A territorial approach to the Sustainable Development Goals in Kópavogur, Iceland
Kópavogur was the first municipality in Iceland to formally embrace the Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs). In September 2018, the Municipal Council adopted a holistic
strategy for Kópavogur, based on the 15 prioritised SDGs and their 36 targets. The
city is following a data-driven approach to implement the SDGs as a tool for public
sector innovation and to bring all the municipality’s actions under one strategic
framework. The city is also using the SDGs to build awareness and strengthen ownership
of the local strategy among private sector and civil society. The case of Kópavogur
also points to the importance of addressing the SDGs through an integrated and functional
approach, since many sustainable development challenges span beyond sole perimeter
of the city and require close cooperation with the hinterland, as in the case of public
transport and waste management.
Published on September 23, 2020
In series:OECD Regional Development Working Papersview more titles