SDG Indicators Brought to the Local Level

Developing Indicators for a Sustainable Future

Municipalities are key actors in promoting and achieving the sustainability goals put forth in international agendas such as Habitat 3 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It is in human settlements where striving for sustainable development meets its greatest chances as well as challenges. Since time is a factor in agendas that are to be fulfilled by latest 2030 it is essential that we work stringently and efficiently towards their achievement. Therefore, a broad alliance of German actors has come together to develop an indicator system designed to measure the success and effectiveness of policies aiming to fulfill the SDGs. Through the indicator system it is now possible for German counties, cities, towns and villages to get an up-to-date insight into how far their policies go in order to contribute to the respective SDGs they are addressing. They will be able to identify blank spots and areas of development potential and, thence, can address issues directly. This way, policies can be drafted to precisely fit their purpose and readily optimized to ensure a high-quality outcome thus adding significant chances to achieve the most ambitious agenda the world has ever agreed upon - in time. In our presentation we want to give an insight into the process and work that went into designing the indicator system and provide ideas on how the principle can be adapted and transferred to countries all over the world. The audience will be able to ask questions and draw on our experience in developing a tool for the precise development of policies for our sustainable future.