The SDG (Sustainable Development Goals) Cities Digitised Tools

Description

Speaker: Dyfed Aubrey, Inter-Regional Advisor at United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat)

This session provides an overview of the SDG Cities Digital Toolkit and illustrates how digitisation can enable action at a scale and level of cost efficiency never previously imagined.

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), were adopted by all 193 UN Member States in 2015 as a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity by 2030. Through the global pledge to Leave No One Behind, countries have committed to fast-track progress for those furthest behind first. Efforts from all levels of government, as well as creativity, knowhow, technology and financial resources from all of society is necessary to achieve the ambitious SDG targets.

Cities occupy 1% of the world’s land, occupy 55% of the world’s population and generate 80% of global economy. Cities also generate 70% of the world’s greenhouse gases and 70% of the world’s waste. Growing social inequalities experienced in cities drive conflict. Cities can on one hand be planned, managed, and governed in a way that drives social equality, environmental sustainability and shared prosperity. Yet on the other hand, if poorly planned and managed cities can exacerbate poverty, inequality and environmental degradation. Cities are where the battle for sustainable development will be lost or won.

We have less than eight years to deliver the SDGs. UN-Habitat, the UN Agency for cities, has created a global flagship initiative, SDG Cities. This initiative aims to support 1000 cities accelerate the achievement of SDGs and impact positively on the lives of 1 billion urban dwellers. Reaching such a scale requires a systematic process. The initiative therefore connects four tracks. Urban Data, Evidence Based Planning; Investment in SDG Impact and Strengthened Institutional Capacity. These tracks form a value chain from data to impact, delivered through empowered local institutions in collaboration with civil society and local business communities. The systematic process is supported with digitized tools, accessible to all cities that have access to a power supply.

The seminar Convenor is Chen Qu, Cambridge Digital Humanities Method Fellow, and Digital Rights Governance Expert at Cities Coalition for Digital Rights

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