BASIC INFORMATION
SwitzerlandFriday, 18 July 2025
The 2030 Sustainable Development Strategy (SDS) sets out the guidelines for the Federal Council’s (government) sustainability policy and establishes sustainable development as an important requirement for all federal policy areas. The Strategy has a timeframe of ten years until 2030. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development with its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) provides the reference framework.
The strategy is an instrument for coordination between policy areas and aims to make sustainable development a core component of the numerous sectoral activities. As a transversal strategy, it formulates guidelines for federal policy and sets goals for the period up to 2030, as well as strategic directions for domestic and foreign policy with corresponding political priorities.
The Federal Council has defined three priority topics: sustainable consumption and production; climate, energy and biodiversity; and equal opportunities and social cohesion.
The strategy also sets out how civil society, the private sector, financial markets and the education, research and innovation sectors can act as drivers of sustainable development, and describes the framework needed to achieve this. Finally, it also defines how the Federal Administration can contribute by setting an example.
The Federal Council has also adopted the 2024-2027 Action Plan on the 2030 SDS. This complements the existing federal instruments with specific measures in areas where there are still gaps or where there is a need for greater cross-sectoral cooperation.
Ministry: Federal Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications DETEC and Federal Department of Foreign Affairs FDFA.
Unit: Federal Office for Spatial Development ARE (Sustainable Development Section); State Secretariat (Prosperity and Sustainability Division).
Daniel Dubas, Delegate of the Federal Council for the 2030 Agenda.
Coordination Federal Administration
The interdepartmental 2030 Agenda Steering Committee coordinates within the federal administration on strategic issues, as well as on the internal and external policy dimensions of the 2030 Agenda. It also assumes cross-sectoral tasks related to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the 2030 SDS, as well as to reporting. In this context, it promotes the integration of the SDGs into sectoral policies and thereby contributes to improving policy coherence.
Two Federal Council delegates for the 2030 Agenda alternately chair the 2030 Agenda Steering Committee.
In addition, the Federal Council has set up a working group to ensure effective cooperation between the various federal services.
Coordination with subnational level
The federal government engages in a dialogue with the umbrella organizations for Switzerland’s cities and communes.
A special focus is placed on strengthening cooperation with the cantonal sustainability offices and officers, who also serve as the first point of contact for the municipalities. The ‘Cantonal Sustainable Development Network (CSDN) promotes sustainable development in Switzerland in line with the 2030 Agenda. To this end, it strengthens cooperation between the cantons, the federal government and the municipalities. The members of the association are representatives of the cantons' offices and agencies responsible for sustainable development.
Linkages between the federal, regional (cantons) and local levels of governance are also managed within the framework of the ‘Sustainable Development Forum’. The Forum ensures that the different levels of state authority remain in contact and exchange information. The Forum is convened once a year and keeps practitioners from all levels of government abreast of the current developments within and outside of Switzerland.
In addition, the federal government’s sustainable development funding programme also provides targeted support to initiatives that help strengthen sustainable development.
The online platform "Toolbox Agenda 2030 for Cantons and Municipalities” supports cantons and municipalities in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. Based on a collection of measures and examples, it shows how various cantons and municipalities are already implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Coordination with other Stakeholders
The “2030 Dialogue for Sustainable Development” exchange platform enables the federal government and stakeholder groups from science, business and civil society to exchange ideas and promotes the coordinated and effective implementation of the 2030 Agenda.
Finally, the Toolbox Agenda 2030 for businesses offers motivation, support and guidance for companies on their way to more sustainability. The Toolbox presents industry-specific sustainability goals and suitable measures to achieve them.
Spillovers
The above-mentioned Action Plan 2024-2027 contains a measure to analyze Switzerland's international positive and negative spillovers.
This measure seeks to further develop the existing approach to measuring Switzerland's international spillovers and to provide clear impetus for improving the statistical data situation.
Sustainable Development Forum: German | French | Italian
Sustainable development funding programme: German | French | Italian
Dialogue 2030 for Sustainable Development: German | French | Italian
Toolbox Agenda 2030 for Cantons and Municipalities: available in German | French | Italian
Toolbox Agenda 2030 - Businesses: German | French | Italian | English
Global dimension of Sustainable Development
In Switzerland, the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) coordinates the exchange of data with the UN. The stats_agenda2030 network ensures an efficient flow of data between the federal government and the UN agencies.
Switzerland has opted for a decentralized model, as many units of the federal government have maintained direct contacts with UN agencies for many years. Some 30 federal government units are involved in the production, delivery or validation of data for the IAEG-SDGs indicators alongside other Swiss actors.
National level
To monitor progress at the national level, the MONET 2030 indicator system gives an overview of sustainable development in Switzerland. Comprising over 100 indicators, it provides a picture of the progress made towards the 17 SDGs as well as in relation to the Federal Council’s 2030 sustainable development strategy and to certain topics specific to Switzerland.
The list of updated MONET 2030 indicator set.
Local level
Cantons and cities use the ‘Cercle Indicateurs’ as a common platform for indicators and monitoring on the local level. German | French | Italian
The indicator system comprises around 30 indicators structured around ten topics. The topics reflect relevant sustainability issues at the level of cities and cantons. In addition, it is possible to filter by the three dimensions of sustainable development and the 17 SDGs.
Reporting
Switzerland plays its part in international reporting on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, with the Federal Council preparing a country report for the UN (voluntary national review) in the middle of each legislative period. The first such country report was presented in 2018, the second in 2022 and the third will be presented at the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development in 2026. The Federal Council's report on the implementation of the 2030 Sustainable Development Strategy is an integral part of the country report.
In addition to their coordinating activities and representative role, the Delegates submit an annual report to the Federal Council on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.
Participation
The reports and strategies that the Federal Council produces as part of its work to implement the 2030 Agenda are subject to a broad-based consultation process. This is designed to ensure that the interests of stakeholders from outside the federal government are taken into account in the Federal Council’s planning.
The Swiss federal government has set up an advisory group to ensure effective cooperation with non-state actors. The group comprised of associations, civil society and academia is working closely with the federal government on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.