100
8.3.3 The Sustainable Development
Goals
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,
which includes the Sustainable Development
Goals (SDGs), was adopted by all UN member
states in September 2015. The SDGs are an ambitious framework with 17 goals, 169 targets, and
232 accompanying indicators. The framework is
holistic, integrated, and universal in nature.
Unlike their predecessor, the Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs), the SDGs address
changes and challenges that all countries should
address. They express aspirations for humanity
as a whole and provide concrete, measurable targets, with a target date of 2030 to put the world
on a pathway toward achieving these aspirations.
Implementing the SDGs is thus the collective
responsibility of all countries and all communities within them, irrespective of their social, economic, or environmental situations (UN-DESA
2018).
8.3.4 Localizing the SDGs
While the 2030 Agenda is a global effort, its success hinges on local commitments, investments,
actions and cooperation, and engagement by
actors across multiple stakeholder groups. SDG
localization is key to achieving the 2030 Agenda
and is particularly strategic as regional and local
governments play a large role in service provision, education, health care, and ensuring a good
quality of life for citizens (UCLG 2017).
SDG localization is a process whereby the
SDGs are adapted, implemented, and measured
at the sub-national or local level (UNDP 2018;
UN-Habitat and Global Task Force 2018). The
Global Taskforce of Local and Regional
Governments has stressed that SDG localization
is essential for achieving the 2030 Agenda and
that local and regional governments can accelerate this process (UCLG 2018). A recent review of
sub-national and regional governments’ role in
SDG implementation highlighted the role of
local governments in developing pro-poor policies, raising awareness, and increasing availability of and access to local data. The review also
highlighted that bottom-up approaches are more
effective than implementation from the top-down
(UCLG 2017). The countries who presented
Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) in 2016 and
2017 comprised approximately 400,000 subnational governments representing over 5.2 billion citizens. These local actors play a strategic
and important role in realizing the objectives of
the 2030 Agenda, including monitoring indicator
progress against realistic targets for each locality
(UCLG 2017). At the HLPF in 2018, New York
City formally presented the first Voluntary Local
Review (VLR) (New York City Mayor’s Office
for International Affairs n.d.).
Around the world, variations of SDG localization processes are taking place. Of the 63 countries who submitted VNRs in 2016 and 2017, 38
countries reported on local government participation (UCLG 2017). On the African continent,
countries such as Somalia and Tunisia are taking
on SDG localization activities through research,
policy and strategy development, public education, and community-based projects (SIDRA and
UNDP Somalia 2018; UNDP Tunisia 2018). In
Latin America, Colombia is considered a leader
in monitoring regional SDG implementation
through the SDG Colombia Platform
(Government of Colombia 2018).
In Europe, regional programs from 15 local
authorities in Germany’s North Rhine-Westphalia
area have developed sustainability strategies
based on the SDG framework (European Union
2018).The City of Amsterdam, Netherlands has
committed to SDG localization by supporting
social innovators to raise awareness about the
SDGs and track both existing and emerging initiatives across the city. City-led programs such as
“the Action Program on Social Entrepreneurship”
and “Amsterdam Impact” create opportunities for
idea exchange, promotion, and access to funding
(Social Challenges EU Innovation Platform n.d.).
Across North America, SDG localization is
occurring at different rates using a variety of
methods. Early adopters of the data dashboard
process include Baltimore, New York City, San
José and the State of Hawaii in the United States,
and Winnipeg, Manitoba, and Kelowna, British
J. Temmer and S. Jungcurt
8.3.3 The Sustainable Development
Goals
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,
which includes the Sustainable Development
Goals (SDGs), was adopted by all UN member
states in September 2015. The SDGs are an ambitious framework with 17 goals, 169 targets, and
232 accompanying indicators. The framework is
holistic, integrated, and universal in nature.
Unlike their predecessor, the Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs), the SDGs address
changes and challenges that all countries should
address. They express aspirations for humanity
as a whole and provide concrete, measurable targets, with a target date of 2030 to put the world
on a pathway toward achieving these aspirations.
Implementing the SDGs is thus the collective
responsibility of all countries and all communities within them, irrespective of their social, economic, or environmental situations (UN-DESA
2018).
8.3.4 Localizing the SDGs
While the 2030 Agenda is a global effort, its success hinges on local commitments, investments,
actions and cooperation, and engagement by
actors across multiple stakeholder groups. SDG
localization is key to achieving the 2030 Agenda
and is particularly strategic as regional and local
governments play a large role in service provision, education, health care, and ensuring a good
quality of life for citizens (UCLG 2017).
SDG localization is a process whereby the
SDGs are adapted, implemented, and measured
at the sub-national or local level (UNDP 2018;
UN-Habitat and Global Task Force 2018). The
Global Taskforce of Local and Regional
Governments has stressed that SDG localization
is essential for achieving the 2030 Agenda and
that local and regional governments can accelerate this process (UCLG 2018). A recent review of
sub-national and regional governments’ role in
SDG implementation highlighted the role of
local governments in developing pro-poor policies, raising awareness, and increasing availability of and access to local data. The review also
highlighted that bottom-up approaches are more
effective than implementation from the top-down
(UCLG 2017). The countries who presented
Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) in 2016 and
2017 comprised approximately 400,000 subnational governments representing over 5.2 billion citizens. These local actors play a strategic
and important role in realizing the objectives of
the 2030 Agenda, including monitoring indicator
progress against realistic targets for each locality
(UCLG 2017). At the HLPF in 2018, New York
City formally presented the first Voluntary Local
Review (VLR) (New York City Mayor’s Office
for International Affairs n.d.).
Around the world, variations of SDG localization processes are taking place. Of the 63 countries who submitted VNRs in 2016 and 2017, 38
countries reported on local government participation (UCLG 2017). On the African continent,
countries such as Somalia and Tunisia are taking
on SDG localization activities through research,
policy and strategy development, public education, and community-based projects (SIDRA and
UNDP Somalia 2018; UNDP Tunisia 2018). In
Latin America, Colombia is considered a leader
in monitoring regional SDG implementation
through the SDG Colombia Platform
(Government of Colombia 2018).
In Europe, regional programs from 15 local
authorities in Germany’s North Rhine-Westphalia
area have developed sustainability strategies
based on the SDG framework (European Union
2018).The City of Amsterdam, Netherlands has
committed to SDG localization by supporting
social innovators to raise awareness about the
SDGs and track both existing and emerging initiatives across the city. City-led programs such as
“the Action Program on Social Entrepreneurship”
and “Amsterdam Impact” create opportunities for
idea exchange, promotion, and access to funding
(Social Challenges EU Innovation Platform n.d.).
Across North America, SDG localization is
occurring at different rates using a variety of
methods. Early adopters of the data dashboard
process include Baltimore, New York City, San
José and the State of Hawaii in the United States,
and Winnipeg, Manitoba, and Kelowna, British
J. Temmer and S. Jungcurt