ABSTRACT
This chapter provides a brief history of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), exploring how they emerged and developed over the past 50 years. The 17 Sustainable Development Goals are outlined and a brief update is provided on their progress to date. The chapter highlights that the SDGs have not only managed to galvanise policymakers and economists at a global level, but also non-governmental organisations, the third sector and businesses, with leading management consultancy and accountancy firms using these as key performance indicators for their business and key objectives on their projects.
