Governing through Goals: Sustainable Development Goals as Governance Innovation (Kanie N. & Biermann F. eds.), Cambridge (Mass.), The MIT Press, 2017

"Governing through Goals: Sustainable Development Goals as Governance Innovation", edited by Norichika Kanie and Frank Biermann, represents a commendable attempt at unpacking complex governance issues concerning the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2005 as the milestone of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The book looks at the multifaceted governance dimension of the SDGs through a three-pronged approach. Firstly, it seeks to introduce and describe the central characteristics of goal setting and its main opportunities and pitfalls as a governance strategy (Part I). Secondly, it asks what can be learned from earlier experiences of global goal setting and what governance arrangements can ensure effective implementation of the SDGs (Part II). Finally, it focuses on the key outstanding challenges for the operationalization of the goals (Part III).