Belgium

The city of Ghent is the first Belgian local government to publish a SDG Voluntary Local Review (VLR). They launched their report in September 2020, during the Week of the Sustainable Municipality in Flanders. The report gives an overview of indicators for all SDGs. In the coming years, they will develop follow-up reports for each P: People in 2021, Prosperity in 2022 and Planet in 2023. Peace and Partnership will be taken into account in each report.

In the past years, VVSG has actively worked on localizing the SDGs in Flanders, providing municipalities with materials and inspiration on awareness raising and policy planning. With success: 178 out of the 300 Flemish municipalities have now integrated the SDGs into their multi-annual policy plans (2020-2025).

For many municipalities in Flanders (Belgium) sustainable development is not an empty term. That’s clear from the firm commitment to climate neutrality in Leuven, smart mobility through cycling in Bonheiden and embracing of diversity in Malines. These are only a few examples of the many local practices in perfect alignment with the United Nations 2030 Agenda for sustainable development. This international agenda previously affected municipalities through the North-South policies, but goes much further and deeper now.