Page 57 - U4SSC Factsheet Ålesund, Norway, June 2020

U4SSC in the International Context

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

‘A smart sustainable city is an innovative city that uses information and communication
technologies (ICTs) and other means to improve quality of life, efficiency of urban operation
and services, and competitiveness, while ensuring that it meets the needs of present and future
generations with respect to economic, social, environmental as well as cultural aspects.’

(ITU and UNECE, 2015)

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a collection of 17 global goals set by the United
Nations (UN) in 2015 as an urgent call for action by all countries – developed and developing – in a
global partnership. They recognize that ending poverty and other deprivations must go together with
strategies that improve health and education, reduce inequality, and spur economic growth – all while
tackling climate change and working to preserve our oceans and forests.

The goals are broad and somewhat interdependent, yet each has a separate list of targets to achieve.
The SDGs cover social and economic development issues that include: poverty, hunger, health,
education, climate change, gender equality, water, sanitation, energy, economic growth, innovation,
sustainability, responsible consumption, environment, social justice and partnerships. There are 169
targets for the 17 goals; achievement of all targets signals the accomplishment of all 17 goals. Twenty
of the targets are quantitative in nature, while the majority are more qualitative.

The SDGs were presented as part of the ‘Transforming our World: 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development’. The 2030 Agenda was developed to succeed the Millennium Development Goals
(MDGs), which ended in 2015. Unlike the MDGs, the SDGs framework does not distinguish between
‘developed’ and ‘developing’ nations; instead, the goals are meant to apply to all countries.

Localization, i.e. implementation of the SDGs started worldwide in 2016. To further the progress of this
localization, the SDGs are being promoted globally through several initiatives and advocacy platforms
that are coordinated and supported by various UN programmes and agencies, including U4SSC in cities.

Meeting the SDGs is important for any city – particularly aspiring smart sustainable cities – because the
SDGs framework is designed to help cities recognize priorities and establish long-term goals. The SDGs
are designed to reveal the interdependent dynamics within various facets of sustainable development
such as economic, social, and environmental conditions. The goals are meant to show, for example,
how continued reliance on fossil fuels affects not only climate change and air quality but also public
health, which then impacts poverty rates and economic opportunities. By working within the SDGs
framework, policymakers can get to the root of their cities’ issues.
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Also, the analytical framework of the SDGs lends itself to the use of clear baselines to improve internal
planning and implementation. Other benefits include gap analysis, infusing priorities into a budget
process, cutting programming redundancies and saving resources, and tracking outcomes. Cities can
also engage across the global network of other governments and institutions that are pursuing the

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