Publications Search

Policy Brief

April 2022

Using the SDGs to Realize the G7's 'Green Revolution that Creates Jobs'

T7 Policy Brief: T7 Task Force on Climate and Environment

G7 leaders have already accepted many important concepts related to the environment and sustainability. The G7 agreed to “protect our planet by supporting a green revolution that creates jobs” in 2021 at the Cornwall Summit. H owever, the challenge is that the G7 has mostly issued general statements of principle rather than committed to concrete...

Keywords:

SDGs

green jobs

transformative change

Conference Paper

March 2022

Voluntary Local Reviews (VLRs) and sustainability transitions during the Covid-19 pandemic: challenges and opportunities

Regions in Recovery Second Edition 2022: Re-imagining Regions

A Voluntary Local Review (VLR) is an instrument to review and follow-up progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), thus accelerating their localisation. Since 2018, a growing number of local governments worldwide are turning to the VLR process to articulate their sustainable development policies, highlighting the growing...

Keywords:

VLR

SDGs

COVID-19

Policy Brief

September 2021

Envisioning 1.5-Degree Lifestyles: Policies for Low-Carbon Cities in 2030

The concept of 1.5-degree lifestyles involves changes in household consumption for achieving levels of per person carbon footprint compatible with the 1.5°C target of the Paris Agreement (IPCC, 2018). This requires, on average, emitting the equivalent of 2.5 tons of CO₂ per person per year by 2030, and 0.7 tons of CO₂ per person per year by 2050...

Commentary (Op. Ed)

September 2021

How Can Voluntary Local Reviews (VLRs) Amplify Local Sustainability?

IISD SDG Knowledge Hub

The 2021 High-level Political Forum (HLPF) consolidated the prime role of VLRs (Voluntary Local Reviews) in localizing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. A record number of local governments – 17 cites –presented a 2021 VLR by July 2021 according to UN-Habitat. By comparison, 26 VLRs were published in 2020. VLRs have also gained broader...

Keywords:

VLR

SDGs

Sustainable Planning

Non Peer-reviewed Article

September 2021

The Making of Future Tokyo──The Reason Why the Local Governments Work On the SDGs

In Tokyo Updates

Fernando Ortiz-Moya, urbanist working at the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES), explores the role of VLRs (Voluntary Local Review) in building better cities and what Tokyo is doing to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

Keywords:

VLR

SDGs

Sustainable Planning

Non Peer-reviewed Article

August 2021

「未来の東京」にむけてー自治体がSDGs達成に取り組む理由

In Tokyo Updates

フェルナンド・オルティス-モヤIGES研究員が、より良い都市づくりにおけるVLR（Voluntary Local Review：自治体による自発的なSDGsレビュー）の役割を解説し、SDGs（持続可能な開発目標）の達成に向けた東京の取り組みを紹介します。

Keywords:

VLR

SDGs

Sustainable Planning

Research Report

June 2021

State of the Voluntary Local Reviews 2021: From Reporting to Action

Amidst the COVID-19 global pandemic, which spread across the whole world in 2020, local and regional governments have continued their work to localise the ambitious goals set by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Since 2018, local and regional governments began the review and follow- up process...

Commentary (Op. Ed)

May 2020

How Can Voluntary Local Reviews Contribute to the SDG Decade of Action? An Assessment of VLRs to Date

IISD, SDG Knowledge Hub

Story highlights: The Voluntary Local Review (VLR) process is providing a useful tool for subnational levels of government to take on the SDGs. The Institute for Global Environmental Strategies has published two reports to support the growing number of local and regional governments conducting VLRs.

Training or Learning Material

April 2020

Shimokawa Method for Voluntary Local Reviews

A ‘Voluntary Local Review’ (VLR) is a process whereby local and regional governments voluntarily carry out a review of progress being made in their implementation of the SDGs. This review includes policies, programmes, data, institutional set-ups and stakeholder engagement mechanisms to implement the 2030 Agenda at the local level. VLRs are then...

Working Paper

April 2020

State of the Voluntary Local Reviews 2020:Local Action for Global Impact in Achieving the SDGs

With only ten years left to achieve the ambitious Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by all UN member States in its 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, action is more urgent than ever. Cities, which are responsible for delivering many of the targets highlighted by the SDGs are accelerating their efforts. This is recognised by the...