This summary was prepared by Hamed Kioumarsi, a member of the editorial board at Springer Nature, in collaboration with Lauren K. Harris (George Washington University, USA), and Mehdi Farzpourmachiani (Technofest Institute of Technology University, Belgium).
Citation: Kioumarsi, H., Harris, H.K., Farzpourmachiani, M. (2026). The SDGs in Everyday Life: Why Sustainable Development Goals Matter to Everyone. Springer Nature Communities. https://go.nature.com/4h3a7Cq
The term Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is almost familiar and brings to mind world summits, politicians, and heated debates about the planet's future. This association makes many think that the SDGs are unclear or abstract topics that only relate to experts and scientists. However, the United Nations’ 2015 list of 17 SDGs is a set of solid ideas that provides a powerful framework for taking steps in every one of our lives toward making our homes, communities, cities, countries, and planet a better place for present and future generations.
The essentials of life: food, energy, water, transport, and health, can all be improved through specific pathways suggested by the SDGs. For example, buying local goods, reducing food waste, and eating more responsibly can make an individual's carbon footprint lighter while also contributing to the local economy, thus fulfilling the goals of Zero Hunger and Responsible Consumption and Production. Saving electricity, using a low-wattage power strip, and keeping the house well-insulated are ways of reducing the carbon footprint caused by burning fossil fuels, thus fulfilling the goals of Affordable and Clean Energy and Climate Action. Taking shorter showers, avoiding wasting water, and not polluting water resources help achieve Clean Water and Sanitation while also conserving one of the most valuable resources on Earth. Transportation is another essential part of modern life that has a significant impact on the environment. For example, walking, bicycling, taking public transport can help reduce smog caused by gasoline emissions from cars, which is a serious problem in many cities. Sustainable transportation will lead to the creation of Sustainable Cities and Communities in the future.
A healthy planet is only part of the SDGs; human-centered goals, such as education and opportunities for all, also play a major role in sustainability. This can be done in numerous ways, such as volunteering, making donations to local charities and community centers, mentoring younger generations, and participating in social or school events. Being socially active is one of the best ways of achieving not only Good Health and Well-being but also Quality Education, Gender Equality, Reduced Inequalities, and Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions.
Ecological and social values are deeply interconnected, and this is reflected in the SDGs. While working towards the SDGs can sometimes create the impression that only governments can make a difference or that individuals must make big changes in their lives, the truth is that different stakeholders, including businesses, academia, civil society, and governments, can work together to achieve the goals. Everyone has their own role in becoming truly sustainable. While a teacher can contribute to the SDGs by engaging students in different initiatives and projects, a business can revamp its operations to become a truly responsible and sustainable entity. The role of different stakeholders in attaining the SDGs is indispensable, although their roles may be different. At the same time, while individuals may think that their role in achieving the SDGs is minuscule, they should strive to become agents of change.
Understanding one's role in sustainability is as important as understanding the goals themselves. When it comes to following through on one's role, it is helpful to remember that while one individual may not be able to make a difference, together, people can truly change society for the better. However, individuals should not feel overwhelmed by the prospect of attaining all 17 goals. Instead, they should take it slow and make incremental changes in their lives, remembering that every choice and every action has consequences. For example, most individuals can reduce their impact on the environment by avoiding waste, being conscious of their energy use, not being wasteful, and buying local goods when possible. These actions then contribute to the attainment of multiple SDGs, such as Clean Water and Sanitation, Zero Hunger, Responsible Consumption and Production, Affordable and Clean Energy, Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, and Sustainable Cities and Communities. A teacher who volunteers to educate their students about the SDGs makes a major contribution to the creation of a sustainable future. Finally, individuals who run businesses can also participate in sustainable development by reducing their companies’ impact on the environment and becoming socially responsible.
The SDGs are actually a wonderful vision for the future of humankind. They are important because they connect people, businesses, and even governments in the common goal of making the world a better place in the future. Individuals may think that they play a small role in sustainable development, but they are always bigger than they appear. Sustainable development thinking is applicable in all walks of life, from academia and business to everyday life. After all, even the most powerful forces in the world were once just concepts on paper.
References
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Kioumarsi, H., & Liu, B. (2025). Celebrating World Cancer Day: Innovative Biological Approaches to Cancer and their Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Biological procedures online, 27(1), 3. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12575-025-00263-8
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