Now Available: Benin Sustainable Development Report 2025
Green Transition: Agroecology and Renewable Energies
Ten Years of Progress Towards the Sustainable Development Goals: Benin Lays a Strong Foundation to Accelerate its Green Transition
Available in: English | French
A decade after the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals, Benin is emerging as a regional model for green transition, placing agroecology and renewable energy at the heart of its sustainable development strategy.
January 21, 2026 (Paris, France) — Released today by the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), the Benin Sustainable Development Report 2025 reveals that Benin has emerged as one of Africa’s leaders in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Since 2015, the country has achieved a +10.1-point increase in its SDG Index score, outpacing the West African average of +3.1 points.
This progress reflects the country’s sustained commitment to the 2030 Agenda. Notably, Benin became the first African country to issue an SDG Bond in 2021, raising €500 million to advance the SDGs and positioning itself as a pioneer on the continent in innovative sustainable finance. In recent years, the country has intensified its efforts, particularly in combating climate change. September 2025 marked a significant milestone for the country, with the launch of the National Green Financing Framework, designed to coordinate climate action and align public and private investments with Benin’s green transition efforts.
Since 2021, the SDSN has partnered with the Government of Benin to support the country’s SDG implementation efforts. The Benin Sustainable Development Report 2025 marks the fourth edition produced under this partnership. This edition assesses Benin’s overall SDG performance and underscores the critical role of agroecology and renewable energy as key accelerators of the country’s just green transition. In addition, the report provides a comparative analysis of Benin’s performance within the West African subregion and proposes strategic actions to strengthen the country’s sustainable development trajectory. It highlights the progress made, remaining challenges, and priority levers to accelerate Benin’s structural transformation toward sustainability, inclusion, and resilience.
The Minister of Economy and Finance of Benin, Mr. Romuald Wadagni, stated: “Since the launch of an ambitious SDG bond in 2021, Benin has embarked on an innovative approach to sustainable development combining fiscal discipline, social responsibility, and long-term vision. In this context, the technical partnership established with the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network ensures rigorous monitoring and empirical evaluation of the progress and efforts made by the Government of Benin in implementing the 2030 Agenda. The Benin Sustainable Development Report has become a key reference tool, which serves as a vital barometer of national performance and a science-based instrument to support public decision-making.”
Report website: https://sdgtransformationcenter.org/reports/benin-sustainable-development-report-2025
Data Visualization: https://benin.sdgindex.org/
Citation Details: Massa, I., Toure, S., Fuller, G., Houngbo, E. N., Satoguina, H., Egah, J., Acacha, H., Eggoh, J., Assouto, A., Guezo, M., Lafortune, G. (2026). Sustainable Development Report for Benin 2025. Green Transition: Agroecology and Renewable Energies. Paris: SDSN, Cotonou: SDSN Benin.
The Benin Sustainable Development Report 2025 highlights the Government’s strong commitment to achieving the SDGs and advancing the green transition, despite persistent challenges. Building on the launch of the National Green Financing Framework, Benin has an opportunity to reaffirm its priorities, set ambitious targets, and mobilize both local stakeholders and international technical and financial partners to accelerate the green transition and SDG implementation.
Key findings from the report include:
The Government of Benin is reinforcing its commitment to the green transition. The implementation of the 2021–2026 Action Program (PAG II), the issuance of an SDG Eurobond, and the launch of a National Green Financing Framework in September 2025 underscore the Government’s determination to integrate climate action and environmental protection across all areas of its development policy.
Benin is halfway to achieving all 17 SDGs and has made some of the most significant progress in West Africa. It scores 55.5/100 on the SDG index, surpassing the population-weighted sub-regional average of 52.6/100. Furthermore, the country outperforms the regional average progress on several socio-economic goals, including poverty reduction (SDG 1), education (SDG 4), decent work (SDG 8), and institutional effectiveness (SDG 16).
At the current pace, approximately one-third of SDG targets are on track to be reached by 2030 in Benin, compared to 17.8% in the sub-region. Benin is on track to achieve SDGs 1 (Poverty Reduction), 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), 10 (Reduced Inequalities), and 13 (Climate Action). Moderate progress is observed on SDG 5 (Gender Equality), 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), and 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), while SDG 4 shows declining trends.
Fostering sustainable and productive agriculture, reducing CO₂ emissions, and conserving biodiversity remain significant challenges. Benin’s agricultural productivity lags, despite increased fertilizer use. The country is ahead in sustainable nitrogen management, but maintaining performance will be essential as the economy further develops. The country also lags behind the region on SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy) and SDG 15 (Life on Land). While electricity access has improved, challenges remain in clean cooking and renewable energy development. The carbon intensity of electricity production is higher than the regional average, and PM2.5 air pollution remains a concern. Benin is performing better than the region in forest conservation, but remains behind in protecting important biodiversity sites, especially marine and freshwater zones.
Stakeholder commitment and institutional momentum for agroecology and renewable energy are growing. Agroecological practices, long present in Benin, are gaining institutional traction in the country with the gradual integration of initiatives promoting organic farming and agricultural diversification within the Government Action Program (PAG 2016–2021). Today, the Government is expanding these efforts, investing in projects aligned with agroecological principles and supporting actors that champion sustainable farming models. In the renewable energy sector, the Government has reinforced institutional frameworks and introduced incentives to stimulate investment, while also implementing numerous programs and projects aimed at expanding electricity access through clean energy solutions. The case studies presented in the report illustrate how a broad range of stakeholders - public institutions, private actors, civil society, and international partners - are driving transformative change on the ground.
While Benin’s existing policies demonstrate a strong commitment to the green transition, additional measures are needed to increase investment and strengthen public action on sustainable development. The report highlights that the absence of a carbon-neutrality target, the persistence of fossil-fuel subsidies, and limited progress on energy efficiency present obstacles to a rapid shift towards renewable energy. Increased investment in agricultural research, integrated water resource management, and the scaling up of agroecological practices are critical. Furthermore, biodiversity protection, particularly in marine and freshwater ecosystems, must be reinforced to align with the ambitions of the national transition strategy.
The Government of Benin must sustain its momentum toward a green transition through three key pillars. These include: (i) providing technical, material, and financial support for agroecological practices and renewable energies; (ii) strengthening institutional and regulatory frameworks while raising awareness among economic actors and citizens; and (iii) investing in human capital development, research, and innovation to ensure the long-term ownership and sustainability of these sectors.
Since 2022, the Benin Sustainable Development Report has provided the most up-to-date data to track the country’s progress on the SDGs. The report was written by independent experts at the SDSN’s SDG Transformation Center and SDSN Benin.
Contacts
Katsia Paulavets | katsia.paulavets@unsdsn.org (Strategic Advisor, SDSN)
Samory Toure | samory.toure@unsdsn.org (Economic Analyst, SDSN)
About the SDSN
The UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) has been operating since 2012 under the auspices of the UN Secretary-General. The SDSN mobilizes global scientific and technological expertise to promote practical solutions for sustainable development, including the implementation of the SDGs and the Paris Climate Agreement. We aim to accelerate joint learning and promote integrated approaches that address the interconnected economic, social, and environmental challenges confronting the world. One of the SDSN’s flagship initiatives is the SDG Transformation Center, which produces the Sustainable Development Report (SDR) and provides science-based tools and analytics for SDG pathways, policies, and financing.
For more information, visit unsdsn.org and sdgtransformationcenter.org.