Welcome to this webinar where you will learn about the first ever Nordic Voluntary Sub-National Review of local governments’ efforts to reach the global sustainability goals and Agenda 2030.
The “Nordic VSR” is based on a recent survey sent to all Nordic municipalities and regions. In July, Nordregio together with Nordic Local and Regional Government Associations will present it to a global audience at the UN High Level Political Forum in New York. We will share Nordic learnings and show the world that the local level is leading the way.
During the webinar, you will be the first to learn more about the preliminary results and recommendations from the Nordic VSR, followed by comments and discussion with key stakeholders, including Nordic municipalities, youth networks and civil society. As our digital audience, you will be able to interact with the speakers throughout the programme via chat and polls. You will also be encouraged to share your success factors, needs and challenges working with the global goals/Agenda 2030 at the local level.
Register to the webinar using the form below.
The Nordic VSR is produced by Nordregio and an editorial group consisting of:
Local Government Denmark (Kommunernes Landsforening – KL)
Association of Finnish Local and Regional Authorities (Kuntaliitto)
The Icelandic Association of Local Authorities (Samband)
The Norwegian Association of Local and Regional Authorities (KS)
The Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions (Sveriges Kommuner och Regioner)
Programme Tuesday April 9, 13.00-14.30 (CET)
13:00 – Welcome by Moderator (Åsa Hildestrand, Nordregio)
Greeting by Anna Calvete Moreno, UCLG World Secretariat Barcelona: the Nordic VSR as a tool to boost SDG localisation globally
About the Nordic VSR, intro by Nordregio – survey and production
13:15 Editorial group presents key recommendations in the Nordic VSR:
Eveliina Kiema-Majanen, Kuntaliitto, Finland
Anna G. Björnsdóttir, Samband, Iceland
Anne Romsaas, KS, Norway
Anna Eklöf, SKR, Sweden
13:30 Comments by civil society, including youth and Sámi representatives:
Silje Brekke Bakken, coordinator, Nordic Youth Sustainability Network
Ingrid Solstrand, coordinator, Nordic Civil Society Network
13:45 Panel discussion with municipality representatives:
Sigurjón Andrésson, Mayor of the Municipality of Hornafjörður, Iceland
Hornafjörður is a growing community in southeast Iceland. It is the fourth largest municipality in Iceland in terms of land area but 22nd out of 64 municipalities in terms of population, with 2650 people living there. The municipality is diligently working to implement the global goals, demonstrating a commitment to a sustainable future with a recent overall strategy entitled Hornafjörður Náttúrlega! The local community’s challenges regarding climate change are present in Hornafjörður, with shrinking glaciers and rising land.
Sanna Mari Huikuri, Sustainability Strategist, Tampere, Finland
Tampere is the third largest city in Finland, 160 km north-west of Helsinki. Inland and attractive, and part of the six largest Finnish cities’ close collaboration to promote strategic management of SDGs locally in Finland. Sanna Mari is responsible for this task in her city, including the new City Strategy 2030 – City of Action developed in 2021. She was also editor of Tampere’s first Voluntary Local Review, completed in May 2022.
Frida Johnson, Sustainability Strategist, Tierp, Sweden
Tierp Municipality is a rural municipality in Uppsala County in Sweden. The municipality has a special governance model where the sustainability goals (SDGs) are the only goals in the municipality’s budget that all operations work towards. Sustainability analyses are carried out prior to political decisions and the global goals form the basis for collaboration with civil society and other actors. The municipality’s goal is to increase the pace towards more sustainable development locally, but also to contribute to sustainable development globally.
Ingvild Gundersen Little, Sustainability Adviser, Kristiansand, Norway
Kristiansand is the sixth largest municipality in Norway, located on the southern coast. Kristiansand is a part of the National Sustainability Network, which work holistically with the SDGs with a sustainability team coordinating the effort. Kristiansand is investing in three areas that receive extra attention and resources; to be attractive and environmentally friendly; to be inclusive and diverse with a good quality of life for everyone; and to be a creative and competent regional capital. The vision, “stronger together” points forward and brings actors together for joint development and change.
Line Vind, “Chefkonsulent”, Gladsaxe Municipality, Denmark
The Municipality of Gladsaxe, just outside Copenhagen, is one of the frontrunners on the 2030 Agenda in Denmark, and was the first Danish municipality to deliver on the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals by integrating them into the municipal strategy, Gladsaxe’s Strategy 2018-22.
14:10 Q&A with panel and online audience
14:25 Wrap up and next steps: Comments from editorial group
