In this review, we explored how sustainable development is progressing across different sectors of society—from the food system to health and well-being.
Client: Prime Minister’s Office
Implementation period: 2023–2024
Why was the work done?
Is Finland a model country for sustainable development? We supported the Prime Minister’s Office in assessing how sustainable development has advanced in Finland and how the country is contributing to the global implementation of Agenda 2030.
The UN’s Agenda 2030 is a shared roadmap for a sustainable future, adopted by the international community. Together with other UN member states, Finland has committed to implementing the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
In Finland, the state of sustainable development is monitored through seven “transformation areas” outlined in the Finnish National Commission on Sustainable Development’s 2022 strategy.
Over 2023 and 2024, Kaskas conducted a follow-up based on this strategy, examining progress in sustainable development across sectors such as the food system, health, and well-being.
Progress was tracked across the strategy’s seven transformation areas. The work involved close collaboration with the Sustainable Development Monitoring Group, the Sustainable Development Commission, the Government Sustainability Network, the Expert Panel for Sustainable Development, and Youth Agenda 2030.
How was the monitoring carried out?
We interviewed experts and researchers from each transformation area, reviewed current research, and examined the underlying data behind sustainable development indicators and metrics.
We identified both promising and concerning trends, and gathered insights on what actions and changes are needed in society to move closer to the sustainable development goals. These findings were refined in workshops with the monitoring group and secretariat.
The outcome was a series of seven articles, each aligned with a transformation area:
- A wellbeing-driven economy, work, and sustainable consumption
- Land, water, and forest use that supports biodiversity and carbon neutrality
- A sustainable energy system
- Health, well-being, and social inclusion
- Education, skills, and sustainable lifestyles
- A food system that supports well-being
- Finland’s global role in advancing Agenda 2030
We created infographics to illustrate key phenomena and summarized notable trends with key figures. Sustainable development can be abstract—so we used visuals and data to make complex issues comprehensible and relatable.