Sustainable Development Goals
The Sustainable Development Goals Lions celebrate creative problem solving, solutions or other initiatives that harness creativity and seek to have a positive impact on the world.
On this page
Introduction
The history of the Sustainable Development Goals Lions
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Lions were launched in 2018 in partnership with the United Nations to recognise and celebrate creative work that actively advances the UN's Sustainable Development Goals.
As part of this initiative, all entry fees for this Lions are donated to related-charities globally, with donations of over €1.6m funding vital projects worldwide.
What kind of work can be entered?
The Sustainable Development Goals Lions accept a broad range of creative initiatives designed to advance the UN’s SDGs. This includes public awareness campaigns, advocacy programs, innovative product or service designs, social impact initiatives and strategic partnerships across various sectors, including nonprofit, corporate and governmental.
Eligible work may take digital, physical or hybrid forms, but it must clearly demonstrate how creative execution contributed to significant social, environmental or economic impact. The work should align closely with the SDGs, such as climate action, gender equality, poverty alleviation, health and well-being and more, showcasing a direct connection between the creative effort and the positive outcomes achieved.
What’s the Jury looking for?
The work should demonstrate how it contributed to or advanced the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development across people, planet, prosperity, peace and partnerships.
Winning work showcases creative excellence, while delivering meaningful and enduring contributions to global development.
GIVING A VOICE TO THE UNHEARD | SWISS NATIONAL COUNCIL ISLAM ALIJAJ | TEAM FARNER, ZURICH | BRONZE, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS LIONS | 2024
The Categories
A. People
The work in this category will represent efforts to end poverty in all its forms everywhere. Its manifestations include hunger and malnutrition, disaster-prone geographies, social discrimination, limited access to education and other basic services.
Work here should demonstrate efforts to end hunger, achieve food security, improve nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture and food production systems.
Work in this category will work towards ensuring healthy lives and the promotion of well-being for all. Examples here can include campaigns that address maternal mortality, disease epidemics, substance abuse, sexual and reproductive healthcare, services and access.
Work that contributes to the establishment of inclusive and quality education for all and the promotion of lifelong learning opportunities. Includes efforts towards affordable, equal and safe access to education – regardless of race, gender or disability.
Work that contributes to the eradication of deeply rooted gender-based discrimination and the achievement of gender equality and empowerment for all.
B. Planet
Work that contributes towards the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.
Work that promotes the necessity of access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all.
Work that represents efforts to make cities and human settlements completely inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable. Common urban challenges include congestion, lack of funds to provide basic services, a shortage of adequate housing, declining infrastructure, accessibility and rising air pollution within cities.
Work that contributes towards the implementation of sustainable consumption and production patterns for all. The work should focus on promoting resource and energy efficiency through reduction of natural resource consumption across the supply chain, involving everyone from producer to final consumer.
Work that reflects the necessity of the urgent action required to combat climate change and its impacts.
Work that promotes the need to conserve and manage our oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development. The work may focus on various issues such as temperature, chemistry, currents and life.
Work that promotes the protection, restoration and sustainable use of our land-based ecosystems, e.g. sustainable management of forests, prevention of desertification and the termination and reversal of land degradation and biodiversity loss.
C. Prosperity
Work that promotes sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth. This could include, but not be limited to, work that demonstrates efforts to reach safe, productive and equal employment for all, increased access to financial services to manage incomes, accumulate assets and make productive investments, and effective eradication of forced labour and modern slavery.
Work that reflects attempts to build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and nurture investment and innovation in transport, irrigation, energy and information and communication technology.
Work that demonstrates efforts to reduce inequality within and among countries. Inequalities can refer to disparity in incomes as well as those based on age, sex, sexuality, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status within a country.
D. Peace
Work that is aimed at the promotion of peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development. It will show attempts to provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.
E. Partnership
Work that contributes to the revitalisation and enhancement of global partnerships. Work that endeavours to bring together governments, civil society and the private sector to help in the implementation of sustainable development.
F. Long-Term Brand Platform
Brand platforms that have demonstrated enduring impact over time. The brand platform must show long-term effectiveness in building brand equity, fostering loyalty and delivering measurable business results through continuous, creative communication efforts.
Three or more distinct campaigns as part of an overarching brand strategy. One of which must have been implemented after 8th feb 2024.
The platform must have been in the market for at least three years.
Eligibility
For Sustainable Development Goals Lions the eligibility dates are 08 February 2022 - 10 April 2025 where the work being judged was first implemented within the eligibility period.
Exceptions:
- 'F01 Long-Term Brand Platform' must have been in the market for at least 3 years.
Is there a limit to how many times I can enter?
The same piece of work can be entered up to four times in Sustainable Development Goals.
FILTER CAPS | FILSA COLOMBIA | OGILVY COLOMBIA, BOGOTA | GOLD, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS LIONS | 2024
Previous Winners
Renault - Cars to Work
Cannes Lions 2024 Grand Prix Publicis Conseil, Paris / Renault / 2024
Renault partnered with the French Public Employment Service to provide new employees with a free car for the duration of their 3-month job trial period and only start to pay for it once their job is secured. In the first year 6000 cars were made available.
RENAULT - CARS TO WORK | RENAULT | PUBLICIS CONSEIL, PARIS | GRAND PRIX, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS LIONS | 2024
Why the work won
The Sustainable Development Goals Jury awarded this work the Grand Prix for its commitment to a bold idea. Jury President Gustavo Lauria said: “It’s a great example of a brave brand that cares, takes risks and gets results. By helping people, Renault ends up selling cars and transforms consumers into loyal believers of the brand.”
RENAULT - CARS TO WORK | RENAULT | PUBLICIS CONSEIL, PARIS | GRAND PRIX, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS LIONS | 2024
What the 2024 Sustainable Development Goals Jury were looking for
- Commitment from both the clients and the creative side
- Exciting, bold and creative commercial ideas
Entries & Judging
What are the judging criteria?
A number of criteria will be considered during judging, weighted as follows: 20% idea; 20% strategy; 20% execution; 40% impact and results.
What do I need to provide with my entry?
To enter, you’ll need to complete an online entry form, which can be found on the Cannes Lions entry site. In the ‘Written Explanation’ section, you’ll be asked to provide the Jury with everything they need to know about your work.
You’ll also be able to submit optional supporting materials to provide additional context with your entry.
All case films, films, demo films and original content must be subtitled in English.
Detailed information outlining the entry process can be found on A Guide to the Cannes Lions Awards.
What if I don’t have all the details right away?
Don’t worry – you can fill in the form in any order and save your progress at any time while it’s still in the pending stage. However, please only check out when your entry is 100% complete as no changes can be made to your entry once you’ve clicked “Submit” and “Checkout”.
The Written Submission
Here’s the questions you’ll be asked regarding your work.
To start your entry to the Sustainable Development Goals Lions, go to our Awards page.
The Jury will refer to the written explanation you provide throughout the judging process. Our advice is to provide as much relevant detail as possible.
When answering the following questions keep the main element you’re trying to celebrate in mind (e.g. the storytelling, the strategy, the craft, the use of data).
The bullet points under each question are prompts designed to guide your thinking, based on the factors the jury will be considering when reviewing your work. You might not need to use them all, and that’s totally fine. They’re there to help you consider what’s most important in your work.
Questions
The word limit for this section is 100 words.
This question is compulsory.
Please provide any brand and cultural context that would help the jury understand any cultural, national or regional nuances applicable to this work.
You should outline why this piece of work was created for this particular brand, in this market, at this particular moment in time, with all of the cultural and market conditions.
The word limit for this section is 250 words.
This question is compulsory.
Please select the objective(s) that were most important when creating this work – what the work set out to achieve, how is this part of the brand's wider commitment towards the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals?
For the jury to accurately assess the work, it must first establish its objectives. As you progress through the entry system, you must link your results back to each objective selected.
- Overachieve on brand metrics (e.g. awareness, engagement)
- Change consumer behaviour (e.g. attitudes, frequency, penetration)
- Create short-term sales growth (e.g. sales, promotions, discounts)
- Improve brand health (e.g. consideration, preference)
- Create sustained sales success (e.g. profit, sales)
- Create long-term brand and sales growth (e.g. shareholder value, retention, loyalty)
There is no word limit for this section.
This question is compulsory.
Please provide a summary of your entry.
- Describe the background and context behind the work
- What creative challenges did the work face.
This should be an overview of the work and an analysis of its effectiveness. You should describe how the objectives of the campaign have been successfully met.
The word limit for this section is 150 words.
This question is compulsory.
Consider the following when describing the creative idea:
- Does the work cross boundaries/have the ability to think beyond conventional boundaries or categories?
- Does the work evoke surprise/have the power to continue captivating attention?
- Does the work transcend the original challenge?
- Does the work incorporate breakthrough thinking?
- Demonstrate how the idea was designed to earn attention from the target audience
The word limit for this section is 150 words.
This question is compulsory.
Consider the following when describing the strategy:
- Was the strategy based on consumer behaviour and/or cultural insight?
- Did the insight come from research and data?
- Did creativity play a key role in the interpretation of the business challenge?
- Was this piece of work relevant to the defined target audience?
- Does the work genuinely solve a real problem?
The word limit for this section is 150 words.
This question is compulsory.
Consider the following when describing the execution:
- How effectively was the concept brought to life?
- What specific implementation strategies were employed to ensure success?
- Which channels were utilised for placement, and were they optimal for reaching the target audience?
- How extensive was the scale of the execution in relation to the defined objectives?
- Did the execution adapt to any unexpected challenges or changes in the environment?
The word limit for this section is 150 words.
This question is compulsory.
Please refer back to the objectives selected when answering this question. Consider:
- performance against brand metrics (e.g. awareness, engagement)
- change in consumer behaviour (e.g. attitudes, frequency, penetration)
- indications of short-, medium- or long-term sales success (e.g. donations, shareholder value, profit, revenue, ROI, sales, share)
- brand health improvement (e.g. consideration, preference)
- potential changes in government regulations or societal/economic events (e.g. changes in economic, political, social factors)
- contribution to the advancement of the selected Sustainable Development Goal.
The word limit for this section is 150 words.
This question is compulsory.
- How will this work drive progress for individuals, organisations or wider society?
- How do you plan to scale this idea?
- What's next for this idea?
The word limit for this section is 150 words.
This question is compulsory.
For additional context, what consideration was given to the sustainable development, production and running of the work?
The word limit for this section is 250 words.
This question is compulsory.
- Yes
- No
This question is compulsory
I would like the Jury to see this response when judging this work (tick box)
Please outline how this piece of work has contributed to the brand’s sustainability strategy. This could involve either operational measures to reduce the impact on the environment, behavioural strategies to encourage positive behaviour change, or both.
Please provide details of the benchmarks used for measuring the success of this piece of work’s contribution to the overall strategy. This could include, but is not limited to, targets around advertising business operations - advertising production - media planning and buying.
This question is optional.
I would like the Jury to see this response when judging this work (tick box)
Based on the brief, what consideration was given to representation and diversity of the team(s) involved?
What consideration was given to accessibility in the work and what role did DEI thinking play throughout the development of the work?
This question is optional.
If there are additional results you wish to disclose to the Jury but prefer to keep confidential, please enter them below.
The word limit for this section is 150 words.
This question is optional.
Category Specific Questions
Has this work been in the market for 3 years or more?
There is no word limit for this section.
This question is compulsory for F01.
Please provide a timeline for each campaign within the strategy.
The word limit for this section is 250 words.
This question is compulsory for F01.
DABBA SAVINGS ACCOUNT | ESAF SMALL FINANCE BANK | MCCANN, GURUGRAM | BRONZE, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS LIONS | 2024
Contact us
Everything you need to know to enter
For more detailed information on how to use the entry site, craft a compelling submission or submit your work we have a whole range of resources.
From Entry Guides that give you a step-by-step overview of the entire process to the Entry Kits that provide all the detailed rules and requirements for each and every category.
We are here to help
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- Discussing your work and relevant categories
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Whether you have a specific query or would like expert advice, get in touch today.
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