Transforming Australia – SDG Progress Report 2024, Monash Sustainable Development Institute, February 2025

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) provide a global framework for sustainable development, aiming to ensure future generations are better off than their predecessors while leaving no one behind.

In the Australian context, the SDGs serve as a foundation for assessing progress across social, environmental, and economic indicators, offering a pathway to address critical challenges and opportunities tailored to Australia’s unique priorities, including its environmental challenges, social equity goals, and economic context.

The Transforming Australia: SDG Progress Report 2024 is the third in a series of reports produced by the Monash Sustainable Development Institute (MSDI) assessing Australia’s progress toward achieving the SDGs. The reports, including previous iterations in 2018 and 2020, build on the methodology developed by the National Sustainable Development Council in 2018 that adapted the SDG framework to reflect the Australian context.

Australia’s journey toward achieving the SDGs reveals a nuanced narrative of progress and persistent challenges. The 2024 update evaluates 80 indicators, offering a holistic review of the nation’s economy, the health and wellbeing of its population, and the state of the environment. It also delves into future pathways that leverage ambitious policies to accelerate progress on the 17 SDGs. Our findings highlight the need for bold, coordinated action to secure a sustainable and equitable future by 2030 and beyond.