Transformation requires attacking the root causes that generate and reproduce economic, social, political and environmental problems and inequities, not merely their symptoms. Which policies would lead to social, economic and ecological justice? It also means that traditional boundaries for classifying countries as developing or developed have to be rethought: when a sustainability lens is applied, all countries are “developing”.4 The new focus of the SDGs on multiple objectives situated in the economic, social and environmental sphere relates well with UNRISD’s social development approach (box 1.1): a holistic approach that emphasizes the integration of economic and social policy while enhancing human rights, gender equality and environmental sustainability.