The Impact of External Shocks on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): Linking the COVID-19 Pandemic to SDG Implementation at the Local Government Level

Abstract

Using data from a survey we conducted in collaboration with the Association of Flemish Cities and Municipalities (VVSG), this article sought to examine the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the implementation of SDGs by Flemish local governments (cities and municipalities). Identifying such effects has usually been conducted on individuals and at a macro level and not at the organization and local government level. By using a counterfactual approach, we were able to disentangle various COVID-19 effects over time and learn how systems at the local level react to external shocks. The approach allowed us to single out the effects of the pandemic at the organizational level while looking into three distinct periods: before the pandemic, during the pandemic, and in its aftermath. Results showed that the COVID-19 pandemic slowed down the Flemish public sector’s implementation of SDGs at the local level. At the same time, COVID-19 allowed local public institutions to accelerate the implementation of a few SDGs (e.g., SDG1, SDG3) and to postpone a few SDG-related activities which would be resumed once the pandemic is ‘over’. COVID-19 is not only a challenge; it acts as a wake-up call and an opportunity to commit more towards the implementation of (certain) SDGs.

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Financial Condition and Mortality in Polish Regions

“…To maintain the logic of the research process and the comparability of data, the input data used in the calculations come from the Local Data Bank of the Central Statistical Office, Regional Accounting Chambers, and from financial data derived from the budget reports of all the voivodeships for the years 2017-2020. The research period was divided into two parts, before and during the pandemic [66,67], enabling on the one side, to analyze of data from the years preceding the pandemic, which provides a baseline, and on the other side, the cyclical nature of the publication of data by the Polish Central Statistical Office (many months after the end of the year) makes 2020, the last complete data, covering the pandemic period. To ensure comparability of the analyzed data, they were expressed in relative terms (the source data which were expressed on the 'per capita' basis were left unchanged, whereas the remaining data were recalculated per 10,000 population, which was determined by the volume and clarity of received results).…”

The COVID-19 Pandemic and the Implementation of Sustainable Development Goals: The EU Perspective

“…Researchers from Belgium noted from the Flanders study that many of the SDGs targets due to the COVID-19 pandemic have slipped away, and much more time is required to achieve them than was initially anticipated; for some, there have been positive developments and an acceleration of the Sustainable Development Goals (especially SDG1 and SDG3). In this case, COVID-19 proved to be not only a challenge, but also a stimulus and an opportunity to engage more with (some of) the Sustainable Development Goals [28].…”

A Drivers Framework of Organizational SDG Engagement

“…At this date, many governments on all policy levels are engaging with the SDGs, and cities and municipalities have become very active. A recent study discovered that as many as 90% of participating Flemish (Dutch-speaking region of Belgium) cities and municipalities were already actively engaged with the SDGs in 2021 [12]. In addition, there is also a lot of SDG activity amongst private organizations and companies.…”