In October 2020, ITC, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the European University Institute, the University of Amsterdam and the German Development Institute launched the report, “Linking voluntary standards to Sustainable Development Goals” during the Geneva Trade Week. The report marks the most in-depth research to date on specific links between sustainable practices required by Voluntary Sustainability Standards (VSS) and the SDGs at the centre of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable development.

The data in this report stems from the Standards Map database from the T4SD Programme. Researchers tracked the extent to which sustainable practices promoted by voluntary standards align with the targets contained in the SDGs.

The report findings will be a useful resource for standard-setting organizations, policymakers, suppliers and leading firms, as they strive to implement more responsible value chains aligned with the SDGs.