Communicating Sustainability: An Analysis of the 2017 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Report

This MRP provides an analysis of the communication strategy of the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) in an attempt to better understand the role of communication in sustainable development. In 2014, UN Member States put forth the SDGs, following the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), serving as renewed targets for the global population from 2015-2030 (Miller-Dawkins, 2014). The SDGs and their ambitious yet transformational agenda aim to promote prosperity for all of humankind, while protecting our planet. This MRP establishes how the goals of the SDG campaign are being communicated in the Sustainable Development Goals Report 2017 (SDG Report 2017). The report is released annually based on the latest available data and provides a snapshot of the efforts to date. In addition to exploring how the report is designed and communicated, this MRP will result in a list of recommendations for future international communication initiatives. These recommendations are informed by the literature review touching on the changing nature of international development and communication while also applying and linking three key areas of theoretical discourse: Knowledge Translation, Hofstede’s (2003) cultural dimensions, and concepts of Framing Analysis.