Ecosystem services are critical for advancing the progress of sustainable development goals in China

Ecosystem services (ES) are increasingly recognized as critical natural capital for achieving the United Nations Sustainable development goals (SDGs). However, a significant gap remains in translating the understanding of ES-SDG relationships into actionable, spatially explicit strategies, particularly at large scales and over extended periods. Addressing this gap, our study provides a long-term (2000-2020), high-resolution (1 km) national assessment for China, analyzing the interlinkages between five key ecosystem services and the progress of 16 SDGs (excluding SDG 14). We found a general upward trajectory in SDG achievement across China over the 21-year period, with ES demonstrating a significant positive influence on SDG progress. Notably, net primary productivity (NPP) and grain production were the ES with the strongest effects on SDG scores. While the local effect of ES on SDGs was predominantly positive, a spatial mismatch between the supply of and demand for ES was observed at broader scales, moderating these benefits. Our analysis further indicates that China's current ecological conservation zones do not sufficiently protect areas supplying high-value ES critical for SDG attainment. We propose a spatial optimization approach to identify these key zones, offering a strategy to enhance the effectiveness of ecological policy and resource allocation. This study underscores the necessity of integrating multi-scale ES assessments into sustainability planning to bridge the gap between ecological potential and development outcomes.