The SDGs and Engineering in Action

Engineering’s role in the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.

Engineering the SDGs

The 17 Sustainable Development Goals, adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015 as the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, set a shared blueprint for people and the planet. They built on the eight Millennium Development Goals of 2000–2015.

Engineering is a major driver of sustainable socio-economic development: from securing food and water to communicating, moving and surviving disasters. The world is not on track to reach the goals by 2030, and engineers are at the forefront of delivering them.

Each edition’s focus

2026: SDG 9

Hackathon 2027: SDG 3SDG 7SDG 9SDG 11

Source: About the SDGs; The 17 SDG Goals. Read 13 October 2026.

The 17 goals

1No Poverty1 organisation
2Zero Hunger1 organisation
3Good Health and Well-being1 organisation · Hackathon 2027
4Quality Education4 organisations
5Gender Equality1 organisation
6Clean Water and Sanitation10 organisations
7Affordable and Clean Energy14 organisations · Hackathon 2027
8Decent Work and Economic Growth5 organisations
9Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure13 organisations · Hackathon 2027
10Reduced Inequalities1 organisation
11Sustainable Cities and Communities2 organisations · Hackathon 2027
12Responsible Consumption and Production8 organisations
13Climate Action5 organisations
14Life Below Water1 organisation
15Life on Land2 organisations
16Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions0 organisations
17Partnerships for the Goals0 organisations

Each goal has its own page on worldengineeringday.net, e.g. SDG 9 (on worldengineeringday.net).

Engineering in Action

Stories of engineering innovation and its real-world impact, from 65 organisations, grouped by the SDGs they advance.

65 organisations

Source: Engineering in Action; partner listings and their SDG tags. Read 13 October 2026.