Building a Better World Together: Cooperative Contributions to the SDGs is a policy brief series developed in support of the UN International Year of Cooperatives 2025 (IYC2025) to showcase how cooperatives contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals by strengthening resilience, promoting inclusion, and empowering communities through collective action.
The SDGs 9 and 11 brief – Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization, and foster innovation, and Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable, highlights how cooperatives are driving inclusive economic transformation by expanding access to infrastructure, finance, technology, affordable housing, sustainable transport, and essential services. Through democratic ownership and community investment, cooperatives strengthen local industries, foster innovation, create decent jobs, and build more resilient and sustainable cities and communities.
Drawing on case studies from Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and the Americas, the brief demonstrates how housing, financial, worker, agricultural, transport, consumer, and waste management cooperatives are advancing sustainable industrialization, supporting innovation, improving urban resilience, and expanding access to affordable housing and community infrastructure. Produced by the Committee for the Promotion and Advancement of Cooperatives (COPAC) and the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA), the brief underscores that cooperatives are practical and proven partners in achieving SDGs 9 and 11 through people-centered, locally driven, and sustainable development solutions.
The policy brief is available for download in English, French, and Spanish, coming soon.