The world is approaching a critical moment for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. With only four years remaining until 2030, progress lags behind global commitments in areas such as water, energy, industry and urban development where challenges are increasingly and more visibly interconnected. Climate pressures, resource constraints, digital transformation and geopolitical tensions create effects that cross sectors and borders. At the same time, tighter and less predictable international funding makes fragmented responses more costly. No single policy field can address these pressures alone. Faster progress will depend on governance systems that can support coherent and co-ordinated action across levels of government.
This report is the OECD’s contribution to the 2026 United Nations High Level Political Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable Development. The Forum will focus on transformative, equitable, innovative and co-ordinated action to advance the 2030 Agenda. It will review progress on SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals). The report examines how fragmented policies across water, energy, industry and urban development slow progress on these Goals. It identifies practical ways to improve policy coherence, strengthen institutional co-ordination and support integrated implementation. It also highlights governance practices and policy tools that can help countries move towards faster and more integrated action that reflect the interconnected nature of the 2030 Agenda.
As countries look beyond 2030, global discussions such as the Pact for the Future and the Beyond 2030 dialogue reinforce the need for governance systems that can anticipate risks, manage complex interactions across policy areas and support more effective international co-operation. Governments are operating under tighter fiscal constraints, declining public trust and increasing expectations to deliver green and digital transitions, which have highlighted persistent gaps between long-term strategies and day-to-day implementation. At the same time, climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution are set to intensify, making fragmented responses increasingly costly and ineffective and underscoring the need to balance environmental, economic and social objectives. Meeting these challenges will require institutions with clear roles and responsibilities that can co-ordinate planning, ensure accountability and maintain alignment across government. Policy coherence is becoming an essential capability for shaping the next phase of sustainable development, strengthening consistent decision making and enabling more effective collective action on shared risks.
Through standards, country reviews, data and monitoring frameworks and peer learning platforms, the OECD supports policy coherence for sustainable development with analysis that helps governments co-ordinate action at national and international levels. This report draws on that experience. It also reflects the outcomes of regional consultations, including the United Nations Regional Forums on Sustainable Development, carried out in preparation for the 2026 HLPF. The objective is to support Member States and the United Nations system in promoting coherent, widely shared and forward-looking approaches to sustainable development.
Bridging the Gaps for Sustainable Development is designed as a practical resource for policymakers. It aims to help governments align strategies, strengthen institutions and deliver integrated solutions at scale.