2030 Agenda: Confederation, cantons, communes, business, academia and civil society discuss its effective implementation
Bern, 09.06.2026 — How can the 2030 Agenda's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) be effectively advanced in Switzerland? This question was the focus of an event held in Bern on 9 June 2026, organised by the FDFA's Prosperity and Sustainability Division, which included representatives from the cantons, communes, business, academia, civil society and the federal government. They had all contributed to Switzerland's country report on the 2030 Agenda, which was adopted by the Federal Council on 13 May 2026.
Switzerland's fourth country report sets out the status of implementation of the SDGs in Switzerland. Cantonal and communal authorities, commercial enterprises, research institutes and organisations all contributed to the report, entering the projects they have implemented or are implementing as part of the 2030 Agenda into the SDGital2030 digital platform. The country report also includes contributions from business, the financial sector, academia and civil society.
The Federal Council draws a mixed interim balance in the 2026 Country Report. Progress has been made in individual areas, for example in renewable energies, the circular economy and gender equality. However, the international environment, with its geopolitical tensions, multiple crises, increasing protectionism and growing funding gaps, makes it necessary for Switzerland to define even more precisely which sustainability goals should and can be implemented domestically and in what form.
Since the negotiations on the 2030 Agenda in 2015, Switzerland has adopted an approach to implementing the 17 SDGs that focuses on their practical realisation. This approach is also the basis of Switzerland's Sustainable Development Strategy 2030 (SDS 2030), with its three priority topics of sustainable consumption and production; climate, energy and biodiversity; and equal opportunities and social cohesion.
When adopting the fourth Switzerland 2026 country report on 13 May, the Federal Council emphasised that the 2030 Agenda remains an important frame of reference. It is the Federal Council's view that future implementation of the SDGs should focus even more strongly on those measures that have the greatest ecological, economic and social impact. Concrete feasibility should characterise the debate on which measures will be implemented under the SDS 2030. This debate must be conducted with all stakeholders.
Today's meeting in Bern therefore focused on the question of how the priority SDGs can be effectively implemented in Switzerland. Markus Reubi, the Federal Council's delegate for the 2030 Agenda at the FDFA, emphasised the potential of digital technologies in implementing the SDGs: “Used correctly, AI can provide opportunities for ecological, economic and social sustainability. In Switzerland, too, we need a debate that focuses on the opportunities and not just the risks.” The Federal Council sees further scope for action in dealing with demographic change, climate and biodiversity as well as resource-efficient management.
Mr Reubi will present Switzerland's country report at the UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development in New York. Some of Switzerland's city authorities will also be represented at a high level in the Swiss delegation.
Federal Council press release on Country Report 2026