The fact that cities are playing an increasingly important role can also be seen in the topic of sustainability reporting. National governments have been reporting to the United Nations for years with Voluntary National Reviews, now also more and more cities are joining in with Voluntary Local Reviews.
In July 2022, the city of Kiel published its first Voluntary Local Review. Kiel is the state capital of Schleswig-Holstein and is Germany’s most northerly city. The City of Kiel has tasked itself with turning sustainability into a compass to guide all municipal activities, even in turbulent times. In line with the slogan we are using to communicate our sustainability efforts, “For Kiel and the world: Thinking globally, driving change locally”, we believe we have a particular responsibility to contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals at local level.
This first Kiel Voluntary Local Review concentrates on the strategic focus areas of the UN’s High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF):
- SDG 4 Quality education
- SDG 5 Gender quality
- SDG 14 Life below water
- SDG 15 Life on land
- SDG 17 Partnerships for the Goals
The robust facts and data underpinning the review have given us a clearer picture of our strengths and weaknesses and will guide us as we transition towards a sustainable future.
At the same time, we hope to be able to encourage other cities and municipalities: They play a pioneering role in implementing the SDGs, and the VLR can play a critical role in involving their citizens and other cities.
We are excited to share the progress Kiel has achieved in implementing the SDGs and we are also looking forward to join the international group of progressive cities whose VLRs are highlighting the significant role played by cities as drivers of sustainable development.
Please find the Voluntary Local Review of the city of Kiel.
Contact:
Lisa Eglhofer
City of Kiel
Project Coordinator for Sustainability
lisa.eglhofer@kiel.de