17 global goals. One better future.
Big challenges. Bigger questions. What can you do to make a difference?
The world faces challenges that affect millions of lives. The Sustainable Development Goals give us a shared roadmap to understand these problems and work towards a better future. Every goal starts with someone willing to ask the right questions.
Beyond AnswersInternational Student Thinking Championship
What are the SDGs?
17 goals. One shared responsibility.
The Sustainable Development Goals, also known as SDGs, are 17 interconnected global goals established by the United Nations. They address some of the world's biggest challenges, including poverty, hunger, education, inequality, climate change and environmental protection.
They give countries, communities and individuals a common direction to work towards a more sustainable, fair and better future by 2030.
Understand the world
Learn about the challenges affecting people, communities and our planet.
Think about solutions
Explore why these problems exist, who they affect and what can be done.
17 goals. 17 ways to make a difference.
Every goal represents a challenge worth understanding. Explore them, discover their meaning and think about how they connect to the world around you.
No Poverty
Ensure everyone has access to basic needs and opportunities.
In real life: A family that skips meals at the end of every month.
Zero Hunger
Make nutritious food accessible to everyone.
In real life: Good food thrown away at a market while people nearby go hungry.
Good Health and Well-being
Help people live healthy and fulfilling lives.
In real life: A teenager who feels anxious before every exam and tells no one.
Quality Education
Make inclusive and quality education accessible to all.
In real life: A class of forty sharing ten textbooks.
Gender Equality
Ensure equal rights and opportunities for everyone.
In real life: Girls dropping out of sport once they reach secondary school.
Clean Water and Sanitation
Provide safe water and proper sanitation.
In real life: A school tap that runs dry by the afternoon.
Affordable and Clean Energy
Make reliable, sustainable energy accessible.
In real life: Students studying by phone torch during power cuts.
Decent Work and Economic Growth
Create fair jobs and sustainable economic opportunities.
In real life: A graduate who cannot find work that matches their skills.
Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
Build resilient infrastructure and encourage innovation.
In real life: A village road that floods every monsoon and cuts off the school.
Reduced Inequalities
Reduce unfair gaps between people and communities.
In real life: A student who cannot join a school trip because of the cost.
Sustainable Cities and Communities
Make cities safe, inclusive and sustainable.
In real life: A walk to school with no safe place to cross the road.
Responsible Consumption and Production
Reduce waste and use resources responsibly.
In real life: Single-use plastic bottles piling up after every school event.
Climate Action
Take action against climate change.
In real life: Classrooms too hot to learn in during a heatwave.
Life Below Water
Protect oceans and marine ecosystems.
In real life: A river that carries plastic all the way to the sea.
Life on Land
Protect forests, wildlife and biodiversity.
In real life: A local park where the birds have disappeared.
Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
Promote peaceful societies and equal access to justice.
In real life: A student who is bullied and does not trust anyone to act.
Partnerships for the Goals
Encourage global cooperation to achieve the goals.
In real life: Two schools in different countries sharing what worked.
The world's biggest challenges start with questions.
Global challenges are not always far away. They can sit inside your own school, your street or your community, waiting for someone to notice them.
Education
What happens when students don't have equal access to learning resources?
Environment
What happens when waste and pollution affect the neighbourhood?
This is where your thinking goes beyond answers.
Beyond Answers is not about memorising the 17 goals or simply choosing an SDG. It is about understanding a real-world problem, investigating the evidence, considering different perspectives and developing a practical solution.
Identify a problem
Find a meaningful problem affecting your school or community.
Connect it to an SDG
Choose one primary Sustainable Development Goal that directly relates to your selected problem. You may also name supporting goals when the connection is meaningful.
Investigate and think
Understand who is affected, explore evidence, compare different approaches and recognise possible limitations and trade-offs.
Develop a solution
Create an evidence-backed, practical solution and explain why your approach could make a difference.
We don't just want students to know the goals. We want them to learn how to think about the problems behind them.
How Beyond Answers turns thinking into action.
Think
Understand the problem
Identify a real-world challenge, connect it to an SDG, explore evidence and present your team's thinking in a 90-second video.
See this stageSolve
Develop your solution
Turn your idea into an evidence-backed solution through a one-page solution canvas.
See this stageLead
Semifinal
Present your solution, respond to a new common case and demonstrate how your team adapts its thinking.
See this stageLead
Grand Final
Take on the final challenge, present your thinking and respond to the judging panel.
See this stage
You don't need to have all the answers.You just need to start asking better questions.
One observation can lead to a question. One question can uncover a problem. And one thoughtful idea can become the beginning of a meaningful solution.
Your ideas can go beyond answers.
Explore the goals. Question the challenges. Think critically. And discover what your team can do to create a better future.
Think beyond. Solve for a better world.
GyanisMore than marks. More than answers.
The SDG icons are the United Nations' own and are shown for information. The content of this page has not been approved by the United Nations and does not reflect the views of the United Nations or its officials or Member States. Learn more at un.org