German Sustainable Development Strategy

In 1992, the United Nations committed to the principle of sustainable development at the Rio de Janeiro conference and adopted a global action programme: Agenda 2021. Each of the 178 signatory states pledged to implement Agenda 2021 nationally across all policy areas, involving both society and the economy. Germany also signed the Agenda and, in 2002, adopted its first National Sustainability Strategy, which has since been further developed every four years.

Since its revision in 2016, the strategy has been aligned with Agenda 2030 and is referred to as the German Sustainable Development Strategy (GSDS). It represents the national implementation of Agenda 2030. At the same time, the Federal Government sets its own political priorities within the framework of the global goals in the GSDS. These priorities are specified in sustainability postulates beneath the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, with national indicators defined for measurement and specific target values and target years established.

Under the leadership of the Federal Chancellery, all ministries are involved in implementing the German Sustainable Development Strategy. The central steering body for the strategy is the State Secretaries' Committee for Sustainable Development.

The Federal Government's reports can be found here.