The sought-after successor to the Millennium Development Goals — the SDGs or Sustainable Development Goals are an amalgamation of 17 inter-connected global goals and 169 targets designed to act as a blueprint for a sustainable and equitable future. Intercepted in 2015 by the UN General Assembly (UNGA), the 17 SDGs are a part of the broader 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The erstwhile eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) of 2000 were criticized for being tone-deaf, undemocratic and narrow. Extracting valuable insights from the criticism, the SDGs were set up to be holistic, transparent and democratic. Ban-Ki-Moon, the then Secretary-General of the United Nations, termed the SDGs the “most transparent and inclusive process in UN history”. Ground-breaking efforts were made to incorporate the inputs of 5 million people from 88 countries while creating the visionary list of SDGs.
The unifying thread among all the 17 goals and 169 targets of SDGs is to eradicate poverty. Another unique aspect of the SDGs is that they are integrated, that is, acknowledging that actions in one area will have consequences for other areas. Hence, the recognition that development must balance social, economic, and environmental sustainability is the key. With the pledge ‘Leave No one Behind’, the SDGs aim to bring several revolutionary ‘zeroes’ globally, from zero poverty to zero hunger and zero discrimination against women.
A fundamental strategy for the fruitful implementation of the Global Goals has been SDG localization. While the enactment of the 2030 Agenda rests mainly on the national shoulders, the successes of SDGs depend on the progress made at the local level. The phenomenal potential of local actors to actualize the SDGs was recognized at the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development in 2018.
A glance at the 17 Sustainable Development Goals –
Before moving towards the topic of SDG localization, let us glance over the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
Goal 1 — No poverty
Goal 2 –Zero hunger
Goal 3 — Good health and well-being
Goal 4 — Quality education
Goal 5 — Gender Equality
Goal 6 — Clean water and sanitation
Goal 7 — Affordable and clean energy
Goal 8 — Decent work and economic growth
Goal 9 — Industry, innovation and infrastructure
Goal 10 — Reduced inequality
Goal 11 — Sustainable cities and communities
Goal 12 — Responsible consumption and production
Goal 13 — Climate action
Goal 14 — Life below water
Goal 15 — Life on land
Goal 16 — Peace, justice and strong institutions
Goal 17 — Partnerships for the goals
Localizing the Sustainable Development Goals — What, How, and Why
SDG localization is “the process of defining, implementing and monitoring strategies at the local level for achieving global, national and sub-national Sustainable Development Goals.”
The concept of localization, as we can tell, is nothing new. The Agenda 21 of the 1992 Rio Conference can be considered an adept example of a voluntary process that aims to formulate local policies and programs for sustainable development. Experience and expertise assert that achieving SDGs strongly depends on local efforts, contributions, and Local Reference Groups’ competencies (LRGs).
Local governments and the local community, minority groups and businesses, and industrial organizations play a vital role in the localization of Sustainable Development Goals. The 2030 Agenda attempts to tackle global poverty, inequalities and achieve sustainability, and these are problems that directly consequently involve the local communities. Thus, their efforts largely determine the success of SDGs.
Role of Local Reference Goals
Local Reference Groups (LRGs) play a pivotal role in identifying and responding to the gaps and requirements of the successful implementation of SDGs. They are responsible for key policy areas such as education, health, transportation, waste management, urban and territorial planning, local economic development, social inclusion, and essential services. As LRGs are connected to the citizens, they possess an acute understanding of the citizens’ needs, problems, issues faced by the vulnerable, and minority groups, and so forth.
Furthermore, they raise awareness among commoners about SDGs and collect vital data to monitor and substantiate the Global Goals. As such, it can be said Local Reference Groups are the pioneers of SDG localization.
The top-down approach of Sustainable Development Goals that involve local players enhances equitability, inclusion and horizontal policy coherence. Lastly, the strong commitment of the national government is crucial for weaving the legal, institutional and financial capacity needed for SDG localization.
Conclusion
The key pillars of localizing the Sustainable Development Goals include creating an enabling environment, strengthening institutions, policy coherence, adequate financing, date monitoring, viable partnerships, cooperation, and knowledge solutions.
The Sustainable Development Goals Coordination Centre, Punjab, has been a solemn actor in implementing SDGs at the local level. It was set up to achieve the Global Goals 2030 by extending technical knowledge, resources and expertise to prepare the state to enact SDGs swiftly.
The centre works with all state departments to ensure that their work aligns with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals and 169 targets.