The Brazilian National Landscape in Governing and Implementing the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs

The SDG’s diffusion and localization processes entail a complex interaction between domestic and international realms. Decisions made in transnational arenas are domestically interpreted and translated, shaping or legitimizing domestic frameworks based on the countries’ and localities’ realities, capacities, policies, and priorities. Using a qualitative-interpretive approach, this chapter presents an overview of the adoption of SDGs in Brazil between 2012 and 2022 and proposes a periodization of the governance and implementation at the national level. The research findings reveal the emergence of complex and fragmented social governance. On the one hand, the incorporation of SDGs in Brazil followed cyclical factors, mainly the presidential terms. On the other hand, throughout the analyzed period, structural resistance from political actors, mainly from civil society and subnational governments, persisted, while some resistance emerged within the Legislative, Judiciary, and Executive branches. These actors used the SDGs to keep the sustainable development agenda, prevent setbacks, and hold the government accountable. Finally, a prospective analysis is presented on the third Lula administration.