Editorial: Introducing the British Psychological Society journals' landmark special issue on the United Nation's Sustainability Goals

As the chair of Editorial Advisory Group for the British Psychological Society (BPS) journals, I am delighted to present this special issue of landmark papers. Each year, the editors of all the BPS journals select a topic of international importance and commission authors to write about the topic from our respective disciplines of psychology. For the 2024 landmark edition, we chose the United Nation's Sustainability Goals. The 17 Sustainability Goals also known as Global Goals were articulated by the United Nations in 2015 with a target achievement date of 2030. As we near the end of 2024, the half-way point from articulation to proposed achievement seems like a good point to review the goals and take stock.

Sustainability is often equated with ‘going green’, but the global goals are much broader than environmental sustainability. The goals relate to the many different challenges facing the world that we must overcome so that all people cannot only survive, but thrive. The 17 goals are interconnected in that actions in one will influence outcomes in others. For example, ending poverty and other inequalities must be coupled with strategies to improve health and education and increase economic growth, whilst persevering the physical environment of our planet.

Sadly, at this half-way point, we are off track to meet the sustainability goals. Progress has been adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, wars and conflicts, resulting in recessions and consequent greater gaps between rich and poor and the widening of other inequalities both within and between countries. Arguably, lack of progress has also been stalled by public apathy and inaction. The level at which individuals can impact on the achievement of the sustainability goals is likely to be determined by one's sphere of influence, but everyone, including us as psychologists, has the capacity to make some changes in their own lives that could impact positively on the goals. As psychologists, we are also have a lot to say about behaviour change and need to use our science to inform strategies to promote public commitment to the goals both in the UK and more globally. We hope that the papers within the collection today provide insights from the specific disciplines of psychology about how we as psychologists might use our knowledge and spheres of influence to make a difference to the future of our planet and all those who inhabit it.

The papers within this special issue include a range of different topics covered within the Sustainability Goals. Not surprisingly, given the fundamental nature of climate change to our future well-being and that of the human race, we have several papers focussed on climate change and environmental issues. However, in line with the breadth of the goals themselves, a wide range of issues are covered reflecting the issues of inequalities and inclusivity. Psychology is a diverse discipline, and the breadth of the BPS journal portfolio provides a unique opportunity to showcase this range of perspectives. As psychology is the study of human behaviour, each subdiscipline of the field has the potential to be of interest to us all. I therefore encourage you will take the opportunity to step outside your immediate area of interest and read the whole series of papers.

Finally, on behalf of myself and other Editors in Chief for the BPS journals, I would like to take this opportunity to thank those of you who have contributed to this landmark edition as well as our regular editorial teams and people who have provided peer reviews throughout the year. We are fully aware that journals could not function without your support.

Katherine Berry: Conceptualization.