In the first initiative of its kind in Portugal, ICLEI Member Cascais publicly launched its local commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on 21 September.

Countries adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 SDGs in 2015. With these goals, countries pledged to mobilise efforts to end all forms of poverty, fight inequalities, and tackle climate change by 2030. Cascais is localising these goals and their respective targets through its pioneering “Cascais 2030” programme, which intends to transform the municipality over the next 13 years.

The programme includes the creation of a municipal strategy that contributes to compliance with the SDGs, influencing the municipality's competitiveness, quality of life of the citizens, and the preservation of natural resources. This will be achieved through broad debate and stakeholder participation, along with management tools to increase transparency and accountability of decision makers. In an innovative approach, Cascais will require all envisioned city projects to undergo a mandatory evaluation of the impacts on the SDGs and their targets.

The initiative was commended by UN Secretary General António Guterres who wrote a letter of congratulations to the Mayor of Cascais, Carlos Carreiras.

For more information about the “Cascais 2030” project, visit their website.