GOAL 11 in focus: National Implementation of 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development:Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
During Academic year 2017–2018, while studying towards an MA in Cultural Management at Panteion University and under the lead of Professor Betty Tsakarestou, our tutor in Cultural Marketing & Communication and project initiator of the Athens Co-Creation City Branding Project, we were challenged to discuss issues regarding paths towards a sustainable and resilient city. I continued my investigation by looking at the Greek participation in the Sustainability discussion, focusing on the city.
Given that all the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s)are equal, interlinked and need to be addressed holistically, Greece’s general objective is to benefit from the opportunity that the SDGs provide, in order to revisit the country’s overall development perspectives from a sustainable and more balanced point of view, through an “SDGs lens”, while improv ng policy coherence for sustainable development and promoting new win-win-win opportunities for the country.
Source: The Official European Sustainable Development Network page
Greece will be going through the VNR (Voluntary National Review) process in New York during the U.N. HLPF, (High-Level Political Forum) in July 2018.
National preparations for the drafting of the National VNR Report are in progress.The outline of the Report has been agreed by all Ministries and now all Ministries are in the process of providing their inputs to the actual elaboration of the Report.
The plan is to submit a draft of the VNR Report to the Parliament, for its guidance and comments, therefore its involvement will clearly be an important one in this process.
Greece plans to elaborate a National Implementation Action Plan after the VNR process is completed, which is due to be finalised in 2019, also with the involvement of the Greek Parliament.
The program of the 2 week High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, along with the VNRs includes evaluations of what has been achieved or not, so far, issues of investing and financing the SDGs, the role of technology, energy and water, building synergies, achieving the SDGs through frontier technologies and innovation.
A draft program of the HLP Forum 2018 on Sustainable Development is now available
Since the 5 SDGs selected for the in-depth thematic review during the 2018 HLPF are of an “environmental nature” (i.e. SDGs 6, 7, 11, 12, 15), an important part of the work to be done regarding the thematic analysis falls under the responsibilities of the Hellenic Ministry of Environment and Energy.
GOAL 11 in focus
The Hellenic Ministry of Foreign Affairs continues to be responsible for the external dimension of Greece’s national efforts while the Hellenic Ministry ofEnvironment and Energy is “thematically/technically” responsible for the implementation of goal 11, (along with 6,7,12,15 as mentioned earlier).
The Greek Ministry of Environment & Energy
According to its official Mission:
The Ministry of Environment, Energy and Climate Change works to achieve the protection of the natural environment and resources, the improvement of quality of life, the mitigation and adjustment to the implications of climate change and the enhancement of mechanisms and institutions for environmental governance
Strategic objectives based on 4 pillars have been formed by the Greek Ministry of Environment & Energy in order to accomplish the mission above:
1st pillar: Combating Climate Change by moving towards a competitive economy of low carbon consumption.
2nd pillar: Ensure natural resource protection and environmental enhancement.
3rd pillar: Improve quality of life with respect to the environment
4th pillar: Enhancement of environmental governance mechanisms and processes
The 3rd pillar in detail: Improve quality of life with respect to the environment involves:
Urban Regeneration
Improve air quality and soundscape
Enhance accessibility and sustainable mobility for all
Efficient waste management and promotion of recycling
Greek Ministry of Environment & Energy: Active participation in E.U. Initiatives towards Sustainable Development Goals.
The European SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT Week (ESDW) 2018
The ESDW is a European-wide initiative to stimulate and make visible activities, projects and events that promote sustainable development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It takes place every year from 30 May until 5 June. 20 countries with 1046 initiatives are participating.
In 2018 Greece is participating in the ESDW with 2 initiatives: The Eco Festival and the International Conference in Environmental Science,Policy & Management.
The Eco Festival organized for 7th time by the Municipality of Serres is under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture, Education and Religious Affairs and the Ministry of Environment and Energy and will be held the 22nd of May 2018 in Serres
The International Conference in Environmental Science, Policy & Management. This is an academic conference on aspects of sustainable development and management which is organized by the University of the Aegean and will be held the 1st of June 2018 in Mytilene, Lesvos.
Coming up next: Striving towards a Metropolitan Athens
