What Sustainable Development Solutions Network does

The Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2012 by former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon and economist Jeffrey Sachs, operating under the auspices of the UN Secretary-General to mobilize global knowledge institutions around the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Agreement. SDSN coordinates a network of 2,100+ member institutions, primarily universities, organized through 59 National and Regional Networks across Africa, the Americas, Asia & Pacific, Europe, and the Middle East. Headquartered in New York with regional offices in Paris, Kuala Lumpur, and Addis Ababa, the organization employs 51-100 staff and is led by Jeffrey Sachs as President.

SDSN's core outputs span four product families: (1) flagship analytical publications including the annual Sustainable Development Report covering all 193 UN Member States and the World Happiness Report with Gallup and Oxford; (2) the SDG Academy, a free online education platform delivering 50+ courses via EdX to over one million learners across 190+ countries; (3) data and policy platforms including the SDG Transformation Center and SDGs Today built with Esri, the FABLE Consortium across 29 countries, and the FELD Programme for food and land-use monitoring; and (4) convening and advisory bodies including the Council of Engineers for the Energy Transition (CEET, co-chaired with UNIDO), the Global Commission on Urban SDG Finance, the GBA-ASEAN Initiative, and the Lancet COVID-19 and Pathfinder Commissions.

SDSN generates no commercial revenue. Its financial model relies on philanthropic foundation grants (Bezos Earth Fund, Gates, Moore, Hewlett, Jeffrey Cheah), bilateral and multilateral government funding (BMWK, UK FCDO, European Commission, World Bank, UNDP, UNESCO, UNOPS), EU Horizon Europe and Erasmus+ project grants, and contributions from member academic institutions. Membership, courses, and reports are provided free of charge; the organization monetizes only through restricted and unrestricted grants supporting specific programs and core operations.

Name

Sustainable Development Solutions Network

Legal name

SDSN Association, Inc.

Website

https://unsdsn.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

UN-affiliated nonprofit founded in 2012 by Ban Ki-Moon and Jeffrey Sachs that coordinates 2,100+ member institutions across 59 national and regional networks to advance the SDGs through research, the Sustainable Development Report, World Happiness Report, and the SDG Academy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Philanthropic Foundation Grants: Funding from philanthropic foundations including Bezos Earth Fund, Gates Foundation, Gordon & Betty Moore Foundation, William & Flora Hewlett Foundation, and others. These provide core operational and programmatic support.
2. Government Partnerships: Bilateral and multilateral government partners including Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Klimaschutz (BMWK), UK Government FCDO, European Commission, World Bank, UNDP, UNESCO, UNOPS, and various national governments providing project-specific and core funding.
3. Academic Institution Contributions: Contributions from member institutions including University of Tokyo, Columbia University, Sunway University, and other academic partners supporting network operations and research.
4. Project-Specific Grants: EU-funded projects including Horizon Europe and Erasmus+ programmes such as UNICO, CARMINE, CATALYST, ARSINOE, and IMPETUS for specific climate and sustainability initiatives.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

SDSN operates a global knowledge network that mobilizes over 2,100 member institutions (primarily universities) across 59 National and Regional Networks on six continents to advance the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement. Its core deliverables include free open-access online education through the SDG Academy, flagship annual research publications (the Sustainable Development Report and the World Happiness Report), policy analysis and science-based pathways on climate, food and land-use, cities, and finance, and the SDG Transformation Center and SDGs Today data and analytics platforms.

Product overview

The UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) operates as a multi-platform knowledge network that mobilizes global expertise to advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Paris Agreement. The organization functions as a platform-plus-initiatives model, coordinating over 2,100 member institutions across 59 national and regional networks. Core products include: the SDG Academy for online education serving over 1 million learners; the SDG Transformation Center and SDGs Today for data and analytics; the World Happiness Report published annually with Oxford and Gallup; the FABLE Consortium and FELD Programme for food and land-use analysis; the Council of Engineers for the Energy Transition (CEET) for climate action; the Global Climate Hub for decarbonization solutions; the GBA-ASEAN Initiative for regional cooperation; Global Schools and Mission 4.7 for education; and SDSN Youth for youth engagement. The network also produces the annual Sustainable Development Report tracking all 193 UN Member States' SDG progress.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SDG Academy SDSN's flagship education initiative delivering free online courses on sustainable development from world-leading experts, serving learners globally through the edX platform.
• World Happiness Report Annual landmark publication ranking and analyzing global happiness levels using Gallup survey data, produced in partnership with Gallup and the University of Oxford.
• Sustainable Development Report (SDR) Annual flagship report providing the SDG Index and Dashboards with comprehensive assessment of all 193 UN Member States' performance on the 17 SDGs.
• SDG Transformation Center Platform launched with Esri providing science-based instruments and peer-to-peer learning on next-generation SDG policy tools, analytics, and long-term pathways.
• SDGs Today Geospatial data initiative in partnership with Esri and National Geographic Society providing interactive data products on SDG progress.
• FABLE Consortium Collaborative initiative across 29 countries translating food and land-use policies into quantitative targets and actionable strategies.
• FELD Programme SDSN-led initiative systematically monitoring and assessing progress on national food and land-use policies.
• Global Schools Program Program supporting primary and secondary schools with evidence-informed training and classroom resources for integrating sustainable development.
• Mission 4.7 Multistakeholder initiative advocating for transformative education for sustainable development and global citizenship at all levels of learning.
• Global Masters in Development Practice (MDP) Program Consortium of over 40 Master's programs that empower development practitioners with interdisciplinary tools for sustainable development challenges.
• The World in 2050 (TWI2050) Global research initiative developing pathways toward sustainable futures and policy frameworks for implementing the SDGs.
• Council of Engineers for the Energy Transition (CEET) Global high-level body of engineers and energy systems experts, co-chaired with UNIDO, building coalitions to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.
• Net Zero on Campus Initiative Program with guides and toolkits helping universities and colleges accelerate climate action plans, supported by the EU Erasmus+ UNICO project.
• SDSN Global Climate Hub Hub providing science-based recommendations for combating the climate crisis through country-specific action plans and decarbonization toolkits.
• Decarbonization Pathways Research program providing jurisdictions with pathways and tools to decarbonize their economies at various scales.
• GBA-ASEAN Initiative (GAI) Platform fostering collaboration between China's Greater Bay Area and ASEAN countries on business, policy, and applied research for sustainable development.
• Global Commission on Urban SDG Finance High-level group of mayors, experts, city networks, and scholars providing recommendations for SDG-aligned urban financing.
• UN-Habitat Partnership on the Future of Cities Global platform with UN-Habitat for collaboration, research, and strategic dialogue on the future evolution of cities and urban life.
• High-Level Group on the SDG Stimulus Plan High-level group convening development finance experts to address inefficiencies in responding to pandemic, debt, climate, and development crises.
• SDSN Youth One of the world's largest networks of young leaders embedded in national and regional networks to localize SDGs and implement practical solutions.
• Lancet COVID-19 Commission Commission providing practical evidence-based solutions for governments, civil society, and UN institutions to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Lancet Pathfinder Commission Commission accelerating a just transition to net zero by providing practical, evidence-based pathways that bring benefits to health.
• ASEAN Green Future (AGF) Joint project with ClimateWorks Centre at Monash University informing ASEAN policymakers on sustainable, decarbonized economies.
• Global Happiness Council Global network of academic specialists and practitioners in happiness, led by Jeffrey Sachs, that identifies and shares best practices to advance well-being.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1 million learners reached through SDG Academy from 190+ countries
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

AI capability2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey UN agency partner for joint SDG implementation, policy analysis, and development programming globally.
• Esri (Environmental Systems Research Institute)majorTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partner for SDG Transformation Center and SDGs Today, providing GIS mapping and data visualization technology.
• GallupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partner for World Happiness Report, providing global survey data and analytics for happiness research.
• University of Oxford Wellbeing Research CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner for World Happiness Report, providing research expertise and editorial leadership for global happiness analysis.
• Columbia UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHome institution of SDSN President Jeffrey Sachs; hosts Earth Institute and provides academic research support.
• Siemens EnergymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate partner for 'Universities for Goal 13' initiative and climate action programs.
• Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUN agency partner for food systems, agriculture, and land-use sustainable development programs.
• UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-chairs the Council of Engineers for the Energy Transition (CEET) with SDSN under UN Secretary-General auspices.
• Sunway University (Malaysia)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosts SDSN Asia headquarters and provides regional leadership for Asia-Pacific network operations.
• Addis Ababa University (Ethiopia)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosts SDSN Africa Center, providing institutional base for African network coordination.
• Education Above All FoundationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for Financing for Education initiative, supporting education system transformation and SDG 4 implementation.
• SustainChainmajorTechnology or IntegrationPublic service platform partnership for scaling sustainable development solutions and actions across the SDSN network.
• National Geographic SocietymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for SDGs Today, advancing production and use of timely geospatial data for the SDGs.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• World Economic Forum (WEF): Large international organization convening multistakeholder networks (governments, business, academia, civil society) on global issues, including SDGs and climate. Comparable to SDSN in community-led GTM model, leadership network and flagship report/convening power, though much broader in agenda.
• United Nations Development Programme (UNDP): UN's primary development agency and an SDSN core partner. Operates at much greater scale and across direct program delivery; comparable to SDSN on SDG monitoring, country-level policy advisory and convening — making it both a partner and a peer in SDG intellectual agenda-setting.
• Global Reporting Initiative (GRI): Independent standards organization for sustainability reporting used by businesses and governments globally. Comparable to SDSN as a science/policy standard-setter with foundation funding and global reach, with overlapping relevance on corporate sustainability frameworks and SDG accountability.

Direct peers

• International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED): Independent policy research organization working on climate, sustainable markets, urban and governance issues with strong local-partner networks in developing countries — overlapping with SDSN's National/Regional Networks model and sustainable development research-to-policy translation.
• World Resources Institute (WRI): Global research organization working at the intersection of environment, climate, and sustainable development. Highly comparable to SDSN in its role producing policy-relevant research (e.g., CAIT, ResourceWatch) and convening governments and multilaterals on SDGs and climate.
• Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI): Independent research institute delivering environmental and sustainable development policy analysis across climate, water, energy and gender. Comparable to SDSN in funding model (foundation/grants), geographic span and policy-advisory role to UN agencies and governments.
• International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD): Independent research organization producing policy analysis on sustainable development, trade, investment and climate — overlapping with SDSN's mission to translate sustainability research into actionable policy pathways for governments and multilaterals.
• ClimateWorks Foundation: Global philanthropy-focused climate organization that funds and convenes networks to scale climate solutions. Comparable to SDSN in network coordination, foundation funding model and science-based policy pathways — particularly overlapping in the Decarbonization Pathways and Global Climate Hub programs.

Regional players

• International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA): Intergovernmental agency supporting countries in their transition to sustainable energy, with comparable mandate to SDSN's CEET, Global Climate Hub and Decarbonization Pathways programs in producing science-based recommendations to governments on energy transition.

Emerging players

• Earth Institute, Columbia University: Columbia University research initiative founded and led by Jeffrey Sachs before SDSN was established. Strongly comparable to SDSN given shared leadership, shared SDG research agenda, and founding institutional relationship between the two organizations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/unsdsn
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/UNSDSN
• Facebookfacebook.com/UNSDSN
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/unsdsn

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sustainable Development Solutions Network