5th Guangzhou Award Report on Local Implementation of SDGs

The 5th Guangzhou Award report demonstrates that urban innovation is critical to accelerating achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and requires an enabling environment of collaborative multi-level governance, leadership, citizen engagement, and knowledge sharing. The report highlights that innovation in governance, not just technology, is essential for cities to effectively localize and monitor progress on the SDGs. Cities have shown remarkable agility in responding to crises like the COVID-19 pandemic through multi-sector and multi-stakeholder cooperation. Economic transformation toward sustainability can start at the local level by integrating informal sectors into circular economy approaches. Green infrastructure solutions are most successful when they incorporate social and cultural factors to foster community buy-in. Finally, inclusive co-creation processes that engage citizens directly in planning and decision-making are key to building resilient communities. With the right enabling conditions in place, city governments and their partners have immense potential to be powerful agents of change in delivering on the ambitious 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.