Why Localizing the SDGs Matter?

Amongst the most important pathways that we can promote for the upcoming years, one that stands out is the localization of sustainability efforts. As it was reinforced during the last United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) with the adoption of the historic Pact of the Future: “We must meet the Sustainable Development Goals for all segments of society and leave no one behind, including through the localization of sustainable development.”

Localization of the SDGs is understood as the efforts to adapt the 17 Goals to the local context of each region, country, or territory by taking into account the realities of said place. This realities range from the socioeconomic context, the culture and values, the geography, or even the demographic of the territory, and it includes many other aspects that can have a direct correlation with the themes and priorities presented throughout the Goals and its targets.

This concept is not something new. In fact, for years now, the UN has been strongly emphasizing the importance of each Member State tailoring the Goals to their realities, and even the UN agencies and initiatives can attest to the benefits of promoting this localized approach to sustainable development. Most recently, in a UN Inter-agency policy brief titled “Inter-agency policy briefs on accelerating progress on the 2030 Agenda from local to global levels: The critical importance of SDG localization,” released in September 2024, the organization stressed this approach as the success to unlocking the full potential of the SDGs.

In the same document, we can find some of the benefits of localization, which include some of the following aspects:

Increased Relevance and Influence: The main aspect of the concept of localization is an advantage in itself, as tailoring the SDGs to specific challenges and opportunities leads to a “customization” through policies and actions that are relevant for each respective place. By working at a smaller scale, policymakers can ensure that the influence of their actions is tangible and directly felt by citizens of each community, leading to an immediate influence and improvement of people’s lives.
Facilitated Monitoring and Reporting: As the customization of the Goals becomes a reality through localization, monitoring and reporting of the progress also becomes easier to track. This is where initiatives such as the SDSN’s SDR or the Voluntary Local Reviews (VLR) stand out, as through the data they gather on the performance, countries can allow themselves to make more informed and data-driven decisions. Clear monitoring can also help identify the best practices to allow for scalability so they can be replicated for more widespread applications.
Enhanced Collaboration: Localization can lead to greater collaboration as it doesn’t limit the sustainability actions to international organizations but welcomes further local, national, or even regional actors for collaboration. When local stakeholders are involved, there’s also a greater opportunity for citizens to take direct action and significantly contribute to advancing the SDGs.

Moreover, these benefits are also directly correlated to the concept of leaving no one behind. It is only by involving everybody, by undersanding their perspectives, ideas, and views, that we can identify innovative approaches and projects to implement and achieve the SDGs.