SDG target: definition (ISO/UNDP 53001)
An SDG target (French: cible ODD) is one of the 169 sub-goals that give detail to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Numbered after the goal it belongs to, a target describes a result expected at global level. In ISO 53001, targets let an organisation state precisely what it contributes to.
Updated: · edition covered: ISO/UNDP 53001:2026
In an ISO/UNDP 53001 audit
A goal on its own is too broad to steer action, so the auditor checks that the organisation goes down to target level. Linking an internal objective to a specific target makes it possible to judge whether the contribution claimed is relevant. The target must also fit the activity: many were written for public policy and do not translate directly to a business.
In practice, the auditor expects each chosen target to become an objective and an indicator specific to the organisation. See the ISO/UNDP 53001 standard.
Choosing targets that fit
Some targets suit organisations directly, such as those on equal pay or energy efficiency; others concern national policy and fit only indirectly. The auditor accepts an indirect link when it is explained, but not a target picked for its wording alone.
See also
- Sustainable Development Goals: definition (ISO/UNDP 53001)The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), *Objectifs de développement durable (ODD)* in French, are the 17 goals adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2015 to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity by 2030.
- Objective: definition (ISO/UNDP 53001)An objective (French: *objectif*) is a result to be achieved, set at a given level and for a given function.
- Priority SDG: definition (ISO/UNDP 53001)A priority SDG (French: *ODD prioritaire*) is a Sustainable Development Goal that the organisation treats as central to its management system, because its activities contribute strongly to it or risk harming it.