The quiet work of transformation – Science and engineering in the decisive leap to 2030

Scientific and Technological Community Major Group position paper for 2026 HLPF

Executive Summary: The quiet work of transformation –
Science and engineering in the decisive leap to 2030[1]

The evidence to deliver on the 2030 Agenda is clear, and the transformations required to achieve the SDGs are well established. The 2023 GSDR identifies six entry points capable of generating progress across the Agenda[2]: human well-being and capabilities; sustainable and just economies; sustainable food systems; energy decarbonization with universal access; urban and peri-urban development; and the global environmental commons. The SDGs under review in 2026 – 6, 7, 9, 11 and 17 – represent key domains through which these transformations can be advanced, including water governance, energy transitions, resilient infrastructure, sustainable urbanization and international partnerships.
Ambition is not lacking, but ambition alone does not generate systemic change. Global commitments are widely endorsed, yet pathways linking adoption, localization, financing, monitoring and institutional reform remain unclear[3]. In the final stretch to 2030 and beyond, strengthening coherent implementation chains connecting evidence, governance, investment and review will be decisive.
Scientific and engineering capacity underpins lasting system transformation. Political and economic forces shape development trajectories, but durable outcomes depend on institutional capability, adaptive learning, and technical design. Data systems, standards and governance frameworks determine whether investments translate into functioning infrastructure and sustained transitions. Science and engineering convert ambition into operational reality and help deliver essential services[4] for all by 2030.
International scientific cooperation and trust in scientific evidence are prerequisites for collective progress. Amid geopolitical tensions and growing constraints on scientific freedom, safeguarding international scientific collaboration and the right to participate in and benefit from science[5], is critical. Knowledge – including scientific knowledge – functions as a global public good, and sustained scientific cooperation remains central to SDG 17 and to enabling shared problem-solving and transformative collective action.
Bridging the “last mile” between knowledge and decision-making determines whether breakthroughs translate into impact. Despite significant scientific advances, financial and policy commitments have not consistently aligned with available evidence or leveraged scientific solutions at scale. Strengthening science-policy interfaces, advisory systems and knowledge brokerage can reduce the distance between discovery and deployment.
Interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary approaches are essential to deliver transformation at scale. Scientists and engineers increasingly contribute not only through research, but through engagement in policy design, standards-setting[6] and implementation partnerships. Initiatives such as the International Science Council’s Science Missions for Sustainability[7] illustrate how co-designed, solution-driven science can support progress across climate, biodiversity and social equity, while pointing to the need for sustained, problem-oriented investment aligned with global sustainability priorities[8].