In 2015, all United Nations Member States adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development – a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity across the planet. At its heart are 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) urging all countries to implement strategies to improve health and education, reduce inequality, spur economic growth, and tackle climate change, with an overarching mission to end global poverty and other deprivations.
“Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.”
SDG Goal 11 targets cities, where over half the world’s population resides. Critical infrastructure, affordable housing, efficient transport and essential social services are key areas of improvement needed to elevate resiliency and sustainability – and, by extension, create safer, more prosperous, and more livable cities worldwide.
BestCities Global Alliance and over half of its 13 partner destinations are aligned in their commitment to furthering UN Sustainable Development Goals 11 by facilitating impactful business events that help to make host cities more sustainable, resilient, and inclusive.
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How can the meetings industry further the objectives of SDG Goal 11?
SDG Goal 11 has several target objectives, including (but not limited to):
- Curbing urban sprawl to balance people, prosperity and the planet by 2030;
- Improving access to open public spaces;
- Implementing disaster risk reduction strategies; and
- Continuing to decrease air pollution (a comparison of air pollution before and after the development of the SDGs, taking a five-year average, showed a nine percent decrease in fine particulate matter at a global level).
Destinations and associations that plan and host major meetings are well positioned to align with the objectives of SDG Goal 11, specifically urban sustainability, inclusivity, and resilience.
Supporting SDG Goal 11: a case study of the Global DIY Summit
Motivated to leave a lasting legacy and positive impact, BestCities partner destinations are helping to advance SDG Goal 11 one conference at a time.
One example is the Global DIY Summit, which has been hosted by three BestCities destinations – Dublin (2019), Copenhagen (2022), and Berlin (2017 and 2023). The summit represents retailers, manufacturers and suppliers of the DIY (do it yourself) home improvement and garden centre market, and attracts over 1,000 delegates and 290 retailers from over 55 countries.
The 2022 Global DIY Summit introduced the DIY Legacy Project, an initiative supported by the Copenhagen Legacy Lab. The project aimed to shift the focus of the DIY industry towards sustainable and responsible impacts. Some of these commitments came to life at the Copenhagen summit, including:
- Delegate contributions to a Sustainability Wish Tree, where progress towards the sustainability pledges is monitored. Since the summit, surveys have been conducted annually to track changes and innovations for all wishes.
- A commitment to the annual publication of a Sustainability Trend Report. Reports were published in 2022 and 2023, the first focusing on sustainability case studies from leading retailers and manufacturers, and the second broadening its focus to encompass Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives.
At the 2023 Global DIY Summit in Berlin, a Scope 3 Task force was launched to support the industry in reducing its Scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions, which account for over 90 percent of retailers’ total emissions.
TIP: Click here to access the BestCities Global Alliance case study featuring the Global DIY Summit.
SDG Goal 11 in action: how BestCities partner destinations are building safer, more resilient cities
How to achieve SDG 11? Outside of specific conferences and events, BestCities partner destinations integrated inclusivity, safety, resilience, and sustainability into their meetings makeup.
One example is Tokyo’s Resilience Project, which aims to ensure the safety and security of residents, visitors and business travellers against windstorms, floods, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, power and communication disruptions, and infectious diseases.
In Vancouver, the Climate Emergency Action Plan outlines recommendations in the areas of land-use planning, transportation, buildings, infrastructure, and enhancing and protecting natural systems, with an overarching goal of reducing the city’s carbon pollution by 50 percent by 2030 and becoming carbon neutral by 2050.
Incredible Impacts: honouring meetings that make cities better
Each year, BestCities Global Alliance, in partnership with the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA), hosts the Incredible Impacts Programme – an initiative celebrating the “beyond tourism” value of international association meetings to advance positive societal impact.
Throughout the years, the programme has honoured legacy-making, and often life-changing, work within the meetings industry. One recipient was the 2019 Ecocity World Summit, hosted in Vancouver by Ecocity Builders.
A major legacy of the summit was the BCIT Centre for Ecocities, which provides coaching, diagnostic tools, and scientific evidence to help close the sustainability gap. The centre works directly with cities and assisted municipalities to evaluate their sustainability efforts and map pathways to reduce emissions.
The future of cities: where do we go from here?
Cities are the future of global living, and goal 11 sustainable cities and communities was introduced to ensure that future is safer, more inclusive, and more secure. The UN notes that “sustainable development cannot be achieved without significantly transforming the way urban spaces are built and managed” – and the BestCities Global Alliance and its partner destinations are focusing efforts to ensure global meetings and events not only minimize their impact on the host destination, but also leave it better than when they arrived.
By enabling partners and associations to develop sustainable experiences that make a positive impact and leave a lasting legacy, BestCities is committed to furthering SDG Goal 11 by harnessing the power of its alliance and the spirit of community that can elevate us all.
Related posts:
INTRODUCTION TO THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS (SDGS)
FAQ: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE UNITED NATIONS SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS