Promoting the sustainable development goals in Germany

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This paper analyzes the German government's efforts at both the federal and state levels to translate the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development into actionable policies. It employs the concept of “policy coherence for sustainable development” (PCSD) to evaluate the country’s performance in promoting sustainable development domestically and internationally. PCSD, highlighted in SDG 17.3, emphasizes integrated decision-making as a key mechanism for implementing the transformative agenda. In Germany, federal ministries operate with a degree of independence, limiting the Chancellery's ability to unify them effectively. Coordination between federal and state levels presents additional challenges. Therefore, Germany must strike a balance between leveraging the transformative potential of the 2030 Agenda and addressing the unique governance dynamics of being a large federal republic. Achieving the agenda’s objectives necessitates capitalizing on established institutional processes while also introducing new reforms. The federal government must foster a “top-down” approach within its authority while actively promoting “bottom-up” initiatives from states, cities, local communities, and various societal actors to ensure comprehensive engagement in sustainable development efforts.