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The UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) has recently released the Networks in Action (NiA) Report-2026, which presented the latest innovative and impactful solutions led by the SDSN’s national and regional networks to accelerate progress on sustainable development. European Nordic countries continue to lead on the global SDGs, driven by long-standing social reforms and strong welfare systems.
Background
Produced by the SDSN’s Networks Program, the NiA is a biennial publication that presents innovative solutions and partnerships led by the SDSN’s 60 national and regional networks worldwide to accelerate progress on sustainable development. The report shows the impact that these networks have made over the past two years, including promoting solutions and localizing the SDGs in their countries and regions; engaging with knowledge institutions and youth; improving education for the SDGs; and developing publications and events.
The NiA also features flagship network events and partnerships, including the annual Network Managers workshop, the biennial University Presidents Meetings (UPM), the Greater Bay Area-ASEAN Initiative (GAI), the Universities for Goal 13 student competition, the SDSN’s partnership with SustainChain, etc.
As the SDSN nears its 15th anniversary in 2027, the program invites all interested partners visions towards continued cooperative efforts in accelerating progress on sustainable development around the world.
More on the SDSN
The Networks in Action (NiA) report showcases the initiatives and partnerships being led by the SDSN’s national and regional networks to accelerate progress on the SDGs.
The 2026 report focuses on the impact that the global networks have had over the past two years (from summer 2024 to spring 2026): from their efforts to localize the SDGs in their countries and regions, to engagements with the academic communities and youth, to improving education for sustainable development, to promotion of viable solutions initiatives and publications.
As the world deals with ever-increasing obstacles to sustainable development, including climate change impacts, global conflicts, economic fragmentation, chronic underfinancing, and societal polarization, the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) is unwavering in its efforts to accelerate the SDGs implementation.
With its global network of over 2,200 organizations from 160 countries, the SDSN is closely working with its partners to advance SDG progress.
During the final four years of the 2030 Agenda, the world-wide 17 SDGs continue to serve as the global “universal blueprint for addressing poverty, inequality, climate change and the planets’ long-term viability”.
Source: https://files.unsdsn.org/SDSN%20Networks%20in%20Action%20-%202026.pdf
Main NiA report’s features
The report highlighted the following actions during the last two years:
= In 2026, SDSN Kenya, in collaboration with FOLU Kenya and the County Government of Nakuru, convened a diverse group of stakeholders in Nakuru City for the “Land Use Planning, Food Systems and Policy Dialogue.” The forum presented and validated key findings from a study on spatial land use analysis and policy integration.
More in: https://www.unsdsn.org/news/driving-climate-resilient-food-systems-in-kenya-s-nakuru-county-a-step-toward-integrated-policy-and-sustainable-land-use/https://www.unsdsn.org/news/driving-climate-resilient-food-systems-in-kenya-s-nakuru-county-a-step-toward-integrated-policy-and-sustainable-land-use/
= In 2025, SDSN Canada’s host institution, the University of Calgary, with the Government of Canada’s SDG Unit and a national organizing committee, hosted a hybrid conference which drew 500+ registrants, including 247 in person and 162 online, engaging youth, indigenous peoples, community leaders, governments and industry.
More in: https://sdsncanada.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/ENG-2025-Together-Ensemble-Report.pdf
= Led by Universidad Veracruzana and UNAM, and sponsored by SDSN Mexico, the Inter-institutional College on Climate Change (ICCC) was launched in April 2026 as a platform for high-level training programs focused on climate change, mainly for members of higher education institutions.
Source: https://cicc.sdsnmexico.mx/
= In 2025, SDSN Kazakhstan participated in a workshop organized by the Economic Research Institute (ERI) to discuss the draft of Kazakhstan’s Voluntary National Review (VNR) 2025 and share its perspective on Kazakhstan’s sustainable development journey.
Source: https://www.unsdsn.org/news/sdsn-kazakhstan-joins-workshop-on-kazakhstan-s-draft-voluntary-national-review-2025/
= In October 2025, SDSN Philippines hosted the first in its series of national roadshows, “Localizing SDG Solutions: Knowledge Partnerships for a Sustainable Future,” in Iloilo City with experts from academia, local and national government and the social sector.
More in: https://www.sdsnphilippines.com/sdsn-philippines-presents-the-western-visayas-roadshow
General reference and citations from: https://www.unsdsn.org/news/launch-of-the-2026-networks-in-action-report/?mc_cid=d3ff6a6ea7
Sustainable education: EU’s efforts
The EU-wide “fair, green and just invest” program is oriented towards well‑being of all its citizens while safeguarding planetary health. An inclusive and future‑oriented education system that equips learners with the competences, values and opportunities needed to thrive can strengthen social cohesion, build resilience and improve quality of life.
It can also contribute to a more diverse workforce, helping to close economic and skills gaps, particularly those emerging in Europe’s green and digital economy.
The link between inclusion and sustainability in education was explored during two meeting of the “Working Group on Schools: Learning for Sustainability” in April 2025. Discussions focused on how education policies and practices can be designed to advance equity, support underrepresented learners and contribute to building a more just, sustainable and socially cohesive society.
Reference to: European Commission. Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture. “Inclusive education and learning for sustainability – Key messages”. Publications Office of the European Union, 2026, https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2766/0062749.
Artificial intelligence and data is actively used in teaching and learning for educators. Understanding and using artificial intelligence (AI) in education in an ethical and responsible way has become increasingly urgent. Since the first version of these guidelines was published in 2022, there has been an exponential growth in the use of AI by teachers and learners following the wave triggered by public access to generative AI (GenAI).
This rapid uptake has created new opportunities and growing challenges for teachers, schools and the wider community. From a regulatory perspective, the European Artificial Intelligence Act (2024) also has important implications for education. Alongside the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), it provides a legal framework based on a classification of risks that schools and teachers must take into account when introducing AI tools into learning and school life.
Source: European Commission. Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture. “Guidelines on the ethical use of artificial intelligence and data in teaching and learning for educators – Updated”. Publications Office of the European Union, 2026, in: https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2766/7967834
Generative artificial intelligence (genAI) is a new class of AI systems that can generate original content in response to user prompts. This includes text, images, audio, video, computer code and data analyses. Unlike traditional AI systems, which are mainly designed to classify information, recognize patterns, or make predictions, genAI produces new material that resembles human-created content.
GenAI is taking the world by storm: earlier waves of digital integration in different spheres of society and the economy (such as the arrival of the personal computer or the internet) have been surpassed by the current uptake of genAI, which can effectively create new content that is hardly distinguishable from human-created content.
The world of education has been particularly influenced by both promises and risks, which genAI presents for students, teachers, parents and school administrations. In addition, given its novel nature and fast pace of development, genAI might also bring unexpected effects on education, which are currently not foreseen by anyone. The technology’s advantages include the possibility to enrich teaching and learning methods – for example through the possible use as a personalised tutor, individualised support to students with special needs, or a much-needed administrative-burden-relief to overworked teachers.
Criticism focuses on the risks related to its use, like the challenges it brings to academic integrity, potential for cognitive overreliance of its users, or data privacy and ethical issues. In other words, generative AI can be both a friend and a foe to the educational landscape. Whether genAI is beneficial for learning outcomes ultimately depends on how the technology is used. Experimental studies demonstrate that when genAI is used to augment human knowledge and students engage constructively with it, this is associated with higher learning outcomes. Conversely, when students use genAI mechanically, taking information that is generated at face value and not augmenting with their own understanding, this can result in lower learning outcomes. This important result has been confirmed in the recent PISA 2025 survey.
Source and citation from: European Commission. Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture. Stoyanov N. “Friend or foe? Evidence from the use of generative artificial intelligence in learning and teaching”. Publications Office of the European Union, 2026, in: https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2766/0227990
Nordic countries’ sustainability progress
In 2025, the SDSN Northern Europe organisation published the first Nordic Sustainable Development Report and presented the findings to working groups within the Nordic Council of Ministers. The Nordic countries continue to lead Europe on the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), driven by long-standing social reforms and strong welfare systems.
But the progress has stagnated, and significant environmental challenges, combined with large negative international spillovers, threaten the region’s sustainability trajectory. The Nordic Sustainable Development Report 2025 has presented the first comprehensive assessment of SDG performance across Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden.
The report draws on 111 indicators from the Europe Sustainable Development Report, assessing national SDG performance and international spillovers. The analysis also includes the Leave-No-One-Behind Index on inequalities, where Nordic countries maintain their leading position, with all five nations ranking at the top in Europe.
While the Nordic region maintains the highest average SDG Index score in Europe, the report shows that progress on several environmental goals has stalled and that climate action, sustainable consumption and production, and the protection of ecosystems stand out as areas where all Nordic countries face major challenges.
The gap between strong domestic SDG performance and the region’s environmental and social spillovers is particularly striking. Nordic consumption continues to drive greenhouse gas emissions, resource use, and social risks beyond the region’s borders. “The high ranking of the Nordic countries reflects a century of social reforms rather than accelerating progress in recent years. Our findings clearly show that the Nordics are in a state of stagnation, while the global spillover effects remain substantial”
One goal stands out: Responsible Consumption and Production (SDG 12), where the average Nordic score is only 47.8 percent. Significant challenges also remain for climate action (SDG 13) and biodiversity-related goals (SDG 14 and 15) for all Nordic countries.
Opinions about the report
= “This report confirms what we also see in other international research. The environmental challenges facing the Nordic countries are greater than what is reported in the public debate. Several measurements indicate that the pressure on climate, oceans, and ecosystems is even more extensive than what the national statistics suggest. This makes this report’s message all the more urgent”, says Katherine Richardson, Co-chair of SDSN Northern Europe and Professor at the University of Copenhagen.
= Holger Wallbaum, Co-chair of SDSN Northern Europe and Professor at Chalmers University of Technology, notes that the findings mirror a broader European trend.” The Nordics started from a strong position, which explains their high rankings. But the actual pace of improvement has been slow for more than a decade. Addressing the environmental and lifestyle-related challenges is crucial if the region is to maintain its leading position.”
Source and citations from: https://www.unsdsn.org/news/major-cross-border-impacts-threaten-nordic-sustainability-progress/
Note about SDSN Northern Europe. The group is part of the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network (UN SDSN), a worldwide initiative operating under the auspices of the UN Secretary-General. The network mobilises the world’s largest knowledge community to advance action on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Climate Agreement. Launched in 2016, the SDSN Northern Europe focuses on accelerating SDG progress within the Northern Europe region. It operates in alignment with the global SDSN’s objectives while tailoring its work to the specific challenges and opportunities of Northern Europe.