Navigating towards a sustainable society is not straightforward but is critical in the world in which we live today, which is experiencing many acute and chronic global sustainable challenges, from the biodiversity crises to the climate emergency, and much else in between. At the heart of moving towards more sustainable societies lies evidence-led policymaking and good governance. But in a world of 'crises' and 'emergencies' and global disparities and inequalities in capacities, which affect low- and middle-income countries most acutely, how, under these conditions, can effective, robust, and transformative policies be developed and implemented in a way that will steer societies towards more sustainable, inclusive outcomes in the short- and long-term future? In a series of 11 articles, this Special Issue explores, with particular reference to sub-Saharan Africa, the state and effectiveness of local, national, and regional policies engaging with, and transforming, the sustainability impacts of development activities and the degree to which environmental policies might be designed and embedded into future development planning to improve coordination across sectors and policy domains to deliver sustainable transformations.