Indirect translation and sustainable development

In August 2022, the New York Times published an article entitled Why is this colorful little wheel suddenly everywhere in Japan? (Dooley and Ueno 2022). The little wheel refers to the logo of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a United Nations (UN) initiative at the core of Agenda 2030, an extensive “plan of action for people, planet and prosperity” (UN General Assembly 2015). As illustrated by the Japanese example, the SDGs enjoy increasing public visibility across the globe and are frequently appealed to in education, politics and corporate communication. Despite the importance attached to the goals in both national and international settings, the SDG framework has received little attention in translation studies. This special collection aims to address this gap. The introduction presents the SDGs and highlights the role played in their dissemination by indirect translation, understood as translation of translation. The four articles included in the collection are introduced and further reflections are provided on the position of language as a resource at the interface of economic, social, and environmental sustainability.