Germany's Third Voluntary National Review (VNR)
Germany's Third Voluntary National Review (VNR) has a hybrid format. It consists of a document and a website. The document describes how Germany is implementing the goals of the 2030 Agenda, based on examples. The present website complements the document by presenting further implementation examples, policy measures and policy programmes. It also provides information on how progress on implementing the 2030 Agenda is measured in Germany and how stakeholders have been included in preparing the VNR.
Germany's VNR presents examples of activities and challenges in relation to SDG implementation during the period covered (2021-2025). It was drafted based on a participatory process, with intensive stakeholder engagement involving representatives of civil society, the private sector, academia, the federal states (Länder) and municipalities, and youth. All stakeholder contributions that have been included in the document and in this website reflect the positions of the respective stakeholders. It must be pointed out that all measures listed in the document and on the website and future measures arising from this with financial impacts do not imply a budgetary commitment, nor do they prejudice the legislator in respect of budgetary matters. All measures not covered by the federal budget and financial programming period are therefore contingent upon funding being available.
In its Voluntary National Review 2025, Germany has relied on broad participation by social actors and it has shown:
Participation works!
The VNR is participatory
There has been participation by representatives of the interests of the Länder and municipalities, civil society, the private sector, academia and youth – in the VNR preparation process, through the submission of contributions of their own to be included in the Review, and at the presentation of the VNR at the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF).
The VNR is target group-oriented
The VNR has been compiled with a focus on the international community as a target group. The examples presented are intended to foster the exchange of experience among United Nations member countries and to present transformative approaches from Germany that might be of interest to other countries in their efforts to implement the 2030 Agenda.
The VNR is practice-oriented
The VNR document follows the clear structure of the German Sustainable Development Strategy and highlights selected examples of practical implementation. The website provides additional, more in-depth content.
More information on the drafting process can be found here.
The German Sustainable Development Strategy (External link) (GSDS), first adopted in 2002, forms the basis for German sustainability policy. Since 2016, the GSDS has been aligned with the 2030 Agenda and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals and thus serves as the national plan for implementing the Agenda. The current, updated version of the German Sustainable Development Strategy, adopted by the Federal Cabinet in January 2025, forms the basis for Germany's VNR 2025.