Voluntary Local Review 2022 - GLOBAL SUSTAINABLE MUNICIPALITY NRW - The Implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals in the City of ...
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Voluntary Local Review 2022 The Implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals in the City of Düsseldorf GLOBAL SUSTAINABLE MUNICIPALITY NRW
Table of Content GLOBAL — Preface 5 SUSTAINABLE MUNICIPALITY NRW 1 Introduction 6 1.1 The 2030 Agenda and the International Voluntary Local Review Movement 8 1.2 Short Profile of the City of Düsseldorf 10 1.3 Context, Methodology and Structure of this Report 12 2 Steering: Municipal Sustainability Management 16 Voluntary Local 2.1 Introduction 18 2.2 Strategic and Organizational Approach for Sustainability 19 2.3 Sustainable Administration, Contracting and Procurement 23 Review 2022 2.4 2.5 Public Participation for Sustainability Sustainable Finances 25 26 2.6 Innovation for Sustainability 28 The Implementation of the 3 Thematic fields for Municipal Sustainability 32 UN Sustainable Development Goals in the City of Düsseldorf 3.1 Climate Protection & Energy 34 3.2 Natural Resource Protection & Climate Adaptation 42 3.3 Sustainable Mobility 56 3.4 Lifelong Learning & Culture 64 3.5 Social Justice & Resilient Society 74 3.6 Housing & Sustainable Neighborhoods 88 3.7 Decent Work & Sustainable Economy 96 3.8 Sustainable Consumption & Public Health 106 3.9 Global Responsibility & One World 118 4 Overview: Allocation of the Contributions to the Sustainable Development Goals and their Targets 124 5 Conclusion and Outlook 132 6 Appendix 136 6.1 Reference List 138 City of Düsseldorf Voluntary Local Review 2022
Imprint — Preface Copyright “Global Sustainable Municipality in City of Düsseldorf North Rhine-Westphalia” OECD, around 65 % of the SDGs can only be Marktplatz 2 achieved with the participation of cities. Thus, 40213 Düsseldorf A Project of the Service Agency Communities in municipalities have a special significance in www.duesseldorf.de One World (SKEW) of Engagement Global gGmbH the implementation. Friedrich-Ebert-Allee 40 | 53113 Bonn Responsibility www.service-eine-welt.de Dr. Stefan Keller, Mayor info@service-eine-welt.de Just how comprehensive the municipal con- Jochen Kral, Deputy tributions to sustainable development are in In cooperation with Contact Sustainability Network Düsseldorf is shown by the „Stocktaking—Sur- Thomas Loosen, Ursula Keller, Norbert Richarz North Rhine-Westphalia e. V. (LAG 21 NRW) vey of Sustainable Development in the Muni- Office for Environmental and Consumer Protection Deutsche Straße 10 | 44339 Dortmund cipality of Düsseldorf“, which forms the basis nachhaltigkeit@duesseldorf.de www.lag21.de of this report as an administration-wide sur- info@lag21.de vey. Well over 400 concepts, projects, strate- Düsseldorf, July 2022 and 88 percent of all residents enjoy living in the gies, networks and measures from almost all German Council for Sustainable Development (RNE) City of Düsseldorf (Result of the citizens‘ survey departments of the administration show that c/o GIZ GmbH 2019). This report highlights some of the rea- sustainability is a genuine cross-sectional task. Potsdamer Platz 10 I 10785 Berlin www.nachhaltigkeitsrat.de/en sons for this. Düsseldorf committed itself to the To further focus implementation and effecti- info@nachhaltigkeitsrat.de goals of sustainability early on. The adminis- vely strengthen this through interdisciplinary tration and many initiatives and organizations in cooperation, we have developed various „sus- Project Management civil society have been working together for tainability fields of action.“ They cover priority Dr. Klaus Reuter, sustainable development for years. Düsseldorf fields for us as a municipality, such as climate Sustainability Network has been an „Agenda 2030 signatory munici- protection, biodiversity, waste management North Rhine-Westphalia e. V. (LAG 21 NRW) pality“ since 2016 and has placed its approach on and urban cleanliness, municipal north-south Dr. Till Winkelmann, a systematic basis with the concept „Shaping cooperation, land management, sustainable Department of Global Sustainable Municipalities sustainability at the municipal level“ adopted by construction and the high-rise framework plan, (SKEW) the Council in 2019. lifelong learning and culture for sustainable development, sustainable procurement, and the Realization and text design Sustainability Network North Rhine-Westphalia e. V. Agenda 2030 as an „action plan for people, path to sustainable mobility. (Dr. Philipp Lange and Kirsten Strehl) planet and prosperity“ is the guideline for our The content of this publication does not necessarily actions in Düsseldorf and at the same time a I would like to thank all my colleagues from the reflect the views of the Engagement Global or the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and challenge. The implementation of the 17 Sus- various departments of the city administration, Development or the German Council for Sustainable tainable Development Goals (SDG) is a huge as well as all others who have contributed to the Development. task that we must and want to face. The exces- conception and preparation of this report as sive use of resources continues to exceed the part of the „Global Sustainable Municipality NRW“ Layout yella park, Aachen limits within which our earth can regenerate. model project. This report on the implemen- Related to this is the loss of biodiversity and in- tation of sustainable development in Düsseldorf creasing signs of climate change. And at pre- should also be the basis for an exchange of The City of Düsseldorf thanks the Service Agency for sent, the goal of the 2030 Agenda „to consoli- good ideas and for learning from each other— Communities in One World, funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, date universal peace with greater freedom“ is within the city administration, with civil society that enabled the City of Düsseldorf to compile this more relevant than we would like. Meeting the- and politics in Düsseldorf, with the municipali- report with the assistance of the Sustainability Net- se challenges can only be achieved through a ties participating in the model project and (via work NRW and the German Council for Sustainable Development. major collective effort. States, cities and each the Voluntary Local Review (VLR) to the High- and every individual must do their part to en- Level Political Forum in New York) worldwide. sure that the „transformation of our world“ in the sense of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development succeeds. In this context, the Sus- tainable Development Goals touch on issues with its with with its its with withfunding with funding fromfrom funding from the the the in cooperation with with in cooperaon in cooperaon with with its with funding from the in cooperaon with of urban services of general interest as well as on more far-reaching opportunities for muni- Dr. Stephan Keller cipalities to shape the future. According to the Mayor of the State Capital Düsseldorf 4 5 Preface
1 — Introduction 1.1 ––– The 2030 Agenda and the International Voluntary Local Review Movement 8 1.2 ––– Short Profile of the City of Düsseldorf 10 1.3 ––– Context, Methodology and Structure of this Report 12 6 7 Introduction
1.1 On the concrete local implementation level— that is, the level closest to the people—decisive steps are taken to achieve the SDG. Since all SDGs have targets directly related to the re- sponsibilities of local governments, the 2030 FIGURE 1: The 17 Global Sustainable Development The 2030 Agenda Agenda emphasizes the critical role of muni- cipal authorities (UN, 2015, paragraph 45). In and the International the literature, it is frequently mentioned that at least 65 % of the SDG targets (105 out of 169) Voluntary Local could not be achieved unless local authorities are assigned a clear mandate and role in the Goals / © United Nations Review Movement implementation process (e. g., OECD, 2020). Local governments are therefore called upon to “break down“ the global goals and targets to the specific local context (SDG localization) and make their individual contribution to achie- ve the goals.² Since the 2030 Agenda does not In 2015, the United Nations General Assembly provide explicit guidance for SDG localization, adopted the 2030 Agenda and its Global Sus- regional UN organizations, urban bodies and of action. Consequently, the link between VLRs 1 2 As part of its follow-up In this regard, about tainable Development Goals (SDGs). The 2030 networks, and regions and cities have organi- and VNRs becomes more critical—local repre- and review mecha- 200 municipalities Agenda provides a joint frame of reference for cally developed individual approaches. sentatives are increasingly present at the UN nisms, the 2030 Agen- in Germany have da encourages mem- signed the specimen all UN member states, including the North and High-Level Political Forum, and local govern- ber states to “conduct resolution “The 2030 the South, and represents a universally valid Against this backdrop, more and more muni- ment sections in VNRs are frequently co-produ- regular and inclusive Agenda for Sustai- reviews of progress nable Development: target system for a viable future. Consisting of cipalities voluntarily initiate an assessment ced by national and local governments (cf. e. g., at the national and Building Sustainability 17 primary goals (cf. figure 1) and 169 targets, of their progress in implementing the SDGs German Institute of Urban Affairs & Bertels- subnational levels, at the Local Level”, which are country-led developed to facilitate it holistically addresses environmental, social in the form of Voluntary Local Reviews (VLRs). mann Stiftung, 2021). and country-driven“ commitment of local and economic objectives, such as mitigating Unlike national reporting via VNRs, VLRs cur- (paragraph 79). Each authorities for imple- climate change and the destruction of ecosys- rently have no official status or mandate from As there are currently no fixed standards for UN member state is menting the SDGs (by required to submit at the German Asso- tems, reducing socioeconomic inequalities, the United Nations or in the 2030 Agenda archi- developing a VLR and no generally accepted least two VNRs before ciation of Cities and and supporting quality education and decent tecture. Accordingly, there is no formal me- definition, the published reports differ in struc- 2030. Countries have Towns and the Council presented VNRs to of European Munici- work (UN, 2015). The UN Global Sustainable chanism to publish a VLR. However, since 2018 ture and content. However, an increasing num- the UN High-Level palities and Regions/ Development Report (UN, 2019) demonstrates (when New York City and the Japanese munici- ber of publications provide guidelines and tech- Political Forum on German Section - with Sustainable Develop- support of the Service that urgent action is needed to reach these palities of Kitakyushu, Toyama, and Shimokawa nical assistance in this regard—for example, ment since 2016. Agency Communities goals by 2030. Consequently, the United Nations officially presented their VLRs), cities and re- the Guidelines for Voluntary Local Reviews by Germany released its in One World from second VNR in 2021. Engagement Global). General Assembly has declared the present gions worldwide have taken the initiative to UCLG and UN-Habitat, the European Handbook decade (2020-2030) the Decade of Action. monitor their local contributions. The VLR move- for SDG Voluntary Local Reviews by the Euro- ment is now a global phenomenon, and many pean Commission’s Joint Research Centre, and The 2030 Agenda is designed primarily for new VLRs are published yearly (for a compre- the Global Guiding Elements for Voluntary Local application by nation states (although one of hensive list of published VLRs see, for example, Reviews of SDG implementation by UNDESA its goals, SDG 11 on Sustainable Cities and UN-Habitat & UCLG, 2021). This process has (cf. UCLG & UN-Habitat, 2020; Siragusa et al., Communities, is specific to subnational levels). become an essential complement to national 2020; UNDESA, 2020 - and also IGES, 2021; Targets and indicators reflect country-level reporting mechanisms by contributing first-hand UNESCAP, 2020). The present Voluntary Local metrics, and national governments are re- information on practical experiences on the Review 2022 takes these guidelines into ac- quested to regularly report on implementation ground and localizing indicators while strength- count and considers the specific context of im- status through Voluntary National Reviews ening coordination, accountability, and trans- plementing the SDGs in German municipalities (VNRs).¹ These are presented every year at the parency. In this regard, VLRs’ potential goes (cf. section Context and Methodology). UN High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable beyond their monitoring and reporting function. Development (UN HLPF), the central platform VLRs are accelerators of the SDG localization for follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda. process and levers for bringing about transfor- However, there is widespread agreement am- mation from the bottom up through local inno- ong practitioners and scholars that the imple- vation and awareness-raising (cf. e. g., Deininger mentation of the SDGs relies significantly on et al., 2019; Pipa & Bouchet, 2020). Moreover, the participation of subnational levels (cf. e. g. they are essential tools for increasing mutual UCLG, 2021; Gustafsson & Ivner, 2018). learning and vertical coherence between levels 8 Voluntary Local Review 2022 | City of Düsseldorf 9 Introduction
1.2 related services. Long-established, globally steadily growing and multicultural population, active, major companies are located in the city, Düsseldorf regards itself as a globally open, as are agile startups. tolerant and dynamic city. As an international economic center, Düsseldorf is characterized There are 17 universities in the city, with around by sustained positive economic development Short Profile of the 60,000 students. Düsseldorf‘s population has a high level of education, with 32 % of people hol- and above-average income compared with the rest of the country. However, not everybody City of Düsseldorf ding a university degree. Around 32,300 people attended courses at the Adult Education Center benefits from this situation to the same extent, which is why the city explicitly aims to sup- in 2018. There are 180 city-run schools and 28 port people with lower incomes. The mixture privately run schools, including one internatio- of many universities, networks and startups nal school. The city‘s cultural scene is also par- offers businesses not only a good start, but also Around 645,000 people live in Düsseldorf in ticularly pronounced and diverse. enormous growth potential. This situation re- 217.4 km2, making the capital of North Rhine- sults in opportunities—both in economic terms Westphalia (NRW) the seventh-largest city in Düsseldorf is divided into 10 boroughs with 50 and regarding changes in production proces- Germany. The population has risen continuous- districts that have very different characteris- ses with a view to innovative solutions toward ly in recent years until 2020. Regarding area, tics. This diversity also contributes to the city‘s less environmental pollution. Düsseldorf ranks 75th among German cities. charm; many people feel connected to “their“ Düsseldorf lies on both sides of the Rhine in district, which acts as a counterbalance to the The growth of the population and the economy the water-rich, largely flat river valley. In the anonymity of a big city. Düsseldorf is also very and the limited area of the city area lead to eastern part of the city, the terrain rises as multicultural—people from 184 nations live in special challenges for urban development— it passes into the “Bergisches Land” region. the city. More than 40 % of the population are but also enable the opportunity of a compact immigrants or have at least one parent who im- city of short distances. Space in Düsseldorf is The city is an international business center in migrated from abroad, and every fourth person scarce, and demand is high. Different land the heart of Europe. Thanks to its high quality of does not have German citizenship. uses and ideas for use compete strongly, such life and moderate cost of living, the city is a mag- as for living spaces, working spaces, open net for international companies. Düsseldorf is In terms of sustainable municipal development, spaces and green spaces. Therefore, regarding a trade fair city—and thus a leading location the City of Düsseldorf has made it its task to sustainable municipal development, various for trade fairs and exhibitions—and the second- sustain existing strengths in different fields of instruments have been developed to protect open largest industrial location in NRW. The city sustainability and to solve challenges in a spaces and provide space for housing and offers a wide variety of industries and business- spirit of solidarity. Against the backdrop of a economic development. The centrality of the city, with its large range of jobs, the possibilities of education and a concentration of services of various kinds cau- ses high traffic volume. Due to Düsseldorf‘s location in the region and its close relations with the surrounding area, this traffic volu- me is characterized, among other things, by strong commuter flows. As a major center, Düsseldorf radiates out into the region and pro- PHOTO: City of Düsseldorf - Rhine Tower and Media motes cooperation within the region. In the intensively used and densely built-up city, the Harbour district / Copyright: saiko3p - iStock consequences of global warming are already being felt. Persistent warm periods and heavy rainfall events are increasing. Against this backdrop, different strategies and measures for dealing with the consequences of climate change have been developed and are imple- mented successively. 10 Voluntary Local Review 2022 | City of Düsseldorf 11 Introduction
1.3 the emphasis was on the development of local Stocktaking: qualitative and quantitative analysis sustainability reports. Within the project, five cities in North Rhine-Westphalia—Düsseldorf, Overall, the information in this report represents Bonn, Münster, Dortmund and Arnsberg—de- the status quo in the year 2022. A comprehensive veloped a VLR (see the overview in the relevant stocktaking was conducted at the beginning of Context, map). These new VLRs supplement the VLRs previously published in Germany by different the project to gather the information needed for this report. This process consisted of both quali- Methodology cities in recent years (Mannheim in 2019, Bonn in 2020, and—with a focus on indicators—Stutt- tative and quantitative elements. In terms of the qualitative analysis, all core activities in the and Structure gart in 2020). city that contribute to sustainable development and represent the status quo were gathered. of this Report The basic structuring of the VLRs follows the German Reporting Frame Sustainable Munici- This procedure included integrated or sectoral strategies and concepts, measures, projects, pality published in 2021 by the German Council city council resolutions, specific goals, collabo- Context of this VLR for Sustainable Development (cf. RNE, 2021). rations and networks, and organizational struc- The German Council for Sustainable Develop- tures. In addition, overall achievements and re- This report was developed within the project ment advises the Federal Government on issues sults within recent years were mapped. The Global Sustainable Municipality in North Rhine- of sustainability policy. Against the backdrop of collection of the activities was structured accor- Westphalia (third project term from 2021 to lacking an official standard for sustainability ding to particular topics regarding sustain- 2022).The project has been implemented by the reporting in German municipalities, the Council ability (cf. the structuring of the VLR, below.) Service Agency Communities in One World initiated a comprehensive multi-stakeholder (SKEW) of Engagement Global in cooperation dialog to develop the German Reporting Frame In terms of the quantitative analysis, indicators with the German Council for Sustainable Deve- Sustainable Municipality. This guideline seeks were evaluated that illustrate different develop- lopment (RNE) and the Sustainability Network to promote a more uniform and transparent ments in terms of sustainability. The indicators North Rhine-Westphalia (LAG 21 NRW) on behalf way of reporting and builds on the established comprised a predefined indicator set of 56 “ of the Federal Ministry for Economic Coopera- German Sustainability Code (a reporting stan- SDG indicators for municipalities”. These indi- tion and Development. In the first two project dard in corporate sustainability since 2011). cators were developed within a project of terms (2016 to 2020), the focus was on elabora- In 2022, the Reporting Frame was applied for the same name (cf. Bertelsmann Stiftung et ting integrated sustainability strategies for muni- the first time by more than 20 municipalities al., 2020). The objective of the project was cipalities, while in the third term (2021 to 2022) in various federal states in Germany. to identify sui-table indicators to map SDG im- plementation at the municipal level in Ger- many and provide corresponding data. Thus, the project used the 2030 Agenda’s 231 in- dicators as an orientation and transferred Project „Global Sustainability them to the local level. By an online portal Municipalities“ (SDG Portal), centrally assessable data are ge- City of Münster nerally provided for all German towns and cities The project Global Sustainability Munici- with more than 5,000 inhabitants. The prede- palities of the Service Agency Communi- fined indicator set was complemented in this ties in One World supports municipalities VLR by municipality-specific and individually FIGURE 2: Overview of municipalities that developed a VLR in localizing the SDGs through aware- chosen add-on indicators, for which the data in the project „Global Sustainable Municipality in NRW ness-raising activities, networking and in was provided by the city of Düsseldorf. These City of City of Dortmund Arnsberg implementing the 2030 Agenda. indicators consider the specific context in the City of We supply information on the options for city and thus supplement the predefined set. Düsseldorf getting involved in development work, The add-on indicators also enrich the areas with advise on the formulation and implemen- limited predefined indicators (due to a lack of tation of municipal sustainability strate- central data availability—for example, SDG 13 gies, and provide forums for designing and SDG 17 are not currently covered by “SDG forward-looking action for results at the indicators for municipalities”.) City of Bonn local level. We cooperate closely with actors from Germany‘s federal, regional The qualitative and quantitative stocktaking re- and local governments, municipal asso- sults are presented in this VLR in respective ciations and civil society organisations. qualitative parts (presentation of activities) and quantitative parts (presentation of indicators). 12 Voluntary Local Review 2022 | City of Düsseldorf 13 Introduction
Structuring of the VLR municipalities.3 These thematic fields represent a synthesis of the SDGs and municipal areas of This VLR is structured according to the German competence in Germany, which are reflected in Steering Criteria Thematic fields for Reporting Frame Sustainable Municipality. For the responsibilities of the political committees Municipal Sustainability structuring the elements of sustainability repor- in the municipalities. All 17 SDGs are considered ting, this guide introduces two basic categories: equally in the localization process to ensure that overarching steering criteria and thematic fields. sustainable development is understood holistically based on German Council for Sustainable Development, 2021) and to account for co-benefits and tradeoffs. • Strategic and Organizational • Climate Protection & Energy FIGURE 4: Structural elements of the VLR (own elaboration The steering criteria focus on overarching and The thematic fields developed within the Global Approach for Sustainability • Natural Resource Protection & Climate cross-sectional aspects regarding sustainability Sustainable Municipality in North Rhine-West- • Public Participation for Sustainability Change Adaptation and thus cover the overall municipal sustain- phalia project were adopted in the German Re- • Sustainable Administration, • Sustainable Mobility ability management. In this VLR, this part is con- porting Frame Sustainable Municipality. The Contracting and Procurement • Lifelong Learning & Culture solidated into the following sections: overview in figure 3 presents these fields of sus- • Sustainable Finances • Social Justice & Future-Proof Society tainable municipal development together with • Innovation for Sustainability • Housing & Sustainable Neighborhoods — Strategic and organizational approach core references to the SDGs. • Decent Work & Sustainable Economy for sustainability • Sustainable Consumption & Healthy Living — Public participation for sustainability The steering criteria and thematic fields both • Global Responsibility & One World — Sustainable administration, contracting include qualitative and quantitative parts. The and procurement structuring of the qualitative parts follows the — Sustainable finances German Reporting Frame Sustainable Municipal- Qualitative Aspects and Quantitative Indicators — Innovation for sustainability ity, which presents certain aspects for repor- ting. These subitems specifically query specific These aspects are supplemented by the thema- report contents in the sense of a checklist. The tic fields. When implementing the 17 SDGs quantitative parts include the predefined indi- and their 169 targets on a local level, the chal- cator set of “SDG indicators for municipalities” lenge is to transfer them to the specific context and the municipality-specific add-on indica- For each thematic field, one to two practical 3 The 2030 Agenda of the municipalities. Within the Global Sus- tors (cf. above). Figure 4 provides an overview of examples in the sense of flagship projects are addresses three levels tainable Municipality in North Rhine-Westphalia the described elements, forming the structure presented additionally. In terms of the quanti- of responsibility for municipal action: project, the 17 SDGs are translated into nine of this VLR: tative indicators, basically the period of the last „In the municipality thematic fields for municipal sustainability that decade is addressed when presenting the for the municipality“ (measures that lead to are relevant to the specific context of German data in order to depict long-term developments. impacts in the muni- Important indicators are furthermore visualized cipality itself), „In the municipality for the by graphics. When presenting the qualitative world“ (measures with aspects and quantitative indicators, the core SDG a global impact), and addressed by the respective aspect or indica- „In other countries and by other countries“ tor is highlighted (note that other SDGs can be (e. g. via partnership addressed, too—only the most pertinent one projects.) GLOBAL is highlighted). The qualitative contributions (i.e., Natural Climate Resource Lifelong Sustainable FIGURE 3: Thematic fields for municipal Protection & Protection & Learning & Mobility the core activities in the city gathered by the SUSTAINABLE Energy Climate Culture Adaption qualitative stocktaking) are marked by using MUNICIPALITY NRW sustainability (own elaboration) italics in the text. At the end of each chapter, an overview is given of all mentioned contribu- tions regarding the qualitative aspects, including an allocation to the SDG targets of the 2030 Social Justice & Resilient Housing & Sustainable Decent Work & Sustainable Sustainable Consumption & Global Responsibility & Agenda. Society Neighborhoods Economy Public Health One World 14 Voluntary Local Review 2022 | City of Düsseldorf 15 Introduction
2 — Steering: Municipal Sustainability Management 2.1 ––– Introduction 18 2.2 ––– Strategic and Organizational Approach for Sustainability 19 2.3 ––– Sustainable Administration, Contracting and Procurement 23 2.4 ––– Public Participation for Sustainability 25 2.5 ––– Sustainable Finances 26 2.6 ––– Innovation for Sustainability 28 16 17 Municipal Sustainability Management
2.1 2.2 ting the Global Sustainability Goals in Düsseldorf: (1.) the conception for the city administration of Düsseldorf regarding implementing Agenda 2030 and anchoring sustainability as a municipal cross-sectional task in all offices; (2.) the cre- Introduction ation of different offers for civil society that pro- vide “space“ for additional actors regarding Strategic and sustainability and enable a constructive exchange between these actors and promote concrete Organizational Since the implementation of the “Local Agenda implementations; (3.) the integration and net- working of administration, civil society and Approach for 21 Process“ in the 1990s, the state capital of Düsseldorf has been pursuing the goal of bring- politics in the context of sustainability; and (4.) the establishment of a coordination office. Sustainability PHOTO: Düsseldorf Alliance for Sustainability - Civil Society Orga- ing sustainability to life—thinking globally and acting locally. Since the adoption of Agenda 2030 The implementation of these steps has advan- by the United Nations in 2015, the approach ced in recent years. The Sustainability Office nizations Cooperate to Shape Sustainability Together to implementing sustainability in Düsseldorf has was established at the end of 2019 to coordinate With the overarching concept of ”Shaping Sus- been closely linked to the 17 Global Sustainable the process in the administration and to inform, tainability at the Municipal Level”, adopted by Development Goals (SDGs). With the City Council involve and support civil society and to promote the City Council on September 19, 2019, Düssel- resolution of 17.11.2016, the city joined the networks. With the Sustainability Advisory dorf set the current framework for the orien- model resolution “2030 Agenda for Sustainable Board as an exchange and design forum for civil tation and organization of sustainable develop- Development: Shaping Sustainability at the society, politics and administration, as well as ment in the city. Sustainable development is Municipal Level“ of the German Association of the Special Committee for Sustainable Deve- understood as a municipal cross-sectional task Cities and Towns and the Council of European lopment as a political body, the existing bodies that affects all areas and specialist tasks of Municipalities and Regions/German Section. Sus- for the broad anchoring and networking of the administration, including the subsidiaries. tainable development is understood in the city the topic of sustainability are being reorganized The following steps were decided upon for the as a municipal cross-sectional task that affects and integrated into the new process. In addition, strategic approach within the administration: all areas and specialist tasks of the administra- the city conducts broad and highly comprehen- (1.) obtain an overview by a stocktaking— target/ tion, including the subsidiaries. sive public relations work regarding the SDGs actual comparison, (2.) prioritize fields of action, (e. g. via the municipal website with information (3.) define goals, implementation and success The Agenda 2030 process in Düsseldorf is based on the topic, activities, projects and dates criteria, (4.) control and document implementa- on the commitment of the administration, politics [www.duesseldorf.de/nachhaltigkeit] and regu- tion, and (5.) consolidate results—set stan- and civil society. The implementation process lar exhibitions and events on Agenda 2030). dards. With this approach, Düsseldorf has chosen is, thus, to be shaped jointly and benefit from the an alternative path to the classic sustainability exchange among these elements. Against this strategy. The stocktaking and the definition background, the overarching concept of “Shaping and implementation of the prioritized fields of Sustainability at the Municipal Level,“ which action, including the defined goals and success was adopted in 2019, defines the following steps criteria, ensure a strategic approach within the as central aspects of the roadmap for implemen- administration that is based on a long-standing PHOTO: Sustainability Office „Shaping sustainability in Düssel- dorf means thinking globally and acting locally for a world we commitment to sustainability. want to live in in the future.“ (Photo: Kai Kitschenberg) In the interests of an efficient and effective ap- proach, the Düsseldorf City administration developed the following priority fields of action for municipal sustainability in 2022, which will be submitted to the Council‘s committees and discussed there: 1. Climate protection 2. Mobility In Düsseldorf Nachhaltigkeit gestalten heißt: Global zu denken und lokal zu handeln, für eine Welt, in der wir in 3. Waste management and urban cleanliness Zukunft leben wollen. 4. Promotion of biodiversity—preservation of Norman Voigt, Ursula Keller, Norbert Richarz: Geschäftsstelle Nachhaltigkeit, Landeshauptstadt Düsseldorf species diversity 5. Sustainable land management 18 Voluntary Local Review 2022 | City of Düsseldorf 19 Municipal Sustainability Management
6. Sustainable building adopted that are both ambitious and realitic. To The sustainability architecture of the City of working with each other and with politics. This 7. High-rise master plan as an example this end, a comprehensive process was initi- Düsseldorf spans the areas of administration, activity includes managing the Special Com- of sustainable urban development ated in 2021 that includes the development and politics and civil society (see figure 5). These mittee for Sustainable Development and the Sus- 8. Municipal north–south cooperation coordination of proposals for the fields of action areas are represented by the Sustainability Of- tainability Advisory Council. The Office supports 9. Lifelong learning and culture for and targets. One example of a specific target fice, the Special Committee for Sustainable the offices and subsidiaries regarding imple- sustainable development in a field of action is the city‘s goal of being cli- Development (administration and politics) and menting sustainable development as a cross- 10. Sustainable procurement in the Düsseldorf mate-neutral by 2035 and reducing CO₂ emissions the Sustainability Advisory Council (adminis- cutting municipal task. The Office’s overall city administration in Düsseldorf to two metric tons per capita per tration, politics and civil society). In the following, coordination is responsible for the organizational year to achieve this. In addition to the overarching these three bodies are presented. and technical management of processes, includ- The fields of action were named by the depart- target descriptions, specific sub-targets are ing, in particular, the development and establish- ments of the city administration. Each field of also defined for all fields of action. Regarding cli- In accordance with the concept of “Shaping ment of communication structures and de- action is coordinated by a lead department, with mate protection, for example, such sub-targets Sustainability at the Municipal Level,“ the topic mand- and goal-oriented support in the adminis- each developing a profile with the Sustainability include defining emission targets for the indivi- of sustainability is anchored in the Düsseldorf tration for implementing sustainability in all Office. Each proposed field of action contains dual sectors (private households, industry/com- city administration as a cross-sectional task in departments. Implementing interdepartmen- a description of the objective, a presentation of merce, trade, services, transport and municipal all areas and specialist tasks. The inventory, tal processes, such as stocktaking or developing the special significance, an allocation to the facilities). Furthermore, specific success criteria in the form of the “Stocktaking—Survey of Sus- priority fields of action for sustainability, are also SDG, sub-objectives, projects, measures, and (indicators or key figures) are determined in tainable Development in the Municipality of important tasks. Another focus concerns the targeted results and success criteria. The propo- each case to make the implementation of the tar- Düsseldorf,“ documents this anchoring impres- involvement of civil society. Employees also sup- sals were first discussed and supplemented in gets measurable. When defin-ing and imple- sively, with 434 individual contributions from port and activate civil society actors with the the Sustainability Advisory Council and the Spe- menting the goals, potential conflicts between 36 offices on the respective 17 SDGs. The proces- aim of establishing joint additional contributions cial Committee for Sustainable Development. the individual SDGs or subject areasmust be ses for implementing the 2030 Agenda are co- to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda After preliminary discussions in the committees, resolved. For example, in the city, land for the ordinated by the Sustainability Office, which has in Düsseldorf (e. g., through the co-development they will be presented to the City Council for a protection and restoration of terrestrial eco- been in place since the end of 2019 and is located and accompaniment of new forms of dialog). In final decision. The central basis for prioritizing systems (SDG 15.1) and for green space (SDG in the Office for Environmental and Consumer accordance with the cross-sectional organiza- the fields of action was the “Stocktaking—Survey 11.7) compete with land for housing (SDG 11.1), Protection. The Sustainability Office acts as an tion, implementing the priority fields of action of Sustainable Development in the Municipality infrastructure (SDG 9), sustainable economic information provider, contact and supporter sustainability occurs in the responsible depart- of Düsseldorf“ conducted in 2021. As part of this growth (SDG 8) and food production (SDG 2.4). of sustainability activities in both the administra- ments. For example, the “Energy Management“ inventory, the sustainability activities of all The need to identify and resolve existing conflict- tion and civil society, as well as promoting net- department in the Office of Facility Manage- offices were recorded via an administration-wide ing goals illustrates that sustainability can only survey, which presented the status quo of all be implemented as a cross-cutting task of all of- activities. A target-performance comparison (a fices of the administration. Concrete imple- comparison of existing activities with the goals mentation strategies and projects for realizing of Agenda 2030) revealed in which areas the City the agreed sustainability goals are developed of Düsseldorf is already well positioned regar- and agreed jointly by individual or several offices. ding sustainability. Overall, the Düsseldorf Agenda 2030 process, Against this background, the Düsseldorf fields of which bundles activities and structures in Düs- FIGURE 5: Shaping Sustainability at the Municipal Level in Düsseldorf action define topics that are particularly im- seldorf, directly references the SDGs. The over- portant for local sustainable development and for arching concept of “Shaping Sustainability at which there is a need for action. An area of ac- the Municipal Level,“ the “Stocktaking—Survey tion is specifically characterized by the fact that of Sustainable Development in the Municipality it has a high potential for achieving the SDGs of Düsseldorf“ and the public relations work (priority), is particularly relevant for Düsseldorf are directly aligned with the SDGs or follow (relevance), can be influenced by the city (influ- their structure. For example, the 17 SDGs are ence), and systematically bundles various acti- presented comprehensively on the city‘s web- vities and combines them across departments site, existing activities of civil society actors and (bundling). Through interdepartmental cooper- selected projects (“lighthouse projects“) of the ation and improved coordination, existing fields city administration are classified, and citizens of action can also be advanced more strongly are motivated to become involved under the key and become more conspicuous to external per- phrase, “What can you do?“ Since the sustain- ception. The concept of “Shaping Sustainability ability strategies of the federal and state govern- at the Municipal Level“ stipulates that for ments also use the 2030 Agenda as a central each of the prioritized fields of action of the City structural element, there is a fundamental con- of Düsseldorf, specific goals are developed and gruence of the overarching objectives. 20 Voluntary Local Review 2022 | City of Düsseldorf 21 Municipal Sustainability Management
2.3 ment assumes responsibility for the steering, the efficient cooperation of all parties involved. advisory and interdepartmental functions for Companies must develop a code of conduct as the “sustainable building“ field of action in the the guideline for the responsible, respectful and administration. sustainability-oriented conduct of the company. In particular, the code is intended to ensure The Special Committee for Sustainable Develop- ment is an exchange body comprising elected that business conduct is in line with social values. In the run-up to preparing this sustainability re- Sustainable representatives of the council factions and offices of the city administration. The “Rules of Pro- port, a survey of sustainability principles and existing sustainability objectives was conducted Administration, cedure for Sustainability of the City of Düsseldorf“ define the tasks, roles and working methods in at selected municipal subsidiaries (or compa- nies) and municipal enterprises. The results are Contracting and this regard. The Special Committee initiates debates on sustainability topics in city politics and integrated into the respective aspects of this report. Ideally, the comprehensive anchoring of Procurement brings topics or initiatives to the Sustainability sustainability principles is clear—several subsi- Advisory Board and information on sustainability diaries also regularly publish their own sustain- to the City Council and the committees. ability reports. Sustainability is a cross-cutting issue for the The Sustainability Advisory Council comprises Included in the survey were: Düsseldorf city administration. Sustainability is the members of the Special Committee (pol- to become a self-evident principle of all ac- itics and administration) and representatives of — Zukunftswerkstadt Düsseldorf GmbH (ZWD), tions in the long term (such as legality and eco- the following civil society organizations: Forum — Jugendberufshilfe Düsseldorf gGmbH, nomic efficiency). Principles of sustainable “Lebensraum Stadt“ of the Local Agenda, — Flughafen Düsseldorf GmbH (annual sus- action are already set out in business and ser- Network Education for Sustainable Development, tainability report in accordance with the vice directives, for example, on sustainable One World Forum Düsseldorf e. V., Catholic German Sustainability Code), procurement, the selection of building materials Church Düsseldorf, Protestant Church District — Messe Düsseldorf GmbH, and the use of recycled paper. In the future, Düsseldorf, Engagement Global gGmbH Düssel- — Werkstatt für angepasste Arbeit GmbH the aim is to enshrine consistently other gene- dorf, AG Nachhaltiger Konsum, Youth Council — Düsseldorf Tourismus GmbH (annual sustai- rally applicable results from projects and pro- Düsseldorf, Senior Citizens‘ Council of the State nability report as part of the works meeting) cedures in regulations (such as business instruc- Capital Düsseldorf, Heine Center for Sustain- / Düsseldorf Marketing GmbH, tions and service agreements) throughout the able Development—Heinrich Heine University — Stadtwerke Düsseldorf AG, administration. The findings from implementing Düsseldorf, a representative of the Alliance for — AWISTA Gesellschaft für Abfallwirtschaft und the fields of action will provide a boost in this Sustainability (core team) and the Food Council Stadtreinigung mbH (regular sustainability re- regard. Regarding sustainable procurement, the Düsseldorf e. V.. The aim of the Advisory Board, ports considering the standards of the Global binding establishment of new standards is an which meets once every three months, is to Reporting Initiative, the German Sustainability explicit goal. This goal is intended to simplify and strengthen the shaping of sustainability through Code and the Global Sustainability Goals), standardize everyday decisions made by the city, information exchange and networking among — Stadtsparkasse Düsseldorf for example, as an employer, in the management the actors involved. The Board advises on the — Industrieterrains Düsseldorf-Reisholz AG of buildings or in the purchase of goods and the activities and projects for implementing the 2030 (IDR), choice of transport. Examples of major projects Agenda in Düsseldorf and provides space for — SWD Städt, Wohnungsgesellschaft Düssel- and processes of the administration in which substantive discussions regarding ideas and dorf AG and SWD Städt, Wohnungsbau- sustainability has been implemented include priorities. Both the Special Committee for Sus- GmbH & Co., KG Düsseldorf (SWD Group), planning for the European Football Champion- tainable Development and the Sustainability — CMD Connected Mobility Düsseldorf GmbH, ship EURO 2024 and the planning process for the Advisory Board have proven themselves estab- — IPM Immobilien Projekt Management Düs- new construction of the technical administration lished exchange bodies between politics, ad- seldorf GmbH (IPM), building, in which the aspects of future-proof ministration and civil society. Just as sustaina- — Bädergesellschaft Düsseldorf mbH, design of the working environment and sustain- bility is a cross-cutting task in the administration, — Rheinbahen AG, able construction were considered. this also applies to the municipal subsidiaries — Stadtwerke Düsseldorf AG and (or companies) and municipal enterprises. The — D.LIVE GmbH & Co. KG. Sustainable procurement has been an estab- activities of the subsidiaries and shareholdings lished principle of the Düsseldorf city adminis- of the state capital of Düsseldorf are brought tration for many years. Both ecological and together by the municipal shareholding manage- social criteria are set out in the business instruc- ment department in the treasury. The Public tions for awarding contracts. An inter-factional Corporate Governance Code for the shareholdings Council resolution made fair procurement of the City of Düsseldorf sets standards for binding in the city administration in 2006. The 22 Voluntary Local Review 2022 | City of Düsseldorf 23 Municipal Sustainability Management
2.4 procurement instructions stipulate that prefer- ability criteria in the award documents and sup- and Heinrich Heine University (Heine Center for ence is to be given to Fairtrade products when ported in the evaluation.The Procurement Sustainable Development). There are also purchasing. Independent certification (e. g., the Office also ensures compliance with minimum contacts with many other initiatives (such as Fairtrade seal or comparable seals) serves as standards for working conditions. With the Gerresheim Nachhaltig, Benrather Initiative für proof. All goods must meet the core labor stan- additional contract conditions of the Düsseldorf Nachhaltigkeit, Tauschring, Lebensmittelretter, dards of the International Labor Organization. Among other things, no products may be pro- city administration for the execution of ser- vices/construction work, contractors commit Public Participation Gemeinwohlökonomie, etc.) and exchange and support depending on mutual needs. cured that are manufactured using exploita- tive child labor. In the procurement or use of ma- themselves to criteria such as occupational safety and health protection, minimum wages, com- for Sustainability The municipal website of the Sustainability terials and consumer goods for construction bating undeclared work or the renunciation of Office (www.duesseldorf.de/nachhaltigkeit) projects and other contracts, consideration shall exploitative child labor. Furthermore, the con- offers extensive information on the SDGs and be given to products that are durable, repaira- tractors undertake to comply, when executing the activities, actors, dates and events (of the ble, recyclable, energy efficient and that result contract, with the regulations through which The Düsseldorf Agenda 2030 process involves administration and of third parties), as well as in less polluting waste compared with other the core labor standards of the International actors from civil society, politics and adminis- many opportunities to make contact and to products, or that have been manufactured from Labor Organization have been implemented in tration. In accordance with the concept of contribute ideas. The website also offers a residual or waste materials. Further citywide national law. “Shaping Sustainability at the Municipal Level,“ calendar of events with an overview of current regulations result, for example, from the “Busi- the cooperation and support of proven actors events regarding sustainability and the “Mit- ness Instruction for the Procurement of Environ- from the Local Agenda 21 process, such as MachKarte—Engagement für Nachhaltigkeit“ mentally Friendly Building Materials,“ which the One World Forum, initiatives and commit- (“Get Involved in Sustainability“ map), which outlines basic rules for the procurement of ted citizens, will be continued. In addition, inno- presents existing initiatives, groups and asso- durable and low-pollutant building materials. The vative forms of participation will introduce ciations active in various areas (such as food aim is the exclusive use of environmentally new dialog formats, and thus provide new impe- waste or waste avoidance). friendly and low-emission materials in construc- tus. For a broader involvement of civil socity tion activities by the City of Düsseldorf and third regarding sustainability, a better exchange In its citizen survey, the City of Düsseldorf parties commissioned by it. Another example among each other is being promoted, and struc- chose sustainability as a focus topic in 2021. is the business directive regarding the prevention tures for active people who want to shape The participants were asked which aspects of hazards from electrical systems and equip- sustainability are being established. As a new and actors of sustainability they were familiar ment and for improving energy efficiency within program, the Düsseldorf Alliance for Sustain- with, how they implement sustainability them- the Düsseldorf city administration. The de- ability was founded in 2021 for non-profit orga- selves in everyday life, how they perceive the partments also consider other sustainability nizations with full-time employees in Düssel- work of the administration in this regard, and criteria when ordering products, such as using dorf. The format is intended to support work in where they would like to see the focus in the recycled raw materials. organizations to initiate cooperation, new ini- future. The results are published graphically as tiative(s) and projects. With the Alliance, a pro- Statistical Information No. 313. Sustainable procurement is also set out in busi- ject was developed especially for larger Düssel- ness instructions when awarding contracts dorf non-profit organizations. Full-time re- Regarding neighborhood development, there are and concessions. For example, the “Use of envi- presentatives of the organizations are invited to numerous strategies at the neighborhood or ronmentally friendly building materials“ ser- display their contributions to sustainable devel- district levels in which the city cooperates with vice instruction is incorporated into tendering pro- opment, to discover possibilities for action civil society or supports it. Thus, there are vari- cedures. In its function as a cross-sectional in the field of sustainability, to discuss solutions ous places of civic engagement in neighbor- office (which handles a significant part of the and to network with like-minded people. Mem- hoods. One example of this engagement is com- city‘s procurement procedures), the Central bers of the Alliance include universities, trade munity gardens, in which various “urban gar- Procurement Office is increasingly providing unions, churches, environmental and social dening projects“ are implemented (e. g., Düssel- consulting services regarding sustainability associations and their institutions. grün community garden, Ellerstraße com- aspects in procurement procedures. These ser- munity garden). vices are provided to departments in both the In regular dialog—for example, via the Sustain- construction and the supply and service sec- ability Advisory Council—are the Youth Council, tors. To this end, an overarching register is the Senior Citizens‘ Council, the Sustainable Con- being created to record companies that offer sumption Working Group, the Düsseldorf Food sustainable products. The Procurement Office Council, the Education for Sustainable Develop- demonstrates to these companies how to partic- ment Network, the One World Forum Düsseldorf, ipate in municipal procurement procedures. Engagement Global gGmbH Düsseldorf (inclu- When procurement requirements are published ding the Fairtrade Town steering group and the by the departments, they are advised on a case- One World Advisory Council of the City of Düssel- by-case basis regarding imple-menting sustain- dorf), the Catholic and Protestant Churches, 24 Voluntary Local Review 2022 | City of Düsseldorf 25 Municipal Sustainability Management
2.5 Indicators Sustainable Financial resources balance 16.6 Finances 2010 2015 2019 Budget surplus or deficit per inhabitant (Source: SDG EURO 28 -121 -170 Portal) The financial balance provides information regarding the financial capacity of a municipality to shape the local economic, social and ecological framework autonomously. In the City of Düsseldorf, The City of Düsseldorf acts as a project partner diversity and social commitment; and “G” the indicator displays a negative development over time. Although the financial balance in 2010 was in the joint study “Sustainability Budget and stands for governance, which refers to sustain- at 28.00 euros per inhabitant, which is a surplus, the City of Düsseldorf recorded a budget Sustainability Return—Strategic Orientation in able corporate management. This includes, deficit in both 2015 and 2019. Most recently (2019), the budget deficit per inhabitant in the city was Municipal Budgeting,“ which is being conducted for example, topics such as corporate values below the national average of 86.00 euros per inhabitant. In the long term, this development by the German Institute of Urban Affairs in or management and control processes. Sus- does not contribute to achieving the German Sustainability Strategy Goal 8.2.c “Debt ratio max. 60 % association with eight cities in NRW and NRW. tainable financing instruments have a specific of GDP—to be maintained until 2030.“ Bank until the end of 2022. As part of the joint reference to one or more of the three ESG study, the participating municipalities are bring- criteria. For example, the City of Düsseldorf ing themselves up to date with the latest dis- uses subsidized loans to finance projects Tax revenue 16.6 cussions on the links between sustainability and such as “electric mobility“ or the “construction municipal financial policy. In this way, the pro- of energy-saving buildings.” The Municipal 2010 2015 2019 ject will enable the municipalities to make their Savings Bank in Düsseldorf was one of the first Tax revenue per inhabitant own contributions regarding impact-oriented savings banks in the Düsseldorf Savings Bank EURO 2263 2229 2461 (Source: SDG Portal) management of the overall budget and to develop Network to sign the voluntary commitment to Tax capacity is a key determinant of a municipality‘s financial room for maneuver and provides existing approaches in individual aspects. In climate-friendly and sustainable business information on economic strength or structural weakness. However, tax revenues do not consider particular, the process perspective of budget practices. In this commitment, the savings bank other revenues, such as fees, levies, investment allocations from the federal and state govern- planning and control will be jointly concretized. undertakes to make its business operations ments or general key allocations under the municipal financial equalization systems. In the City The German Institute of Urban Affairs is deve- more CO2-neutral (target: climate neutrality of Düsseldorf, there has been a positive development in tax revenue per inhabitant over time. loping an innovative instrument for calculating by 2035), to align financing and its own invest- The revenue power increased from 2,263 euros per inhabitant* in 2010 to 2,461 euros per inhabitant* the sustainability yield of municipal invest- ments with climate targets, and to support com- in 2019. The development of tax revenues in Düsseldorf is significantly above the German average ment measures, using the concrete example mercial and private customers in transforming over the entire period. The sustainability strategies at federal and NRW state level define no specif- of individual projects or products of muni- to a climate-friendly economy. The municipal ic targets for the development of tax revenues. cipal budgets of the participating partner muni- savings bank supports its customers regarding cipalities. Against this backdrop, the City of the increased interest in sustainable invest- Düsseldorf is planning to create an impact-orien- ments. Liquidity loans 16.6 ted budget aligned with the respective sus- tainability goals. To reflect sustainability in the 2010 2015 2018 Liquidity/cash loans in the core administration in the budget of the state ca- budget per inhabitant (Source: SDG EURO 0 213 0 pital in accordance with the Council resolution, Portal) the product description of each product is to be Short-term liquidity loans, or cash loans in the core budget, indicate financing bottlenecks in munic- expanded to include the aspect of SDGs. ipalities that are bridged by overdrawing accounts (“overdraft facilities“). High and long-term liquidity loans indicate a fundamental imbalance in the budget structure of a municipality, which is In the future, the financial investments of the problematic regarding intergenerational equity. In the City of Düsseldorf, liquidity loans per in City of Düsseldorf will be made based on the in- habitant have decreased over time. In 2017, 2018 and 2019, liquidity loans were no longer necessary. vestment guideline yet to be adopted by the City This development is consistently below the value for the federal average over the period, which Council. The investment guideline considers most recently (2019) was 496 euros per inhabitant for bridging deficits. The sustainability strategies the so-called ESG criteria when acquiring fin- at federal and NRW state level define no specific targets for liquidity loans. ancial investments: “E” stands for environ- ment (e. g., environmental pollution or hazards, greenhouse gas emissions or energy efficiency issues; “S” stands for social, which includes aspects such as occupational health and safety, 26 Voluntary Local Review 2022 | City of Düsseldorf 27 Municipal Sustainability Management
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