Discourse change yes, policy change no
A meta-study published on 20 June by Utrecht University entitled "Scientific evidence on the political impact of the sustainable development goals" raises doubts about the effectiveness of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The evaluation of 3,000 scientific studies conducted on the SDGs between 2016 and April 2021 revealed that the SDGs do have some influence on institutions and policies, but that this is largely limited to discourse, i.e. the way actors understand and talk about sustainability. However, far-reaching political changes due to the 2030 Agenda, for example in the form of legislative changes or new criteria for state subsidies, could only be proven in a few cases.