Implementing Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is essential for equitable and prosperous human development, and a strategy called SDG 360 Thinking provides a structure for this work, University of Wisconsin–Madison’s Lori DiPrete Brown writes in a recently published Oxford Research Encyclopedia article.
DiPrete Brown is a cochair of the UniverCity Alliance and a distinguished teaching faculty in the School of Human Ecology.
The United Nations SDGs are global goals that offer a strategic framework for environmental care, economic prosperity, and social equity. Used around the world, they are also critical to address challenges in the United States. When SDGs are used at the local level, they can optimize the impact of governance, support collective decision-making and encourage active citizenship toward improving community life.
In the article, DiPrete Brown argues that SDG 360 Thinking is a promising strategy that enables local governments to “realize local goals and implement local plans using the framework of the SDGs.”
“SDG 360 Thinking offers a powerful way to engage with communities, address their priorities, and create incentives to advance sustainable development,” DiPrete Brown said.
SDG 360 Thinking includes five ways to advance the SDGs locally:
- Explain the SDGs with local examples to establish relevance
- Crosswalk the SDGs with city plans to highlight what is already happening
- Assist with voluntary local review to create a culture of accountability
- Conduct SDG 360 analysis to identify co-benefits and plan implementation
- Center equity and inclusion as a fundamental cross-cutting practice
Read the full article here.