Sustainability Science Hub: Using data to drive action on the UN SDGs

What gets measured gets done, and progress in sustainability science is no different. Data has the power to advance the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and with an ambitious 2030 target, there are just eight years left to accelerate action and drive change.

But what kind of data? And does it signify real impact? How can we develop and leverage research and data to make a real difference?

By combining our unique insights in content, data and analytics with the networks and expertise of the research community, we can work together to develop tools to achieve significant progress.

There were an estimated 4.1 million scholarly papers related to the SDGs published in 2015-19 alone, meaning researchers and institutions are presented with a massive amount of data that is growing exponentially. To help them navigate this sea of information, we have produced analytics to better understand sustainability science, tracked the extent to which gender factors into SDG research, examined scholarly impact and collaboration — and made datasets available for everyone to use. As a company, we are proud signatories of the Climate Pledge, meaning we are accountable to achieve net zero carbon across all emissions by no later than 2040. to the rapid reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, aiming to achieve net zero emissions before 2050.

On our Sustainability Science Hub you can explore how data can produce critical insights into  climate, sustainability science, gender, medicine and more; find tools to help decision-makers make evidence-based interventions; and discover resources to fuel innovation that is fundamental to achieving a sustainable and equitable future.

Tools and data

Help identify research that advances the SDGs

Elsevier’s data science teams have worked with experts to create a Scopus search query for each SDG. With this SDG matching tool, you too can play a part in helping to identify publications relevant to each SDG.

Full details of the methodology and results for each SDG search query are freely available on Mendeley, and the research publications retrieved by these queries can be analyzed in SciVal.

Researchers and institutions can also use this tool in SciVal to help researchers and institutions track and demonstrate progress towards the targets of the SDGs.

Interactive information and education platforms

Video modules: Sustainable development goals for researchers

In these Researcher Academy modules, experts share how to make your research gender balanced, how to protect the environment while continuing your work, and other ways to help achieve the UN's Sustainable Development Goals through your work.

The Lancet Countdown : Tracking progress on health and climate change

The Lancet Countdown works to ensure that health is at the centre of how governments understand and respond to climate change. The Lancet's work ranges from ensuring policymakers have access to high-quality evidence-based guidance, through to providing the health profession with the tools they need to improve public health.

Read more here

The RELX SDG Resource Centre is a free interactive education platform with content curated from across the organization related to the UN's 17 SDGs. Features include a news tracker, published research and events. It was developed with our parent company, RELX.

Stories and resources related to the SDGs

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

The UN's third goal is to "ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages."

• Find out about our partnerships supporting global health
• Explore our SDG 3 initiatives

SDG 4: Quality Education

The UN's fourth goal is to "ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all."

• Find out about our partnerships supporting quality education
• Discover more about our ole in university-industry collaboration
• How we help universities track their societal impact and impact on the SDGs
• Helping to map research related to the SDGs

SDG 5: Gender Equality

The UN's fifth goal is to "achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls."

• Visit our Gender and Science Resource Center
• Find out about our partnerships supporting gender equality
• Explore our SDG 5 initiatives

SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

The UN's 10th goal is to "reduce inequality within and among countries."

• Learn about Research4Life
• Find out about our partnerships supporting reduced inequalities
• Explore our SDG 10 initiatives

SDG 13: Climate Action

The UN's 13th goal is to "Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts."

• Find out about our partnerships supporting Climate Action
• Explore our SDG 13 initiatives
• Our goals and climate action pledges
• Curated research in support of COP26

Climate change showcase

Explore a selection of Elsevier research relating to climate change and global warming, explained in plain language by professional science writers

Climate Action Hub

SSRN’s Climate Action hub highlights curated, early-stage research related to Earth’s climate changes due to global warming and the subsequent large-scale shifts in weather patterns, across many disciplines that may inform the ongoing conversation about climate change and global warming.

We are also signatories to the SDG Publishers Compact and have committed tobe Net Zero by 2040 at the latest. You can find out more about our commitments here.