Measuring the Implementation
of Sustainable Development Goals
at a Local Level: The WeGIx Index
Gisela Marta Oliveira, Diogo Guedes Vidal, Lilian Monteiro Ferrari Viterbo
and Rui Leandro Maia
Abstract The broadness and ambition of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development calls for commitment and effort from all society sectors. Either at
national or local level, where the action of communities and governance is of the
utmost importance for the implementation and operationalization of such an interconnected and transformative agenda, adequate means for monitoring, measurement
and accountability of plans and actions are also required. Academia, being one of
the strongest pillars of the contemporary societies, should embrace its role as both a
promoter and supporter of this universal Agenda, not only by developing fundamental scientific knowledge and educational resources but by also acting as advisers for
governmental decisions and the establishment of proper and tailored public policies.
This work describes the design and application processes of WeGIx—a composite
indicator aiming to be a global objective measure of communities’ quality of life,
at municipality level. WeGIx quantifies a combination of forty-three variables contributing to tackle municipalities’ global progress, in an integrated manner, on SDGs
1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 15 and 16. Results of the WeGIx application on Portugal demonstrate development asymmetries in municipalities and help to identify
implementation gaps and improvement opportunities.
Keywords Composite indicator · Local level · Sustainable development ·
Objective quantification · SDGs indicators
G. M. Oliveira (B) · D. G. Vidal · L. M. F. Viterbo · R. L. Maia
Fernando Pessoa Energy, Environment and Health Research Unit, University Fernando Pessoa,
Praça Nove de Abril, 349, 4249-004 Porto, Portugal
e-mail: gisela@ufp.edu.pt
L. M. F. Viterbo
Petrobras, Avenida António Carlos Magalhães, 1116, 41825-904 Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
R. L. Maia
CITCEM—Centro de Investigação Transdisciplinar «Cultura, Espaço E Memória», Faculdade de
Letras Da Universidade Do Porto, Via Panorâmica S/N, 4150-564 Porto, Portugal
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
W. Leal Filho et al. (eds.), Universities and Sustainable Communities:
Meeting the Goals of the Agenda 2030, World Sustainability Series,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-30306-8_13
215
of Sustainable Development Goals
at a Local Level: The WeGIx Index
Gisela Marta Oliveira, Diogo Guedes Vidal, Lilian Monteiro Ferrari Viterbo
and Rui Leandro Maia
Abstract The broadness and ambition of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development calls for commitment and effort from all society sectors. Either at
national or local level, where the action of communities and governance is of the
utmost importance for the implementation and operationalization of such an interconnected and transformative agenda, adequate means for monitoring, measurement
and accountability of plans and actions are also required. Academia, being one of
the strongest pillars of the contemporary societies, should embrace its role as both a
promoter and supporter of this universal Agenda, not only by developing fundamental scientific knowledge and educational resources but by also acting as advisers for
governmental decisions and the establishment of proper and tailored public policies.
This work describes the design and application processes of WeGIx—a composite
indicator aiming to be a global objective measure of communities’ quality of life,
at municipality level. WeGIx quantifies a combination of forty-three variables contributing to tackle municipalities’ global progress, in an integrated manner, on SDGs
1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 15 and 16. Results of the WeGIx application on Portugal demonstrate development asymmetries in municipalities and help to identify
implementation gaps and improvement opportunities.
Keywords Composite indicator · Local level · Sustainable development ·
Objective quantification · SDGs indicators
G. M. Oliveira (B) · D. G. Vidal · L. M. F. Viterbo · R. L. Maia
Fernando Pessoa Energy, Environment and Health Research Unit, University Fernando Pessoa,
Praça Nove de Abril, 349, 4249-004 Porto, Portugal
e-mail: gisela@ufp.edu.pt
L. M. F. Viterbo
Petrobras, Avenida António Carlos Magalhães, 1116, 41825-904 Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
R. L. Maia
CITCEM—Centro de Investigação Transdisciplinar «Cultura, Espaço E Memória», Faculdade de
Letras Da Universidade Do Porto, Via Panorâmica S/N, 4150-564 Porto, Portugal
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
W. Leal Filho et al. (eds.), Universities and Sustainable Communities:
Meeting the Goals of the Agenda 2030, World Sustainability Series,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-30306-8_13
215