In 2015, all 193 member states of the United Nations ratified seventeen sustainable development goals for the world. These goals aim to end poverty, combat inequality and protect our planet’s climate by 2030. The UN United Nations  (United Nations  ) calls on everyone to do their part in achieving the goals: governments, individual citizens, and the private sector.

RIVM is contributing to the majority of the global goals, but particularly to the eight highlighted below. We play our part in many different ways: ranging from carrying out independent scientific research to supporting Healthy Schools and Healthy Neighbourhood initiatives, or managing the National Immunisation Programme. Committed as we are to health and health services for world citizens, our activities contribute to generating knowledge and integrating that knowledge in the areas of public health, the human environment, and the natural environment. This places us at the heart of a sustainable society, in the Netherlands and throughout the world.