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1. Guidance Primers
3. Examples Databank
1. Guidance Primers
Read the two-page digital briefing notes to learn about practical strategies and actions that local governments around the world are using to achieve local green, blue, circular, and resilient growth.
2. Micro-lessons
3. Examples Databank
1. Guidance Primers
To dive deeper into the strategies and actions and to test your understanding, take the seven-minute interactive learning modules. These are easily accessible online from your phone or computer.
3. Examples Databank
3. Examples Databank
3. Examples Databank
To enhance your understanding, peruse practical examples of strategies and actions used by local governments around the world to advance green, blue, circular, and resilient local growth. There are over 300!
4. Policy Briefs
3. Examples Databank
3. Examples Databank
If you are an official with a national government, international organization, or development agency, read the 4-page digital policy briefs to learn how to help support local communities in advancing green, blue, circular, and resilient growth.
advancing Local green growth
What is Green Growth?
Green growth is an approach that “improves human well-being and builds social equity while reducing environmental risks and scarcities”. It is an “alternative to today's dominant economic model, which exacerbates inequalities, encourages waste, triggers resource scarcities, and generates widespread threats to the environment and human health". (Based on UNEP).
Why is it important for cities?
Three quarters of the world’s energy consumption and upwards of 70% of all greenhouse gas emissions occur in cities. Local green growth is therefore essential for sustainable development in the 21st century. The opportunities are significant, ... 75% of all infrastructure that is likely to exist in 2050, is still yet to be built. (Based on United Nations, 2021)
Interactive Micro-lesson
Here you'll find brief 7-minute interactive micro-lesson so you can quickly learn more about the six strategies and 18 specific actions that local governments around the world are using to advance local green growth for their communities. The micro-lesson is hosted by Mindsmith, a third-party e-learning App, no login required, just click and learn.
Interactive Examples Databank
We've curated a list of over 60 case examples from around the world of local governments implementing specific strategies and actions to advance green growth. The databank is in PDF format with links to online resources so you can learn more about the examples you are interested in.
For full operability of the links you will need to download the PDF.
advancing local blue growth
What is Blue Growth?
Blue growth is the sustainable growth and development of oceans, wetlands and coastal zones that minimizes environmental degradation, biodiversity loss and unsustainable use of living aquatic resources, while maximizing economic and social benefits (based on FAO, 2018).
Why is it important for cities?
Blue growth generates millions of local jobs in water-dependent sectors such as fisheries, tourism, and shipping, representing on the order of 4% of GDP for some coastal cities. However, growth of coastal communities can also generate appreciable carbon emissions – maritime transport accounted for approximately 3% of carbon dioxide emissions (circa 2018) – as well as ecosystem degradation – ghost fishing gear comprises upwards of 10% of plastic pollution in oceans. Coastal communities play a key role in unlocking the potential of Blue Growth to preserve ecosystems that sustain life and livelihoods. (based on OECD, 2024)
Interactive Micro-lesson
Here you'll find brief 7-minute interactive micro-lesson so you can quickly learn more about the seven strategies and 26 specific actions that local governments around the world are using to advance local blue growth for their communities. The micro-lesson is hosted by Mindsmith, a third-party e-learning App, no login required, just click and learn.
Interactive Examples Databank
We've curated a list of over 50 case examples from around the world of local governments implementing specific strategies and actions to advance blue growth. The databank is in PDF format with links to online resources so you can learn more about the examples you are interested in.
For full operability of the links you will need to download the PDF.
Coastal Cities - In Focus
With nearly 40% of the global population residing within 100 km of coastlines, coastal communities are hotspots of growth. But coastal cities also face significant risks related to climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution, and financial shocks.
By embracing blue growth strategies, coastal cities are uniquely positioned to achieve sustainable development and resilience through the preservation of ecosystems and use of nature-based solutions alongside built infrastructure.
advancing local circular growth
What is Circular Growth?
Circular growth is characterized by the continual reduction, reuse, refurbishment, and recycling of products and materials, thereby conserving precious resources in the face of increasing supply chain disruptions, resource scarcity, and volatility of resource prices. Circular growth reduces waste and greenhouse gas emissions in the fight against climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss. (based on UNEP, n.d.)
Why is it important for cities?
Cities account for 75 % of natural resource consumption. Therefore, implementing circular growth not only helps a community reduce its global environmental footprint, but can also reduce costs, regenerate biodiversity and create economic opportunities (UNEP, n.d.). Furthermore, only 7 % percent of used materials are cycled back into the economy (UNDP, n.d.). Overall, increased resource use is considered the main driver of the triple planetary crisis – extraction and processing of material resources account for over 55 % of greenhouse gas emissions, 40 % of particulate matter health related impacts, and 90 % of land-based biodiversity loss and water stress (UNDP, n.d.).
Interactive Micro-lesson
Here you'll find brief 7-minute interactive micro-lesson so you can quickly learn more about the eight strategies and 27 specific actions that local governments around the world are using to advance local circular growth for their communities. The micro-lesson is hosted by Mindsmith, a third-party e-learning App, no login required, just click and learn.
Interactive Examples Databank
We've curated a list of approximately 50 case examples from around the world of local governments implementing specific strategies and actions to advance circular growth. The databank is in PDF format with links to online resources so you can learn more about the examples you are interested in.
For full operability of the links you will need to download the PDF.
advancing local Resilient growth
What is Resilient Growth?
Resilient growth helps communities withstand and recover quickly from shocks, and adapt to long‑term challenges and opportunities. It’s about building systems that don’t collapse under pressure—whether the pressure comes from financial crises, natural disasters, pandemics, or technological disruption.
Why is it important for cities?
When a city falters, the impact ripples far beyond its borders. Resilient local growth helps communities sustain their quality of life and thrive during crises.
CLICK HERE TO TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF LOCAL RESILIENT GROWTH.
Interactive Micro-lesson
Here you'll find brief 7-minute interactive micro-lesson so you can quickly learn more about the seven strategies and 23 specific actions that local governments around the world are using to advance local resilient growth for their communities. The micro-lesson is hosted by Mindsmith, a third-party e-learning App, no login required, just click and learn.
Interactive Examples Databank
We've curated a list of over 50 case examples from around the world of local governments implementing specific strategies and actions to advance resilient growth. The databank is in PDF format with links to online resources so you can learn more about the examples you are interested in.
For full operability of the links you will need to download the PDF.
Cross-cutting Aspects of Local Transitions
Innovative Local Finance
Ironically, the number one barrier that local governments experience in their efforts to advance green, blue, circular, and resilient growth and achieve the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), is lack of money.
Cities are at the front line for implementing the SDGs but lack the authority to raise their own revenue to advance integrated green, blue, circular, and resilient growth. Check out the Innovative Local Finance Guidance Primer for a glimpse at funding and finance mechanisms used by cities around the world to advance local green, blue, circular, and resilient growth.
CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THE MICRO-LESSON ON INNOVATIVE LOCAL FINANCE.
Skills for Local Transitions
Local government officials face a wide array of challenges in advancing integrated green, blue, circular, and resilient growth and achieving the SDGs at a local level. A global review of such challenges reveals that many local governments are still in need of specific technical skills, staffing, and institutional capacity to design, implement, and evaluate SDG aligned policies. Among the barriers and challenges experienced are: Institutional and governance barriers, Limited public awareness and stakeholder engagement, Limited local-national coordination, Political and institutional instability, Fiscal constraints, and Data scarcity and monitoring limitations.
Check out the Local Transitions Skills Guidance Primer for a glimpse at these and other challenges faced by local governments. The Primer amplifies a set of soft skills called the Inner Development Goals, which can help local governments with integrated systems approaches such as green- blue, circular, and resilient local growth.
New Urban Agenda and Indicators
The New Urban Agenda presents the blueprint for our shared and sustainable urban future, as agreed upon and adopted at the United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development (Habitat III) in Quito, Ecuador, on 20 October 2016. It was the first internationally agreed document detailing implementation of the urban dimension of the SDGs.
Click here to view the New Urban Agenda.
Supporting the New Urban Agenda, the Urban Monitoring Framework comprises of a set of metrics that guide stakeholders to evaluate progress of cities and urban areas by indicators, domains, city objectives, and against other cities globally. The framework facilitates reporting through Voluntary Local Reviews (VLRs) and preparation of urban data for United Nations Common Country Assessments.
Voluntary Local Reviews
Voluntary Local Reviews (VLRs) provide local governments and organizations a mechanism to report their progress and contribution to achieving the 2030 Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). While not a formal part of a country’s SDG progress reporting to the United Nations High-level Political Forum (HLPF) like Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) are, the VLR has emerged as an important channel for localizing the SDGs and for informing local transitions toward green, blue, circular, and resilient growth.
CLICK HERE TO READ VLRs SUBMITTED TO THE UNITED NATIONS.