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This report is the sixth edition of the State of the Voluntary Local Reviews series, which has been produced annually by the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) since 2020. It aims to offer an empirical overview of the Voluntary Local Review (VLR) movement to examine evolving local-level practices in SDG localisation, implementation, and follow-up and review processes. This work serves as an input to global SDG discussion, highlighting the need for subnational perspectives in global sustainability frameworks. As global progress towards the SDGs remains off track, with several targets regressing, the role of local and regional governments (LRGs) in catalysing change has become more critical than ever.
This sixth edition, entitled ‘At a Crossroads for Local SDG Action,’ examines 55 VLR reports published by LRGs in 2024. First, this report provides an overview of the trends in the VLR movement in 2024. Second, it examines the 2024 group of VLRs across two key themes: the approaches used by LRGs in their follow-up and review of the SDGs, and the selection of Goals for review. Third, it compares the 2024 reports against previous years to identify continuity and shifts in trends. It concludes by reflecting on emerging trends and the possible influence of the VLR movement on post-2030 Agenda debates.
This report shows that VLRs have become a recurring mechanism in local sustainability governance. Even though the number of VLRs produced annually has slowed since 2022, the cumulative number of unique LRGs producing a VLR continues to grow. Moreover, the analysis indicates that repeat reporting is becoming more common, demonstrating a growing commitment over time. Local and regional governments, particularly municipalities, tend to favour qualitative reviews of policies and actions (i.e. process-oriented) over quantitative assessments of progress (i.e. outcome-based), probably due to data limitations at the local level and the complexity of the SDG indicators framework. SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) remains the most consistently reviewed Goal across municipal governments, signifying its centrality in articulating local sustainable development.
This report identifies three notable shifts among the 2024 group of VLRs. First, while African LRGs published a record 17 VLR reports (30.9% of all 2024 reports), Europe’s share dropped sharply to 12.7%, its lowest share in any year on record. Second, VLRs authored by LRGs from high-income countries also experienced a significant drop; in contrast, VLRs from upper-middle- and lower-middle-income countries dominated for the first time (over 75% of VLR reports). Third, 50.9% of VLRs were published by LRGs in countries that also submitted a Voluntary National Review (VNR) to the 2024 High-level Political Forum. Altogether, these findings indicate that the VLR movement is moving beyond its earlier concentration in Europe and high-income countries, possibly signifying larger international technical and financial support for VLR processes.
With only five years left to 2030, scaling up local action is now more urgent than ever. The lessons learned from the VLR movement hold the potential to offer the building blocks for future global governance structures. While VLRs can foster new forms of accountability and multi-level governance, their institutionalisation will require increased technical and financial support. Nevertheless, VLRs may become a blueprint to guide local engagement with other global agendas (such as climate change and biodiversity).
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