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As the 2030 deadline for achieving the United Nations' 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) draws near, the lack of measurable progress is cause for concern. However, qualitative advancements at the local level provide a hopeful perspective for continued development beyond 2030. Cities, in particular, are pivotal in driving the global...

A report issued by the UN-convened Expert Group on Climate and SDG Synergy presents a number of recommendations urging governments to break down fragmentation and silos at national and international levels, to tackle the climate and sustainable development crises in tandem and achieve transformative change. The report is being launched before...

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) provide a blueprint for achieving social, economic and environmental sustainability. However, at the midpoint of its implementation period (which runs from 2015 to 2030), progress has been insufficient due to crises such as climate-related disasters, the...

Four reports are being launched on 11 June by experts convened by the UN, showing how action to tackle climate change and the Sustainable Development Goals can be accelerated by addressing both crises together, notably in the key areas of policy frameworks; financial systems; knowledge and data; and cities. Under the umbrella title Seeking Synergy...

The ASEAN State of the Environment Report (SOER) is a regular flagship publication of the ASEAN Senior Officials on Environment (ASOEN) which is periodically published every 3-5 years. The SOERs present a comprehensive review of the state and trends of the environment, the pressures on it and the drivers of those pressures, and the national and...

Nationwide ageing and dramatic depopulation threaten the survival of many Japanese small-sized towns and villages. To address this challenge—which is not unique but that in Japan is compounded by uneven urbanization patterns and increasing ruptures within the socioeconomic order—the Government of Japan is encouraging municipalities to adopt a pro...

Halfway to the 2030 deadline, humanity is clearly off-track on the Global Goals. Achieving the Sustainable­­ Development Goals (SDGs) proposed in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development remains a significant challenge for society. Numerous and compounding crises—including coping with the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, ongoing armed...

Regions and places face unprecedented challenges that need ambitious policies to drive sustainable transitions. While the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have been shaping the policies (or at least the discourse) of national governments and supranational organisations, there is...

The implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) relies on effective policy integration at all levels of government. However, integration across policy domains remains challenging for local authorities, particularly when it comes to articulating policies that recognise trade-offs and interactions between different SDGs. This study...

This presentation focuses on the follow-up and review of the SDGs at the local level through Voluntary Local Reviews (VLRs). The presentation explores the principles, methods and benefits of conducting VLRs, highlighting how they contribute to localised and effective SDG implementation.