water	83	Maintaining soil organic matter & nutrients
22	Financial benefits per Water	84	Chemical regulation of freshwaters
23	Sequestered Carbon per Water	85	Chemical regulation of salt waters
24	Grain/Fruit/ Tuber yield per Human labour	86	Chemical regulation of atmosphere
25	Aboveground Biomass per Human labour	87	Regulation of temperature/humidity/ventilation/transpiration
26	Embodied Energy per Human labour	88	Ecosystems enabling active enjoyment
27	Financial benefits per Human labour	89	Ecosystems enabling passive enjoyment
28	Grain/Fruit/ Tuber yield per Nitrogen fertilizer	90	Ecosystems enabling research
29	Aboveground Biomass per Nitrogen fertilizer	91	Ecosystems enabling education
30	Embodied Nitrogen per Nitrogen fertilizer	92	Culturally/historically important ecosystems
31	Embodied Energy per Nitrogen fertilizer	93	Aesthetically important ecosystems
32	Financial benefits per Nitrogen fertilizer	94	Symbolically important ecosystems
33	Sequestered Carbon per Nitrogen fertilizer	95	Ecosystems used for entertainment/representation
34	Grain/Fruit/ Tuber yield per Phosphorus fertilizer	96	Ecosystems with existence value
35	Aboveground Biomass per Phosphorus fertilizer	97	Ecosystems with option/bequest value
36	Financial benefits per Phosphorus fertilizer	98	Surface water for drinking
37	Grain/Fruit/ Tuber yield per Pesticides	99	Surface water for non-drinking purposes
38	Aboveground Biomass per Pesticides	100	Groundwater for drinking
39	Embodied Nitrogen per Pesticides	101	Groundwater for non-drinking purposes
40	Embodied Energy per Pesticides	102	Abiotic mediation by filtration/sequestration/storage/accumulation
41	Financial benefits per Pesticides	103	Physical barriers to liquid flows
42	Sequestered Carbon per Pesticides	104	Maintenance and regulation by inorganic processes
43	Grain/Fruit/ Tuber yield per Money
44	Aboveground Biomass per Money
45	Embodied Nitrogen per Money
46	Embodied Energy per Money
47	Financial benefits per Money
48	Sequestered Carbon per Money
49	Grain/Fruit/ Tuber yield per Long-time investment
50	Aboveground Biomass per Long-time investment
51	Jobs per Long-time investment
52	Financial benefits per Long-time investment
53	Sequestered Carbon per Long-time investment
54	Yield stability per Long-time investment
55	Yield stability per Energy
56	Yield stability per GHG emissions
57	Yield stability per Water
58	Yield stability per Human labour
59	Yield stability per Nitrogen fertilizer
60	Yield stability per Phosphorus fertilizer
61	Yield stability per Pesticides
62	Yield stability per Money

German Federal Government. 2016. German Sustainable Development Strategy. Online: http://bit.ly/2BWpTYw (accessed 09 August 2019)

Keesstra S D, Quinton J N, van der Putten W H, Bardgett R D, Fresco L O. 2016. The significance of soils and soil science towards realization of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Soil 2, 111–128. DOI:10.5194/soil-2-111-2016

Montanarella L, Alva I L. 2015. Putting soils on the agenda: the three Rio Conventions and the post-2015 development agenda. Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability 15, 41–48. DOI:10.1016/j.cosust.2015.07.008

United Nations. 2016. Resolution 70/1. Transforming our world: The 2030 agenda for sustainable development. Online: http://bit.ly/1Y3D3sN (accessed 09 August 2019)