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Asia Pacific

SDG Cities Challenge in Malaysia, India, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands and Australia

SDG Cities Challenge in Malaysia, India, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands and Australia 

CROSS-CUTTING SECTORS

SDGs, SIDS, Capacity Building, Data 

ORGANISATION(S)

Connected Cities Lab, Business Council for Sustainable Development Australia, Banksia Foundation 

PROJECT OVERVIEW 

The 2020 SDGs Cities Challenge began on 13 May 2020 with ten initial cities from Malaysia, India, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands and Australia. There is a wealth of resources available for cities and business to support the implementation of the SDGs however it is not always easy to find a methodology that best fits a city’s local context and identifies appropriate local solutions. The SDGs Cities Challenge links cities with their urban partners in academia, business and community in a structured process of co-design. This creates innovative approaches for cities to accelerate action towards the Sustainable Development Goals, in particular SDG11, using an initiative or project to which they are already committed. Each city is given the opportunity to produce an implementation plan, and ultimately a voluntary local review (VLR) aligned to the SDGs. The SDGs Cities Challenge is a comprehensive, long-term program aligned with the 2030 Development Agenda. Click here to find out more.  

RELEVANCE TO THE CALL TO ACTION ON SUSTAINABLE URBANISATION ACROSS THE COMMONWEALTH

These examples have been chosen because of their relevance to the Call to Action, as shown by the direct quotes provided below. To view the Call to Action click here.

  • “With almost 50% of Commonwealth citizens living and working in cities and human settlements, and 65% of the 169 targets underlying the 17 SDGs linked to territorial and urban development, sustainable urbanisation must be central to the Commonwealth’s agenda for delivering a common future: connecting, innovating, and transforming.”  
  • “Sustainable urbanisation requires a commitment to good governance, integrated planning, effective service delivery together with fiscal and political empowerment.” 
  • “Sustainable urbanisation demands collective action – genuine multi-level governance – to empower, enable and support cities and their citizens.”  
  • Universities, research, technology, innovation, and knowledge sharing will be at the heart of ensuring sustainable cities and human settlements of the future.  

THIS EXAMPLE HAS BEEN PROVIDED BY

Connected Cities Lab: https://sites.research.unimelb.edu.au/connected-cities