Cities and the SDGs: Realities and possibilities of local engagement in global frameworks

Abstract

City action is critical to achieving global visions for sustainability such as the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, SDG ‘localisation’ is complex procedure, with divergent outcomes depending on context and diverse city processes. This paper considers the operational challenges faced by city actors in taking on the SDGs, and subsequent implications for initiating local (and global) sustainability transitions. We analyse emergent approaches to SDG localisation within the Asia–Pacific, using a policy analysis framework (transition management) to assess transformation potential. We find that SDG localisation can influence urban sustainability, but effective implementation requires sufficient data, resourcing, and guidance—which are not readily, nor equally available to all city governments. City-to-city peer learning can accelerate SDG uptake, but realising the transformative ambition set out by the SDGs will require an approach to localisation that clearly demonstrates why and how any city government can and should engage with global sustainability frameworks.

Ageism, welfare, and the energy transition: a comparative analysis of the energy practices of the elderly in Poland and Norway

“…The example of the situation of seniors in Poland and their struggle with energy poverty con rms the opinion that environmental challenges are also social challenges: without state support and a guaranteed welfare policy for vulnerable groups, such as seniors, the goals of energy transition may not be implemented. Social assistance for seniors in the process of decarbonising the heating systems they use in both provincial areas and large cities -which is of particular importance for the implementation of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) (Leavesley et al, 2022) -is an important condition for protecting the climate and air quality.…”

Leveraging the Sustainable Development Goals as a boundary object in the City of Bristol

“…This points to the need for a better understanding of the dynamics of approaches that make cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable. While transformative city action is critical (Allen et al, 2018;Robin and Acuto, 2018;Leavesley et al, 2022), there are still many questions about 'what it means, in practice, to link international policy with urban issues' (Robin and Acuto, 2018: 76).…”

“…In light of these complexities, insights from existing SDG localisation approaches (Allen et al, 2018) are needed to address the global challenge of the sustainable development of cities and communities (Fan et al, 2022;Leavesley et al, 2022). Recent studies have pointed to the importance of language and meaning in enabling coherence between the different views and interests involved in localising the SDGs in cities (Valencia et al, 2019;Biermann et al, 2022).…”

Contributions of the voluntary local review process to policy integration: evidence from frontrunner cities

“…These include: (1) setting local priorities and policy alignment with the SDGs; (2) facilitating policy integration for sustainable development; (3) feeding into VNRs by providing on-the-ground data and localisation experiences; and (4) providing evidence-based monitoring tools 4,24,27,28,34 . While there is a growing body of literature exploring SDGs actions by local governments [35][36][37][38] , there is little empirical evidence to corroborate these claims-a situation that echoes the lack of evidence around the outcomes of policy integration processes put in place to address complex environmental issues 39,40 . Moreover, despite the emphasis on achieving policy integration when applying the SDGs, how to do so remains an understudied area of research, especially regarding organisational aspects and operationalisation 10,21,41,42 .…”