SDGs – 17 Sustainable Development Goals

The 17 Sustainable Development Goals are the shared language of governments, companies and civil society to 2030, yet many reports stop at adding icons. On Sustainability 360° (Bền vững 360°), FTS CSRA experts set out all 17 goals, the 169 targets, suggested indicators for companies, how Vietnam localises the SDGs and how to link activities to the SDGs in a meaningful way.

FTS CSRA

2026-10-254 min read

Contents

Purpose and main structure
2.1. All 17 goals, number of targets and suggested business indicators
Who uses it and how
Practical example
Notes for use in Vietnam

SDGs – 17 Mục tiêu Phát triển bền vững · Ảnh: FTS CSRA

Overview and origin

Item	Details
Vietnamese name	17 Mục tiêu Phát triển bền vững (Chương trình nghị sự 2030 vì sự phát triển bền vững)
English name	Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
Issuer / administrator	Adopted by the UN General Assembly (Resolution A/RES/70/1, 25 September 2015). The global indicator framework is managed by the UN Statistical Commission. In Vietnam: the National Action Plan (Decision 622/QD-TTg, 2017).
Nature	A global political commitment, not legally binding; 17 goals, 169 targets and more than 230 global indicators.
Reference scope	All countries for 2016–2030; companies and organizations use it for strategy and to report their contribution.

The SDGs build on the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs, 2000–2015) but extend to environment, inequality and institutions, under the principle “Leave no one behind”. Vietnam localised them into 17 goals and 115 national targets (VSDGs), with a roadmap to 2030 and a statistical set of 145 indicators (Circular 02/2025/TT-BKHDT).

Purpose and main structure

Purpose: end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity and peace for all. Three tiers: 17 goals → 169 targets → more than 230 indicators; numbered targets (e.g., 8.7) are outcomes, lettered ones (e.g., 8.a) are means of implementation.

2.1. All 17 goals, number of targets and suggested business indicators

#	Goal	Targets	Example business indicator
1	End poverty in all its forms everywhere	7	Living wage; % workers with social insurance
2	End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture	8	Income of smallholder suppliers; % sustainably farmed inputs
3	Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages	13	LTIFR; % workers with periodic health checks
4	Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all	10	Average training hours per worker; scholarships
5	Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls	9	% women managers; gender pay gap
6	Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all	8	Water withdrawal; % wastewater treated to standard
7	Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all	5	% renewable energy; energy intensity
8	Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all	12	Jobs created; employee turnover
9	Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation	8	R&D spend/revenue; innovations
10	Reduce inequality within and among countries	10	Highest-to-median pay ratio; employees with disabilities
11	Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable	10	Certified green buildings; worker housing
12	Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns	11	% waste recycled; % recyclable packaging
13	Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts	5	Scope 1–2–3 emissions; reduction targets
14	Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources	10	% certified sustainable seafood; plastic leakage
15	Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, halt land degradation and biodiversity loss	12	% FSC-certified timber; area restored
16	Promote peaceful and inclusive societies, access to justice for all and effective, accountable and inclusive institutions	12	Confirmed corruption cases; % staff trained on business ethics
17	Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development	19	Public-private partnerships; taxes paid by country

Figure 1. The 17 Sustainable Development Goals and 169 targets (neutral palette, not the official icons). (AI-generated image) / Hình 1. 17 Mục tiêu Phát triển bền vững và tổng số 169 mục tiêu cụ thể (bảng màu trung tính, không dùng biểu tượng chính thức). (Ảnh do AI tạo)

Who uses it and how

Users: government agencies, companies, investors, civil society and universities. For companies, a common approach is the SDG Compass (GRI, UN Global Compact, WBCSD):

Understand the SDGs and the company's responsibility.
Define priorities: map the value chain to find the biggest positive and negative impacts.
Set specific goals with indicators, linked to SDG targets (e.g., 7.2, 8.7, 12.5).
Integrate them into strategy, processes and incentives.
Report and communicate with data (GRI, UN Global Compact CoP).

Figure 2. The five Ps of the 2030 Agenda with key global and Vietnamese SDG figures. (AI-generated image) / Hình 2. Năm trụ cột (5P) của Chương trình nghị sự 2030 và số liệu chính của SDGs toàn cầu, Việt Nam. (Ảnh do AI tạo)

Practical example

Hypothetical case: Coffee processor P (Dak Lak), sourcing from 4,000 farming households and exporting to the EU.

SDG target	Activity	Indicator
2.3 / 2.4	Training on regenerative farming, seedling support	Farmer yield and income; % area under sustainable practices
8.7	Child-labour checks during harvest	% of households checked; cases found and remediated
12.5	Coffee husks reused as organic fertiliser	% of by-products reused
13.2	Emissions inventory, switch to biomass dryers	tCO₂e per tonne of product
15.2	Deforestation-free traceability (for the EUDR)	% of volume with plot coordinates, deforestation-free

Instead of adding 17 icons, the company picks five targets where its impact is largest and measurable – a meaningful way to link to the SDGs.

Notes for use in Vietnam

Avoid “SDG-washing”: link to an SDG only with concrete activities, indicators and data; disclose negative impacts too.
Use the VSDGs: check against Vietnam's 115 national targets and 145 national statistical indicators to align with domestic priorities.
Link to other frameworks: GRI, IRIS+, the SDG Impact Standards and ISO/UNDP 53001 all provide SDG linkage guidance.
The final stretch to 2030: many global targets are off track; companies should prioritise goals they directly and measurably affect.
Do not use the official SDG icons commercially without following UN icon-use guidelines.