Central government’s work on the 2030 Agenda
(RiR 2025:22)
Summary
The Swedish National Audit Office has examined whether the central government’s implementation of the 2030 Agenda has been effective. This audit focuses on whether the Government’s and agencies’ implementation of the 2030 Agenda, through policy coherence for sustainable development, has added value to existing sustainability efforts in Sweden.
When work began in 2016, Sweden’s global performance on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the 2030 Agenda was already highly ranked. However, since then, Sweden’s performance has not increased appreciably, despite the Government and Riksdag having expressed high ambitions to implement the 2030 Agenda. The overall conclusion of the Swedish National Audit Office’s audit is that the central government’s work on the 2030 Agenda has not been effective. While the audit is unable to demonstrate that more effective endeavours to implement the 2030 Agenda would have led to even greater progress, the conditions for achieving this would have been better.
The audit reveals several major shortcomings in the central government’s work on the 2030 Agenda. The most important shortcoming is the Government’s failure to identify a clear direction for Sweden’s implementation of the 2030 Agenda. The audit also shows that the Government has not directed government agencies and other actors in a way that would have enabled them to help achieve the SDGs. Furthermore, it is the assessment of the Swedish National Audit Office that the Government has failed to arrange comprehensive follow-up of Sweden’s progress on the 2030 Agenda. Likewise, the Government’s report to the Riksdag on its 2030 Agenda work is not satisfactory. Finally, the Swedish National Audit Office considers that the Government has not provided the means for greater policy coherence in line with the objective decided by the Riksdag on the 2030 Agenda.
Work of the Government and agencies on the 2030 Agenda is ineffective
The Swedish National Audit Office’s assessment is that the Government’s work on the 2030 Agenda has not been effective. For example, the Government has failed to identify Sweden’s priorities for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. The audit shows that, although the Government developed a comprehensive knowledge base ahead of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, few proposals have been translated into actual governance. The Government’s organisation of its work has been sporadic and, over time, the Government’s level of ambition has declined and coordination has weakened. As a result, structures have not been established with the long-term approach that sustainability-related efforts demand.
The audit shows that government agencies have taken the implementation of the 2030 Agenda seriously and, in many cases, attempted to integrate its perspective into their operations. On the other hand, the Sustainable Development Goals and targets have not had any major guiding impact on their operations. The Government has not actively directed government agencies and other actors towards increasing SDG achievement, meaning that agencies were not given conditions to contribute to achievement. In general, government agencies have not taken any new measures beyond the work already in progress to increase achievement of the SDGs.
Follow-up of 2030 Agenda is inadequate
The Swedish National Audit Office assesses that the Government has not arranged a comprehensive status follow-up of Sweden’s work on the 2030 Agenda – there is no easy way to follow Sweden’s progress on the SDGs. The Swedish National Audit Office assesses that the Government’s management of Statistics Sweden has been sporadic and ambiguous. Statistics Sweden and other government agencies concerned have worked on the national follow-up and developed relevant indicators. When Statistics Sweden’s government assignment ended, the agency concluded its work and shut down the website where results could be monitored.
The Swedish National Audit Office also considers that the Government’s reporting to the Riksdag on Sweden’s implementation of the 2030 Agenda has been inadequate. For example, the Government has not sufficiently clearly described the efforts required to better achieve the SDGs. The audit also shows that the Government’s ambition in its reporting to the Riksdag has declined over the audited period and that the Government’s latest report is incomplete.
Ambitions to achieve policy coherence have decreased rather than increased since the 2030 Agenda was introduced
The Swedish National Audit Office considers that the Government has not provided the means for implementing greater policy coherence in line with the objective decided by the Riksdag on the 2030 Agenda. The Government has not regularly analysed synergies and conflicting objectives. Neither has it established administrative structures as would be needed to improve coherence. The audit also reveals that the division of responsibilities for policy coherence between ministries has been unclear. In addition, the Government has reinterpreted the very concept of coherence, which has led to less ambitious efforts, despite the opposite intent expressed in the objective decided by the Riksdag.
Recommendations
The Swedish National Audit Office’s recommendations to the Government are presented below.
- Define, more clearly, priorities in 2030 Agenda-related work to indicate the policy areas in which further measures are needed for Sweden to better achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and targets.
- Clarify, in its governance of agencies, the responsibility of the latter for implementing the 2030 Agenda.
- Ensure the existence of follow-up that provides the public and the Riksdag with a comprehensive and relevant overview of Sweden’s implementation of the 2030 Agenda.
- Analyse and report on conflicting objectives and on synergies in policy coherence for global and sustainable development.