LOCALIZING SDG WITH A CLIMATE CHANGE APPROACH IN THE PROVINCE OF BARCELONA

#SDGAction42825

Description

Intro

Since 1981 the Environmental Department of Barcelona Provincial Council has been supporting municipalities to make progress on sustainability. A specific technical and economic support has been created for the municipalities to localize SDGs with a climate change approach for adaptation and mitigation. This support links the Covenant of Mayors that we are coordinating in the province of Barcelona, as well as the work that we have been done on Agenda 21, with the SDG goals and Agenda 2030. To develop this support we have previously conducted a process to align the work of our Department with SDGs and Agenda 2030.

Objective of the practice

The main objective of the good practice presented is to support as many municipalities as possible on the SDGs localization and the transition towards Agenda 2030. The innovative part of our action on SDG is to tackle the localization of SDG from the climate change perspective. This means that each technical support line (i.e. to work implement SDGs on water – SDG 6 – mobility – SDG 11 - …) requires contributing to climate change mitigation and/or adaptation. 
 
To achieve this objective, we help municipalities: 
1) To develop a methodology to align their municipal A21 and strategic plans with the SDGs. 
2) To establish an Agenda 2030 periodic monitoring and evaluation system (with specific indicators) 
3) To develop a SDGs and Agenda 2030 communication plan 
 
All of this, should help to create a replicable model for all the municipalities that wish to implement the Agenda 2030.

Partners

The Environmental Department of DIBA is the promoter of this good practise for the 311 municipalities of the province of Barcelona. The municipalities and their citizens are the direct beneficiaries of the action. At the same time, our department is also a donor, since we offer technical and financial support to municipalities to localize SDGs. Our action is closely linked with the job done by the International Department of DIBA that focuses on raising awareness on SDGs and Agenda 2030. This is why we have periodical meetings and feedbacks with this department.

Implementation of the Project/Activity

The Mandate Plan of DIBA seeks to improve the quality of life of citizens living in the province of Barcelona, to foment progress and to ensure territorial balance. In order to do this, we have set ourselves certain strategic objectives which are rolling out in a coordinated manner to serve the 311 town and county councils and other municipal bodies.

One of the main strategies is a commitment to a better future. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development represents a step forward in the global commitment to the welfare of citizens and the progress of all countries and regions. The documents lists 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) to guide government action up until 2030 in crucial areas, such as hunger, health, education, gender, equality…

To implement the Agenda 2030 and the SDGs in the municipalities, the Environmental Department follows up next steps:
1st. the municipalities contact our department and fill an application form asking for the support
2nd. the Environmental Department scores municipalities petitions following several parameters, for example if the municipality had developed other projects related to SDGs…
3rd. when the support is given to the municipality, the following actions are taken:
- A diagnosis to know which strategic plans are susceptible to be linked to SDGs and which is their execution state. DIBA tries to involve all the Departments of the municipality because it is important to involve all the municipal staff.
- Afterwards different tools are offered to align their strategic plans with SDGs. This exercise is necessary to detect their main deficiencies and for a best decision making. Once the municipality has this information the decision making is easier. The municipality can choose if they prefer to put more efforts in one specific SDG or another, depending on their priorities.
- Writing the Agenda 2030 with monitoring and evaluation system. Each objective has KPI related. Also, we give support to implement a SDG communication plan to involve all the citizens reaching the different goals.

Results/Outputs/Impacts

The Environmental Department of DIBA is in an initial stage on the implementation of Agenda 2030. We have started giving support to one municipality (Granollers) to align their strategic plans with SDGs. Therefore, the Agenda 2030 implementation has not been finished yet and the results/outputs are partial:

The main impact of the process undertaken is the creation of a new line of support for municipalities: “Agenda 2030 and local implementation of SDGs”. This support has been included in the Catalogue of local governments network for 2018 and 2019 inside the financial support measures related with climate change adaptation and mitigation.

Positive outputs reached until now:
- The Agenda 2030 allows coordinating different Departments from DIBA, because we have a common objective within the municipalities.
- We have a high impact in Catalonia, because Barcelona province has 75% of Catalan population.
- Municipalities are increasing their interest on SDG and Agenda 2030. This means that they are starting to ask for technical and financial support on this field.
- We are applying the methodology in the municipality and the result is that it gives to the municipality the steps to follow for the Agenda and SDGs implementation.
- We are having a strong impact at political level, and politicians are including SDG in their political strategies.
- The process started with SDG allows improving multilevel governance.

Enabling factors and constraints

Enabling factors

DIBA has a strong commitment in the localization of SDGs, it is one of the strategic policies and our objective is to implement Agenda 2030 and SDGs in most of the municipalities of Barcelona province. To achieve this commitment the International Department organizes training sessions geared towards all the DIBA’s workers.

Some of the enabling factors are:
- DIBA gives technical and economic support to the municipalities.
- Our Department of Environment has experience in the A21 implementation in several of these municipalities. It means that we already have a good deal of knowledge about them (their staff, needs…). Moreover, the A21 is directly related to Agenda 2030, which includes a significant knowledge to develop plans related to sustainability.
- We have an extensive experience working on sustainability and environmental issues and this know-how is directly linked with SDGs targets.
- The Environmental Department is the secretariat of the Network of cities and towns towards sustainbiliaty (XarxaSost) which includes around 300 local and supralocal authorities. This Network offers the opportunity to share knowledge and experiences on SDGs in the province of Barcelona and beyond.

Constraints
- It is difficult to find models or good practices to localize SDGs at municipal level, one reason could be that Agenda 2030 implementation is still very recent.
- The complexity to establish a common methodology, useful for all type of municipalities, due to we give support to all type of municipalities (different size and characteristics…), which mean they have different needing.
- The local authorities have already many plans, policies and projects in place; therefore it can seem quite difficult to develop a new strategy based on Agenda 2030.
- The difficulty to get data and calculate indicators for doing the monitoring and evaluation of the different goals.

Sustainability and replicability

- DIBA gives support to 311 municipalities, one of the main strategic objectives is to promote SDG and Agenda 2030. To do this, we develop different tools and methodologies. In order for the results to be comparative between the different municipalities, we establish methodologies that are replicable.
- The permanent technical and economic support offered by DIBA gives sustainability to the actions promoted on Agenda 2030 and SDGs.
- The methodologies and processes created on SDGs and Agenda 2030 will be replicated within the province and beyond using the Network of cities and towns towards sustainbiliaty (XarxaSost), as well as the networking at European and Spanish scale (mainly through the spanish CONAMA congress on environment).

Conclusions

- We have undertaken a process of aligning the work done by the Environmental department of DIBA with SDGs and Agenda 2030 with a climate change approach. 
- A specific support for municipalities of the province of Barcelona on Agenda 2030 and SDG has been launched by the Environmental Department of DIBA: “Agenda 2030 and local implementation of SDGs”. 
- Currently, we are in process of developing the first experience supporting a municipality with the SDGs and Agenda 2030 implementation. This requires the elaboration of a methodology to facilitate the work to the municipalities. 
- The applied methodology is being helpful in establishing the steps and priorities in the municipal elaboration of Agenda 2030. 
- The multi-level alliances are reinforced in this process, since as a supramunicipal entity we give support to the municipalities, prioritizing the smaller ones (which normally have less financial resources than the big ones). 
- DIBA has included SDGs in is political agenda and discourse, and it has become one of the main strategies for the future, this implies that municipalities also include SDGs in their strategic politic lines. 
- DIBA offers support to the 75% of Catalonia’s inhabitants. Therefore, this work has a huge impact in our country. 
- SDGs allows working together with other DIBA Departments (especially, the International Department), strengthening internal relations between several Departments, unifying efforts for a common goal: improving citizen’s life quality and territorial balance. 
- Moreover, the SDGs give continuity in DIBA manner of work, because our Department has always worked for the sustainable development. Therefore, the SDG perspective is not new for us and working with SDGs strengths our work.

Other sources of information

Website of SDGs from Barcelona Provincial Council
https://www.diba.cat/es/web/ods

Environmental Department of Barcelona Provincial Council
https://www.diba.cat/en/web/directori/oficina-tecnica-de-canvi-climatic…

New line of support for municipalities: “Agenda 2030 and local implementation of SDGs”.
https://catalegdeserveis-cercador.diba.cat/fitxa?id=19167

SDGS & Targets

Goal 15

Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss

Goal 7

Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all

Goal 9

Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation

Goal 4

Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all

Goal 8

Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all

Goal 6

Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all

Goal 2

End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture

Goal 10

Reduce inequality within and among countries

Goal 11

Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable

Goal 5

Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls

Goal 16

Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels

Goal 17

Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development

Goal 1

End poverty in all its forms everywhere

Goal 12

Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns

Goal 3

Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages

Goal 13

Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts

Goal 14

Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development

Deliverables & Timeline

N/A

Resources mobilized

Resources

Other, please specify

The financial support for SDG and Agenda 2030 is included in a broader financial line support for climate change mitigation and adaptation (aprox. 300,000€)

Partnership Progress

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False

Name	Description
14.1	By 2025, prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution of all kinds, in particular from land-based activities, including marine debris and nutrient pollution
14.2	By 2020, sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems to avoid significant adverse impacts, including by strengthening their resilience, and take action for their restoration in order to achieve healthy and productive oceans
14.3	Minimize and address the impacts of ocean acidification, including through enhanced scientific cooperation at all levels
14.4	By 2020, effectively regulate harvesting and end overfishing, illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and destructive fishing practices and implement science-based management plans, in order to restore fish stocks in the shortest time feasible, at least to levels that can produce maximum sustainable yield as determined by their biological characteristics
14.5	By 2020, conserve at least 10 per cent of coastal and marine areas, consistent with national and international law and based on the best available scientific information
14.6	By 2020, prohibit certain forms of fisheries subsidies which contribute to overcapacity and overfishing, eliminate subsidies that contribute to illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and refrain from introducing new such subsidies, recognizing that appropriate and effective special and differential treatment for developing and least developed countries should be an integral part of the World Trade Organization fisheries subsidies negotiation
14.7	By 2030, increase the economic benefits to Small Island developing States and least developed countries from the sustainable use of marine resources, including through sustainable management of fisheries, aquaculture and tourism
17.14	Enhance policy coherence for sustainable development

Feedback

Action Network

This initiative does not yet fulfil the SMART criteria.

Timeline

01 January 2018 (start date)

28 February 2019 (date of completion)

Entity

Barcelona Provincial Council

SDGs

15 7 9 4 8 6 2 10 11 5 16 17 1 12 3 13 14

Region

Europe

Geographical coverage

Barcelona Provincial Council operates in the province of Barcelona (Catalonia). It has 311 municipalities and more than 5.5 million people (75% of the Catalan population).

Website/More information

N/A

Countries

Spain

Contact Information

Núria Parpal Servole, Head of Section for Enviromental planning

parpalsn@diba.cat