The Meaning of Colors and Icons of the Sustainable Development Goals - SDGs
- Javier Trespalacios
- May 29, 2025
- 7 min read
Updated: May 18
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were adopted in 2015 by the United Nations General Assembly as part of the 2030 Agenda. Beyond their technical content, the SDGs are distinguished by a visual system based on colors and icons that make them universally recognizable. This graphic language was designed to clearly convey the purpose of each goal, so that people from different cultures can identify its message without the need for text (United Nations, 2015).
Origin and Design of the Icons
The graphic design of the SDGs was handled by the UN Global Communications Division, in collaboration with the agency Trollbäck + Company and its founder, Swedish designer Jakob Trollbäck.
Jakob Trollbäck, designer of the SDG visual identity. Source: The New Division. https://www.thenewdivision.world/sv/jt-forelasningar
The intention was to create a unified visual language, with distinctive colors and simple icons, that could be easily reproduced in global and local campaigns. The icons were conceived as schematic representations, capable of conveying both general ideas and concrete actions (MunImpact, 2019; United Nations Department of Global Communications, 2018).
Each symbol was designed according to three criteria:
Universality: Symbols are understandable to diverse audiences and different cultures.
Simplicity: Basic and clear forms that avoid complex details and facilitate recognition.
Chromatic association: Each color reinforces the meaning and identity of the goal.
An example of this design philosophy is SDG 4 (Quality Education), whose icon changed from a graduation cap to an open book with a pencil, a clearer and more universal symbol (MunImpact, 2019).
Meaning of SDG Colors and Icons
According to the UN's communication guidelines, each color was selected to evoke specific associations with the theme of its goal. The following descriptions are based on those guidelines (United Nations Department of Global Communications, 2018).
SDG 1 (No Poverty) uses an intense red associated with urgency and the need for action. Its icon represents a family, evoking social protection and the need to guarantee minimum conditions for a dignified life for all people.
SDG 1 (No Poverty)
SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) is identified with a mustard yellow, a color that evokes cereals and abundance. Its icon shows a bowl with steam and ears of grain, symbolizing food security and nutrition.
SDG 2 (Zero Hunger)
SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being) uses bright green, a symbol of life, vitality, and hope. Its icon combines an electrocardiogram line with a heart, evoking the continuous tracking of health and physical well-being.
SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being)
SDG 4 (Quality Education) is identified by a burgundy red, a tone associated with seriousness and transformation. Its icon is an open book with a pencil, symbolizing literacy, access to knowledge, and education as an essential tool for development and equity.
SDG 4 (Quality Education)
SDG 5 (Gender Equality) is distinguished by a strong orange, associated with energy and social change. Its icon combines the female and male signs with an equality symbol, reflecting the goal of eliminating discrimination and promoting equality between women and men.
SDG 5 (Gender Equality)
SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) is represented by light blue, a color associated with water and purity. Its icon shows a glass with water and a drop, evoking access to drinking water as a basic condition for health and life.
SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation)
SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy) uses bright yellow that evokes sunlight as a source of clean energy. Its icon is a stylized sun whose rays evoke the diffusion and availability of renewable energy for all.
SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy)
SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) is recognized by a dark red that conveys strength and dynamism. Its icon shows an ascending arrow over growth bars, representing economic progress and sustainable prosperity.
SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth)
SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure) uses intense orange, a color associated with modernity and creativity. Its icon shows three connected cubes representing infrastructure, industry, and innovation, key elements for sustainable economic development.
SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure)
SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities) is presented with fuchsia pink, a color that symbolizes inclusion and diversity. Its icon is a set of arrows pointing in opposite directions, representing existing disparities and inequalities, while the equality symbol in the center reflects the goal of achieving equality and equity for all.
SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities)
SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) is represented by ochre yellow that conveys urban energy. Its icon shows three structures that reflect architectural diversity: a tall building with rectangular windows representing dense urban areas, a house with a gabled roof symbolizing residential communities, and an intermediate building suggesting public or institutional infrastructure. Together, they symbolize the diversity of human settlements and the need to make them more sustainable.
SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities)
SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) uses a sandy gold, a color that evokes the cycles of nature. Its icon is an infinity symbol formed by arrows, referring to the principles of the circular economy: reduce, reuse, and recycle.
SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production)
SDG 13 (Climate Action) adopts dark green, a color linked to nature and environmental responsibility. Its icon shows planet Earth with an eye, evoking the need for vigilance and action against climate change.
SDG 13 (Climate Action)
SDG 14 (Life Below Water) is identified with navy blue that reflects the oceans and their depth. Its icon shows a fish among stylized waves, representing marine biodiversity and the need to protect aquatic ecosystems.
SDG 14 (Life Below Water)
SDG 15 (Life on Land) uses light green, a color associated with nature and biological diversity. Its icon, a tree accompanied by natural elements, represents forest life and the ecosystems that sustain biodiversity.
SDG 15 (Life on Land)
SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions) is represented by cobalt blue, a color that conveys trust and stability. Its icon combines a dove with an olive branch and a judge's gavel, representing peace, justice, and the strengthening of transparent and inclusive institutions.
SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions)
SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals) is represented in sky blue, symbolizing openness and cooperation. Its icon shows a circle of interlocking rings, a symbol of the global collaboration needed to achieve the 2030 Agenda goals.
SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals)
The SDG Color Wheel
The color wheel brings together the 17 colors in a circle designed as a visual emblem of commitment to the 2030 Agenda. Each color maintains its relationship with an SDG, but arranged in a circle, they symbolize unity and interdependence: no goal can be achieved in isolation (United Nations, 2018).
This symbol is widely used at international conferences, companies, universities, and organizations as a sign of commitment to the 2030 Agenda.
Guidelines and Usage Standards
The UN published in 2018 and updated in 2023 the guidelines for using the logo, color wheel, and icons of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These resources are available in the organization's six official languages: Arabic, Chinese, Spanish, French, English, and Russian (United Nations, 2023).
The UN emblem is for exclusive use by entities of the United Nations system. In contrast, the icons and color wheel can be used by institutions, organizations, or individuals without the need for authorization, provided their visual integrity is respected and institutional endorsement is not suggested (United Nations, 2018).
The use of symbols is permitted free of charge in educational materials, awareness campaigns, and public events. For commercial or advertising purposes, such as merchandising or corporate marketing, express authorization is required, and any association with political propaganda, unauthorized fundraising, or misleading messages is prohibited (United Nations, 2018).
Conclusions
The SDG graphic system combines colors, icons, and the color wheel as a visual language that facilitates the understanding of complex concepts. Knowing the meaning of each element and the rules governing its use allows them to be applied in education, communication, and awareness campaigns without violating rights. In this way, the SDGs function as both a symbolic and practical instrument in the service of sustainability.
References
Dkdndes. (n.d.). SDG Colors. GitHub Gist. https://gist.github.com/dkdndes/7dd37498225a0461f7f52682137791c4
MunImpact. (2019). A look into the SDG logo design process. Model United Nations Impact. https://munimpact.org/a-look-into-the-sdg-logo-design-process/
United Nations. (2015). Transforming our world: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. United Nations General Assembly.
United Nations. (2018). Guidelines for the use of the SDG logo, including the colour wheel and 17 icons. United Nations Department of Global Communications.
United Nations. (2023). SDG Logo and Branding Guidelines (updated edition). New York: United Nations Department of Global Communications.
Trollbäck + Company. (2016). The global goals identity system. New York: Trollbäck + Company.
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Bonus track
Eva is drawing the SDGs
Colombian artist Rubén Trespalacios gathered the 17 Sustainable Development Goals in a pictorial work in which each icon and color are recognizable. The painting is exhibited in Basel, Switzerland, and uses vibrant colors to represent the meaning of each SDG.
The following elements reflect the artist's visual interpretation, which adapts the official symbols through his own pictorial language:
Artwork: The Sustainable Development Goals according to Rubén Trespalacios (link: https://www.suforall.org/post/art-qui-transforme-les-objectifs-de-developpement-durable-prennent-vie-dans-l-oeuvre-de-trespalacios)
Find the 17 SDGs in Trespalacios' painting:
SDG 1 (No Poverty) is represented by six circles symbolizing a family.
A yellow cup illustrates the fight against hunger (SDG 2).
A heart symbolizes health and well-being (SDG 3).
In the center, a notebook symbolizes quality education (SDG 4).
Gender equality (SDG 5) is represented with a plus sign.
A light blue tone represents sustainable water management and sanitation (SDG 6).
Two yellow circles represent affordable and clean energy (SDG 7).
Intertwined elements represent decent work and economic growth (SDG 8).
Three cubic surfaces symbolize industry, innovation, and infrastructure (SDG 9).
Reduced inequalities (SDG 10) is illustrated with a red equals sign.
Angular blocks express sustainable infrastructure (SDG 11).
One of the yellow circles symbolizes responsible production and consumption (SDG 12).
An eye highlights the urgency of climate action (SDG 13).
A fish at the top illustrates life below water (SDG 14).
The green silhouette of a tree alludes to life on land (SDG 15).
A dove represents peace (SDG 16).
Five interlocking rings symbolize partnerships to achieve the goals (SDG 17).
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