Cities for Sustainability Governance

Holistic sustainability through strategic use of SDGs

01/06/2023 31/12/2025

Ongoing

Cities are urged to set ambitious ecological goals for climate and biodiversity while managing social and economic sustainability. No European city has yet achieved the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), although they are a great fit for cities to develop their governance. There is an “action gap” between the ambitions set and what is being achieved. Cities for Sustainability Governance (CSG) will use the SDGs as a vehicle for implementing strategic urban governance and deliver on the promise of transforming our world, as set out in the UN 2030 Agenda.

 

Summary

PARTNERS

Lead Partner : Espoo - Finland
  • Braga - Portugal
  • Gabrovo - Bulgaria
  • Košice - Slovakia
  • Tallinn - Estonia
  • Valencia - Spain
  • Jablonec nad Nisou - Czech Republic
  • Agios Dimitrios - Greece
  • Mannheim - Germany

Timeline

First transnational meeting on 15-16 November 2023 in Tallinn, Estonia. 

Stories

  • CSG in Mannheim

    CSG Mayors met in Mannheim for Storytelling training and a Roundtable discussion

    On 16-17 June, Mayors, Deputy Mayors and other significant leaders in sustainable development from CSG partner cities met in-person in the CSG partner

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    author image

    Stina Heikkila

  • Follow our progress

    Since our network was officially approved in June 2023, one key milestone includes the publication of the CSG Baseline and Roadmap document where the

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    Karin Luhaäär

  • Webinar: Shaping our City Stories - how SDGs can be used strategically by cities

    In this first webinar, we explored how SDGs can be used strategically by cities to foster holistic sustainability, regardless of their starting point

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    Karin Luhaäär

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Library

Lead Expert

  • 9 Cities – 9 Stories: Cities for Sustainability Governance

    Nine European cities pioneer Sustainability Governance to close the action gap towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

     

    “Cities are as strong as their communities”. This was one of the main lessons drawn by Lead Partner coordinator Ville Taajamaa, responsible for 2030 Agenda work in the City of Espoo, after the first in-person meeting of the Cities for Sustainability Governance (CSG) network held in Tallinn, 15-16 November 2023. “After hours and hours of crunching expert urban sustainability talk, work and walk, the most important thing we had in our mind was our citizens. How cool is that!”, he concluded.

     

    For 2.5 years, nine partner cities – Agios Dimitrios (Greece), Braga (Portugal), Espoo (Finland), Gabrovo (Bulgaria), Jablonec nad Nisou (Czech Republic), Kosice (Slovakia), Mannheim (Germany), Tallinn (Estonia) and València (Spain) – will join forces to discover and design how ‘sustainability governance’ can answer to the well needed renewal of commitment, trust, action and hope, to achieve the world we want by 2030.

     

    Workshop Tallinn

    Stina Heikkila

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Related content

URBACT stories

  • Articles
    Partners from the Cities for Sustainability Governance network holding boxes representing the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Source: Cities for Sustainability Governance.

    Cities for Sustainability Governance: 9 stories about overcoming the action gap… from the cities themselves

    Nine URBACT Network cities pioneer sustainability governance to close the action gap towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

    Stina Heikkila

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Additionnal activities

  • Global Goals for Cities

    The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals, adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015 as a universal call of action to protect our planet, end poverty and ensure peace and prosperity for all by 2030. "Global Goals for Cities” is a pilot network and

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  • Localising the 2030 Agenda

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