The Sustainable Development Goals are universal, applying to all nations, rich and poor alike. They have a 15-year time frame, like the Millennium Development Goals, thereby covering the period 2015 to 2030. The Sustainable Development Goals should address all four dimensions of sustainable development (economic, social, environmental, and governance) and set objectives for governments at all levels, as well as for business and civil society. Not every goal will be a “stretch goal” for every country. Rich countries, for instance, will have met goals related to ending extreme poverty. Yet all countries lag behind on some dimensions of sustainable development.

Business deserves special note as a principal engine for economic growth and job creation. The term “business” comprises a great diversity of organizations ranging from small shops to large multinational corporations and financial institutions. Collectively, businesses will develop and deliver many of the new technologies, organizational models, and management systems that are needed for sustainable development. Businesses also directly account for some two-thirds of natural resource use. If businesses embrace the Sustainable Development Goals and are supported by clear government policies and rules that align private incentives with sustainable development, then rapid positive change will become possible.¹ If businesses operate under values and incentives that are misaligned with the objectives of sustainable development, then the transformations outlined in this document will be impossible.

Similarly, sustainable development cannot occur without civil society doing its part. The Sustainable Development Goals are a guide and standard for civil society as well, including universities and other expert communities, non- governmental organizations (NGOs), philanthropies and foundations, environmental groups, social enterprises, and others. Each of these civil society actors will have their own distinctive role to play in support of the Sustainable Development Goals.