{"id":4391,"date":"2023-10-17T06:00:22","date_gmt":"2023-10-17T06:00:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/how-academic-publishing-can-help-accelerate-the-achievement-of-the-sustainable-development-goals\/"},"modified":"2025-01-15T06:16:29","modified_gmt":"2025-01-15T06:16:29","slug":"how-academic-publishing-can-help-accelerate-the-achievement-of-the-sustainable-development-goals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/how-academic-publishing-can-help-accelerate-the-achievement-of-the-sustainable-development-goals","title":{"rendered":"How academic publishing can help accelerate the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals"},"content":{"rendered":"

In September 2015, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was formally adopted, which included 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), each accompanied by a set of specific targets and indicator. As we stand at the midpoint of the journey to the 2030 deadline for attaining the SDGs, it is worthwhile to take a moment to see how academic publishing is supporting this pursuit and what more should be done.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Aligning academic publishing with the SDGs<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Academic publishing acts as a bridge between research and the SDGs, transforming scholarly insights into actionable knowledge.<\/span><\/span><\/span> Academic publishers can contribute to these Goals in several ways. <\/span><\/span><\/span>Academic journals and conferences facilitate interdisciplinary discussions and collaborations on SDG-related topics and facilitate the exchange of ideas and experiences, thereby fueling innovation. Academic publications are repositories of rich data and evidence-based solutions, offering guidance on how to measure progress and adjust strategies to meet the SDGs effectively.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Status of SDG-related research and publications<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/i><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Despite active research dissemination on topics like food security, health, water, urban development, climate change, and justice, global progress toward achieving key environmental SDGs related to climate action (SDG13), life below water (SDG14), and life on land (SDG15) has been limited. A study by UNESCO on 56 research topics pertinent to the SDGs found that sustainability research has not yet become a predominant focus in academic publishing worldwide.1<\/sup> Research related to climate resilience and sustainable environmental management remains disproportionately low in terms of research volume.1<\/sup> However, topics linked to industry, innovation, and infrastructure (SDG9) exhibited better performance. Several countries have substantially increased their research output on subjects like battery efficiency, smart grids, and sustainable transportation between 2011 and 2019. However, despite the emphasis on global energy transition, publications on sustainable energy (SDG7), such as cleaner fossil fuel technology and renewable energies, constituted only 2.4% of global scientific output from 2016 to 2019\u2014a minor improvement from 2.1% over 2012\u20132015. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Another key finding was that sustainability research has largely responded to events instead of being proactive,1<\/sup> e.g., research on emerging viruses typically increases in response to viral outbreaks. This points to the need for health research to become more preemptive.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Developing countries are showing a strong impetus in research related to sustainability topics. Many lower-income countries have registered a marked increase in their global share of publications on sustainability research. This is heartening, especially because many of these countries are particularly vulnerable to climate change. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

One thing is certain: countries, regardless of their economic status, are united in transitioning towards digital and environmentally sustainable economies.1<\/sup> Researchers and research publishers can contribute to this quest by pressing the pedal on disseminating innovative, cross-disciplinary studies and fostering global collaboration to speed up the development and adoption of sustainable technologies and practices.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

SDG-related initiatives by publishers<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/i><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The International Publishers Association (IPA) is a pioneer in prioritizing the SDGs in the publishing industry. <\/span><\/span><\/span>The SDG Publishers Compact,2<\/sup> adopted in October 2020 by the United Nations and the IPA, outlines ten specific actions for publishers. These are as follows:<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n