Introducing the Atlas of Sustainability: A case study in Actionable Cartography

Introduction:The Atlas of Sustainability (Figure 1) is a compendium of maps and geographic narratives that promote action on the largest social, economic, and environmental challenges facing our world as identified through the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs; Roth, Gartner, et al., 2025).The Atlas builds on past collaborations between the United Nations and the International Cartographic Association to develop resources for designing "SDG maps" that aim to achieve a more equitable and just world.Among other initiatives, past projects include creation and distribution of Mapping for a Sustainable World, a Cartography textbook jointly published by the United Nations and International Cartographic Association that uses the SDG global indicator framework as the central theme throughout the book (Kraak et al., 2020).The SDG global indicator framework comprises (at the time of this writing) 17 goals to address the most pressing problems facing our planet, 169 targets that prescribe real and actionable outcomes for sustainability, and 231 unique indicators used to measure and monitor progress towards these targets, inform policy at global and local levels, and promote accountability across all stakeholders.The Atlas of Sustainability is the practical application of the textbook Mapping for a Sustainable World, extending the SDG mapping from the book to produce a compelling, innovative, and personalized visual essay on each of the 17 SDGs.