The Local Government Association (LGA) and the UK Stakeholders for Sustainable Development (UKSSD) have today launched a guide to help councils engage with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at a time when many are starting to re-think the role of local government in leading places and empowering people.
2030hub and our work with Liverpool City Council, the Department for International Development and local private sector partners are presented as one of the main case studies as an authentic multi-stakeholder engagement and impact.
The LGA, which represents councils in England and Wales, said that if they are to be attained, then local action by councils will be crucial and must be better funded and supported by national government.
This joint guide with UKSSD reinforces the need for coherent decision-making between all levels of government at a time of growing consensus regarding the importance of an economically and environmentally sustainable recovery.
Examples of councils that have been working towards the SDGs include:
- Newcastle City Council made a political commitment to mainstream the SDGs in its policies, activity and programmes in 2019. Working closely with local organisation, it has recently embedded the SDGs in the its new workplan for the city’s Wellbeing for Life Board to improve the lives of communities.
- Bristol City Council launched the UK’s first city review on the SDGs in 2019 and is now embedding the Goals in its One City Plan to work with stakeholders across the city towards a more coherent plan for the future.
- The 2030hub in Liverpool organised a series of events across the Liverpool City Region which sought to explain the SDGs and their value to people and organisations. Liverpool City Council has commissioned the 2030hub to independently map the strategic policies and monitoring indicators of the Mayor’s 2018 Inclusive Growth Plan against the targets and indicators of the SDGs.
Despite facing enormous pressures and sustained funding cuts, councils have maintained the provision of essential services for their communities and continue to look ahead at how they can work closely with the Government to achieve its targets, including the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
As councils across the country continue to lead their communities through the coronavirus pandemic, it is vitally important that they have the resources and support to lead them through the recovery and continue to fight against climate change.
Sir Richard Leese, Chair of the LGA’s City Regions Board, said:
“While councils across the country continue to grapple with the unprecedented challenges of the coronavirus crisis, many have come to recognise their unique position as leaders of place.
The SDGs provide a guide to rebuilding our economies in a resilient and sustainable way, focusing on creating good lives on a healthy planet for all people.
“However, in order to meet the scale of the challenge local action must have the backing of national government.”
David Connor, Founder of 2030hub, said:
“We are proud to have created this leadership opportunity for the City of Liverpool. It has taken well over four years of individual stakeholder engagement, awareness-raising and community building both at home and internationally to get to the front of the starting line, but the local SDG journey has only just begun.
Liverpool can now play a leading role in local SDG adaption and ownership as cities around the world align with this globally agreed framework and the BuildBackBetter movement."
Click here to view and download the new 'UN Sustainable Development Goals: Guide for Councils'
