Cities’ Review of the Sustainable Development Goals and Implications for Global Agendas

​​Introduced in 2015, the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with their 169 specific targets, provide a comprehensive roadmap for nations to address urgent global challenges, from eradicating poverty and hunger to fostering sustainable communities and combating climate change. Since 2016, Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) have provided a mechanism for countries to track and assess their progress towards the SDGs, culminating in their formal presentation at the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF). However, local governments are officially excluded from showcasing their progress and actions on the SDGs. In response, a bottom-up movement to mirror VNRs at the local level emerged in the form of Voluntary Local Reviews (VLRs) in 2018. The VLR process offers a valuable tool for implementing the 2030 Agenda, as over 60% of the targets of the SDGs are affected by local performance. Similar to VNRs, VLRs present both quantitative and qualitative assessments of SDG-relevant conditions and actions. However, VLRs face distinct challenges, including the national orientation of the SDGs, limited local data availability, and insufficient local institutional capacity. 

Major international organizations—such as UN-Habitat and UNESCAP—have initiated a global campaign to mobilize and support local and regional governments in implementing VLRs, evidenced in their creations of VLR guidelines and their active involvement in numerous VLR initiatives. However, these guidelines often draw from theoretical principles and case studies to formulate suggestions, encountering challenges regarding practicality, generalizability, and contextuality. A fuller understanding of the intricacies of VLR implementation requires comprehensive research on current VLR practices, which unfortunately is very limited.

This paper presents the first study encompassing nearly all VLR reports—151 in total—issued by municipalities from 2018 to 2022. Each report undergoes content analysis, coding for two review approaches: quantitative reviews of local conditions and qualitative assessments of local actions. The coding facilitates the creation of SDG review scores, which indicate the depth of individual SDG assessments and the overall scope of SDGs covered in a report. Statistical analysis, using the coding and review scores, unveils global patterns of SDG reviews and interactions at the city level, while also examining the varying influence of different factors on SDG assessments.

The findings underscore cities' responsiveness to the global agenda set by the HLPF and to concerns arising from crises like the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change. Our analysis shows a growing alignment of reviews with local needs and perspectives. Strong correlations between several pairs of SDGs suggest similar SDG interactions observed at the national level, implying synergies in addressing compatible SDGs locally. Disparities in SDG selection are evident, with SDG 14 (Life Below Water) and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities) often overlooked, while SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) receiving the most attention. Geographic disparity exists with cities from Europe and Asia exhibiting a more comprehensive scope. Examining the factors influencing SDG reviews suggests that cities with prior VLR experience show a greater ability to employ quantitative review. While resource-rich cities demonstrate broader review scope and more attention to SDG 10 and SDG 14, the resource factor’s effects appear mediated by the support from international organizations, which helps resource-constrained cities to expand their review scope.

This study advances the literature by providing the first comprehensive analysis of VLR reports. Our analysis highlights the challenges of monitoring and implementing certain SDGs at the local level,  underscoring the necessity of reevaluating the SDGs to better address the diverse realities of local governments—the ultimate implementers of this agenda.