Voluntary Local Review 2022 - GLOBAL SUSTAINABLE MUNICIPALITY NRW - The Implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals in the City of Bonn
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Voluntary Local
Review 2022
The Implementation of the
UN Sustainable Development Goals
in the City of Bonn
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 Bonn—International Dialogue
Hub for Sustainability 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
Review 2022 2.3
for Sustainability
Sustainable Administration, Contracting and Procurement
19
21
2.4 Public Participation for Sustainability 22
2.5 Sustainable Finances 24
The Implementation of the 2.6 Innovation for Sustainability 26
UN Sustainable Development Goals
in the City of Bonn 3 Fields of Action for Municipal Sustainability 30
3.1 Climate Protection & Energy 32
3.2 Natural Resource Protection & Climate Adaptation 40
3.3 Sustainable Mobility 52
3.4 Lifelong Learning & Culture 60
3.5 Social Justice & Resilient Society 72
3.6 Housing & Sustainable Neighborhoods 86
3.7 Decent Work & Sustainable Economy 94
3.8 Sustainable Consumption & Public Health 104
3.9 Global Responsibility & One World 114
4 Overview:
Allocation of the Contributions to the Sustainable
Development Goals and their Targets 122
5 Conclusion and Outlook 130
6 Appendix 134
6.1 Reference List 136
6.2 Photo Credits 137
City of Bonn Voluntary Local Review 2022
Imprint — Preface
Copyright “Global Sustainable Municipality in
Mayor of the Federal City of Bonn, North Rhine-Westphalia” together with many stakeholders in Bonn‘s urban
Office of International Affairs and society. Thanks to our sustainability reporting, we
Global Sustainability / Office for A Project of the Service Agency Communities in know exactly where we stand, which enables us
Press, Protocol and Public Relations. One World (SKEW) of Engagement Global gGmbH
to realign our strategies in the process.
Friedrich-Ebert-Allee 40 | 53113 Bonn
Printed on 100 % recycled paper, www.service-eine-welt.de
certified with the Blue Angel. info@service-eine-welt.de With this local review, we are building on our
long-standing sustainability reporting. The
https://www.bonn.de/ In cooperation with
Sustainability Network
figures from the period up to 2018/2019 are
Bonn, July 2022 North Rhine-Westphalia e. V. (LAG 21 NRW) supplemented by the examination of overarch-
Deutsche Straße 10 | 44339 Dortmund ing steering criteria for sustainable action and
www.lag21.de the presentation of activities in nine municipal
info@lag21.de
Dear Citizens, dear Friends of Bonn, sustainability fields of action. This reveals what
and This second Bonn Voluntary Local Review (VLR) has been done since the adoption of the Sustain-
gives you a good overview of where we stand ability Strategy in order to achieve its objectives.
German Council for Sustainable Development (RNE)
in Bonn at the beginning of 2022 with regard to
c/o GIZ GmbH
Potsdamer Platz 10 I 10785 Berlin sustainable urban development and the imple- Bonn’s second VLR also reveals how important
www.nachhaltigkeitsrat.de/en mentation of the 17 Sustainable Development the commitment of cities is to achieving the
info@nachhaltigkeitsrat.de Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations. For the first SDGs. As Mayor, I am therefore strongly commit-
time, the report combines quantitative indica- ted to strengthening the role of cities in sustain-
Project Management tors with qualitative aspects. ability processes in supra-regional and interna-
Dr. Klaus Reuter, tional city networks, for example in the Mayors‘
Sustainability Network With this VLR, we are testing a new format for Dialogue “Sustainable City” of the German
North Rhine-Westphalia e. V. (LAG 21 NRW)
our sustainability reporting, together with ten Council for Sustainable Development, as well
Dr. Till Winkelmann, other municipalities in North Rhine-Westphalia. as in my capacity as Chair for Climate Protection
Service Agency Communities in It was developed by the German Council for at ICLEI Local Governments for Sustainability.
One World of Engagement Global
Sustainable Development to specifically address We will only succeed in transforming our city if
Realization and text design municipalities. We were pleased to break new we involve all stakeholders in our urban society
Sustainability Network North Rhine-Westphalia e. V. ground in this pilot group to further advance and seek international cooperation.
(Dr. Philipp Lange and Kirsten Strehl) sustainability here in our city and in the inter-
The content of this publication does not necessarily
reflect the views of the Engagement Global or the
national dialogue. I would like to express my sincere thanks to all
Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and who have contributed to this report for their ded-
Development or the German Council for Sustainable Sustainability is a priority in Bonn, from global to icated support - especially to the relevant tech-
Development. local. It is here in Germany‘s United Nations city nical departments of the city administration and
Layout where the UN is shaping a sustainable future municipal utilities. Thank you also to the Service
yella park, Aachen worldwide with as many as 25 entities. In addition, Agency Communities in One World, funded by
there are more than 150 organizations and scien- the German Federal Ministry for Economic Co-
tific institutions advancing sustainability around operation and Development, which, with the sup-
the globe from here. The Council of the City of port of the Sustainability Network NRW and the
Bonn committed to the implementation of the German Council for Sustainable Development,
SDGs back in 2016 by adopting the model resolu- has enabled us to compile this report.
tion of the German Association of Cities. With the
adoption of the first Bonn Sustainability Strategy Finally, I would like to thank our citizens for
in 2019, sustainable action was systematically an- joining me in shaping a sustainable Bonn.
chored in our municipal activities. In the four stra-
tegic focus areas of climate neutrality, mobility
transformation, social justice and digital trans-
with its with
with its its with
withfunding
with funding fromfrom
funding from the the
the in cooperation with with
in coopera on
in coopera on with
with its with funding from the in coopera on with
formation, we want to further advance the goals
as laid down in our Strategy. Since 2019, we have Katja Dörner
taken many additional sustainability measures, Mayor of Bonn
4 5 Preface
1
—
Introduction
1.1 ––– The 2030 Agenda and the International
Voluntary Local Review Movement 8
1.2 ––– Bonn—International Dialogue
Hub for Sustainability 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 achieve
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 levels of action. Consequently, the link between 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- VLRs and VNRs becomes more critical—local and review mecha- 200 municipalities
Agenda provides a joint frame of reference for cally developed individual approaches. representatives are increasingly present at nisms, the 2030 Agen- in Germany have
da encourages mem- signed the specimen
all UN member states, including the North and the UN High-Level Political Forum, and local ber states to “conduct resolution “The 2030
the South, and represents a universally valid Against this backdrop, more and more muni- government sections in VNRs are frequently regular and inclusive Agenda for Sustai-
reviews of progress nable Development:
target system for a viable future. Consisting of cipalities voluntarily initiate an assessment co-produced by national and local governments at the national and Building Sustainability
17 primary goals (cf. figure 1) and 169 targets, of their progress in implementing the SDGs (cf. e. g., German Institute of Urban Affairs & 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). Bertelsmann 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 Sectionwith
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 (cf.
its goals, SDG 11 on Sustainable Cities and UN-Habitat & UCLG, 2021). This process has UCLG & UN-Habitat, 2020; Siragusa et al., 2020;
Communities, is specific to subnational levels). become an essential complement to national UNDESA, 2020 - and also IGES, 2021; UNES-
Targets and indicators reflect country-level reporting mechanisms by contributing first-hand CAP, 2020). The present Voluntary Local Review
metrics, and national governments are re- information on practical experiences on the 2022 takes these guidelines into account and
quested to regularly report on implementation ground and localizing indicators while streng- considers the specific context of implementing
status through Voluntary National Reviews thening coordination, accountability, and trans- the SDGs in German municipalities (cf. section
(VNRs).¹ These are presented every year at the parency. In this regard, VLRs’ potential goes 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 mu-
UCLG, 2021; Gustafsson & Ivner, 2018). tual learning and vertical coherence between
8 Voluntary Local Review 2022 | City of Bonn 9 Introduction
1.2
statement “Shaping Sustainability”, the Unit- and young people in the total population. ICLEI Cities for Sustainability or in the Climate
ed Nations in Bonn form a center of a unique Economically, Bonn is also characterized by a Alliance of Cities. Bonn works together with
sustainability cluster consisting of federal long-term positive growth trend. In 2020, for other cities, networks and UN agencies for the
agencies, science-institutions, businesses, example, the number of employees subject major concerns of sustainability in different
development organizations, think tanks and to social insurance contributions was 179,903 fields. Bonn is also breaking new ground in
Bonn—International non-governmental organizations. The 2030
Agenda with its 17 Sustainable Development
and has thus grown significantly more strong-
ly in the long-term trend than the national
municipal cooperation with sustainability-ori-
ented project partnerships. Currently, Bonn is
Dialogue Hub Goals is an important guiding principle for all
stakeholders.
average. Bonn‘s population is also character-
ized by a high level of education and a com-
working with Bukhara (Uzbekistan), Cape Coast
(Ghana), Chengdu (China), Minsk (Belarus),
for Sustainability Networks such as BION, the interdisciplinary
paratively high earned income. La Paz (Bolivia) and Ulan Bator (Mongolia). In
addition, there has been project cooperation
association of internationally oriented biodiver- In terms of landscape, the city is character- with Ramallah (Palestine) since 2017. The focus
sity research in Bonn, and the Bonn Network ized by its location along the Rhine River and a here is on joint projects and the exchange of
Bonn, the federal city along the Rhine River, for Disaster Prevention and Risk Management large stock of green spaces, which cover almost experience, particularly on environmental and
is the second political center of the Federal build further bridges to the United Nations‘ fifty percent of the city area. development issues, as well as cooperation
Republic of Germany. It is the German city of fields of work. The founding of the Bonn Alli- within the framework of climate partnerships.
the United Nations and the birthplace of the ance for Sustainability Research, in which the Municipality-specific challenges
famous composer Ludwig van Beethoven. University of Bonn and six leading Bonn-based
scientific institutions have joined forces, further The future as a growth location, both demo-
Structural change from capital to strengthens research in the field of sustainable graphically and economically, places special
German UNO city development and global change. In numerous demands on the organization and distribution
dialogue formats, impulses for global sustaina- of urban space. The rising population is in-
Over the past two and a half decades, Bonn has ble development emanate from Bonn. creasing the pressure on the housing market.
successfully established itself as the German High rents and limited housing make it difficult
UNO city and a center for international coop- With a population of almost 336,000 (as of for more and more segments of the popula-
eration and sustainable development. Between 01/2022), Bonn today has more inhabitants tion to find housing. As efforts are made to
1996 and today, the number of United Nations than it did when it was the capital. The city‘s create additional housing, pressure on existing
organizations grew to 25. The largest UN population is expected to continue to grow open space increases. In addition, there is
agencies in Bonn include the Climate Secretar- significantly in the coming decades. At the little additional land available to accommodate
iat, the Secretariat to Combat Desertification same time, the age structure will remain growing commercial activity.
and the Volunteers Program. With its mission stable with a constant proportion of children
In the area of environmental quality and re-
source efficiency, the focus is particularly
on the path to climate neutrality by 2035 and,
closely linked to this, the topic of mobility. The
goal is to significantly reduce CO₂ emissions and
achieve a transition towards more sustainable
forms of mobility.
Bonn as a player for sustainability
Sustainability and the 2030 Agenda are the ba-
sis of urban action. The sustainability strategy
of the city of Bonn, adopted in February 2019,
brings together projects, programs and plans
in six central fields of action to form a munici-
pal agenda for sustainable action. In so doing,
it anchors sustainable action systematically
and bindingly for the period up to 2030. A great
deal of civic commitment supports progress in
the municipal fields of action.
Bonn is also committed to sustainability inter-
nationally, for example in city networks such as
10 Voluntary Local Review 2022 | City of Bonn 11 Introduction
1.3
to 2022) the emphasis was on the develop- Organizational process in the city of Bonn represent thestatus quo were gathered. This
ment of local sustainability reports. Within the proprocedure included integrated or sectoral
project, five cities in North Rhine-Westphalia— For developing this VLR, a process was initiated strategies and concepts, measures, projects,
Bonn, Düsseldorf, Münster, Dortmund and in the city of Bonn that integrated collaboration city council resolutions, specific goals, collabo-
Arnsberg—developed a VLR (see the overview in between all relevant divisions and departments rations and networks, and organizational struc-
Context, the relevant map). These new VLRs supplement
the VLRs previously published in Germany by
of the municipal administration. This process
built on the working structures, which were
tures. In addition, overall achievements and
results within recent years were mapped.
Methodology different cities in recent years (Mannheim in
2019, Bonn in 2020, and—with a focus on indica-
established already for the development of the
city‘s sustainability structure and included rep-
The collection of the activities was structured
according to particular topics regarding sustain-
and Structure tors—Stuttgart in 2020). resentatives from numerous departments (e. g.,
planning, health, environment, transport, social
ability (cf. the structuring of the VLR, below.)
of this Report The basic structuring of the VLRs follows the
German Reporting Frame Sustainable Munici-
affairs, youth, and business development). The
working body was locally steered by a coordinator
In terms of the quantitative analysis, indicators
were evaluated that illustrate different develop-
pality published in 2021 by the German Council and a deputy, who are primarily responsible for ments in terms of sustainability. The indicators
Context of this VLR for Sustainable Development (cf. RNE, 2021). organizing the process within the administration. comprised a predefined indicator set of 56 “SDG
The German Council for Sustainable Develop- This approach helped overcome classical admin- indicators for municipalities”. These indicators
This report was developed within the project ment advises the Federal Government on issues istration structures (silo approach) and establish were developed within a project of the same
Global Sustainable Municipality in North Rhine- of sustainability policy. Against the backdrop of cross-department working formats. Given the name (cf. Bertelsmann Stiftung et al., 2020).
Westphalia (third project term from 2021 to lacking an official standard for sustainability interlinked nature of the SDGs, this horizontal The objective of the project was to identify
2022).The project has been implemented by the reporting in German municipalities, the Council integration is crucial. suitable indicators to map SDG implementation
Service Agency Communities in One World initiated a comprehensive multi-stakeholder at the municipal level in Germany and provide
(SKEW) of Engagement Global in coopera- dialog to develop the German Reporting Frame Stocktaking: qualitative and quantitative analysis corresponding data. Thus, the project used
tion with the German Council for Sustainable Sustainable Municipality. This guideline seeks the 2030 Agenda’s 231 indicators as an orien-
Development (RNE) and the Sustainability to promote a more uniform and transparent Overall, the information in this report represents tation and transferred them to the local level.
Network North Rhine-Westphalia (LAG 21 NRW) way of reporting and builds on the established the status quo up to April 2022. A comprehensive By an online portal (SDG Portal), centrally
on behalf of the Federal Ministry for Economic German Sustainability Code (a reporting stand- stocktaking was conducted at the beginning of assessable data are generally provided for all
Cooperation and Development. In the first two ard in corporate sustainability since 2011). the project to gather the information needed for German towns and cities with more than 5,000
project terms (2016 to 2020), the focus was on In 2022, the Reporting Frame was applied for this report. This process consisted of both quali- inhabitants. The predefined indicator set was
elaborating integrated sustainability strategies the first time by more than 20 municipalities tative and quantitative elements. In terms of the complemented in this VLR by municipality-spe-
for municipalities, while in the third term (2021 in various federal states in Germany. qualitative analysis, all core activities in the city cific and individually chosen add-on indicators,
that contribute to sustainable development and for which the data was provided by the city of
Bonn. These indicators consider the specific
context in the city and thus supplement the pre-
defined set. The add-on indicators also enrich
Project “Global Sustainability the areas with limited predefined indicators
Municipalities” (due to a lack of central data availability—for
City of example, SDG 13 and SDG 17 are not currently
Münster
The project Global Sustainability Munici- covered by “SDG indicators for municipalities”.)
palities of the Service Agency Communi-
ties in One World supports municipalities For the stocktaking, different tools were used
in localizing the SDGs through awaren- to gather the information needed from the dif-
a VLR in the project „Global Sustainable Municipality
FIGURE 2: Overview of municipalities that developed
ess-raising activities, networking and in ferent administrative departments, including
City of City of implementing the 2030 Agenda. questionnaires and Excel spreadsheets, in which
Dortmund Arnsberg
We supply information on the options for all divisions could add their contributions ac-
City of
Düsseldorf getting involved in development work, cording to the predefined topics. With the help
advise on the formulation and implemen- of several meetings throughout the project,
tation of municipal sustainability strate- decisive steps were discussed in the adminis-
gies, and provide forums for designing trative core team, such as how to prioritize the
forward-looking action for results at the municipal activities and how to choose adequate
City of local level. We cooperate closely with ac- municipality-specific indicators. The qualitative
Bonn
tors from Germany‘s federal, regional and and quantitative stocktaking results are pre-
local governments, municipal associations sented in this VLR in respective qualitative
in NRW”
and civil society organisations. parts (presentation of activities) and quantitative
parts (presentation of indicators).
12 Voluntary Local Review 2022 | City of Bonn 13 Introduction
Structuring of the VLR relevant to the specific context of German mu-
nicipalities.3 These thematic fields represent a
This VLR is structured according to the German synthesis of the SDGs and municipal areas of Steering Criteria Fields of Action for
Reporting Frame Sustainable Municipality. For competence in Germany, which are reflected in Municipal Sustainability
structuring the elements of sustainability report- the responsibilities of the political committees
ing, this guide introduces two basic categories: in the municipalities. All 17 SDGs are considered
overarching steering criteria and thematic fields. equally in the localization process to ensure
based on German Council for Sustainable Development, 2021)
that sustainable development is understood • Strategic and Organizational • Climate Protection & Energy
FIGURE 4: Structural elements of the VLR (own elaboration
The steering criteria focus on overarching and holistically and to account for co-benefits and Approach for Sustainability • Natural Resource Protection & Climate
cross-sectional aspects regarding sustainability tradeoffs. The thematic fields developed within • Public Participation for Sustainability Change Adaptation
and thus cover the overall municipal sustainabil- the Global Sustainable Municipality in North • Sustainable Administration, • Sustainable Mobility
ity management. In this VLR, this part is consoli- Rhine-Westphalia project were adopted in the Contracting and Procurement • Lifelong Learning & Culture
dated into the following sections: German Reporting Frame Sustainable Munic- • Sustainable Finances • Social Justice & Future-Proof Society
ipality. The overview in figure 3 presents these • Innovation for Sustainability • Housing & Sustainable Neighborhoods
— Strategic and organizational approach fields of sustainable municipal development • Decent Work & Sustainable Economy
for sustainability together with core references to the SDGs. • Sustainable Consumption & Healthy Living
— Public participation for sustainability • Global Responsibility & One World
— Sustainable administration, contracting The steering criteria and thematic fields both
and procurement include qualitative and quantitative parts. The
— Sustainable finances structuring of the qualitative parts follows the
Qualitative Aspects and Quantitative Indicators
— Innovation for sustainability German Reporting Frame Sustainable Municipal-
ity, which presents certain aspects for report-
These aspects are supplemented by the thema- ing. These subitems specifically query specific
tic fields. When implementing the 17 SDGs and report contents in the sense of a checklist. The
their 169 targets on a local level, the challenge quantitative parts include the predefined indi-
is to transfer them to the specific context of the cator set of “SDG indicators for municipalities” For each thematic field, one to two practical 3
The 2030 Agenda calculated and extra-
municipalities. Within the Global Sustainable and the municipality-specific add-on indicators examples in the sense of flagship projects are addresses three levels polated to the target
Municipality in North Rhine-Westphalia project, (cf. above). Figure 4 provides an overview of the presented additionally. In terms of the quan- of responsibility for year. (2) If the set
municipal action: target is likely to be
the 17 SDGs are translated into nine thematic described elements, forming the structure of titative indicators, basically the period of the “In the municipality achieved, the assess-
fields for municipal sustainability that are this VLR: last decade is addressed when presenting the for the municipality” ment is positive, and it
(measures that lead to is negative if the target
data in order to depict long-term developments. impacts in the muni- is not achieved. (3)
Additionally, an assessment of the trend is pre- cipality itself), “In the
municipality for the If no politically agreed
sented with the help of a “traffic light system”
world” (measures with target values are
(green: positive / yellow: neutral / red: negative / a global impact), and available, the average
grey: no assessment possible). Important indi- “In other countries and indicator value of the
by other countries” previous reporting
cators are furthermore visualized by graphics. (e. g. via partnership period is calculated.
When presenting the qualitative aspects and projects.) The percentage de-
viation from the data
quantitative indicators, the core SDG addressed 4 for the reporting period
by the respective aspect or indicator is high- The evaluation was from this average value
based on the following is then determined.
lighted (note that other SDGs can be addressed, criteria: (1) If political- (4) If the percentage
too—only the most pertinent one is highlight- ly agreed target values deviation of the key
are available for the performance indicators
ed). The qualitative contributions (i.e., the core indicator and have calculated for the cur-
GLOBAL activities in the city gathered by the qualitative already been achieved, rent reporting period
Natural
municipal sustainability (own elaboration)
Climate Resource Lifelong
Sustainable the assessment is is a value above ten,
Protection & Protection &
Mobility
Learning &
stocktaking) are marked by using italics in the
SUSTAINABLE
Energy Climate Culture generally positive. a positive or negative
Adaption
text. At the end of each chapter, an overview is Otherwise, the average value is assigned to the
change in the indicator respective indicator. For
MUNICIPALITY NRW given of all mentioned contributions regarding values over the entire values below 10 %, the
FIGURE 3: Fields of action for
the qualitative aspects, including an allocation reporting period is assessment is neutral.
to the SDG targets of the 2030 Agenda.
Social Justice & Housing & Decent Work & Sustainable Global
Resilient Sustainable Sustainable Consumption & Responsibility &
Society Neighborhoods Economy Public Health One World
14 Voluntary Local Review 2022 | City of Bonn 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 21 2.4 ––– Public Participation for Sustainability 22 2.5 ––– Sustainable Finances 24 2.6 ––– Innovation for Sustainability 26 16 17 Municipal Sustainability Management
2.1 2.2
The city is particularly committed to the imple- and Development (OECD), in which Bonn partic-
mentation of Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable ipated as one of nine global pilot locations and
Development Goals. In 2016, Bonn was one of regions. With the report, the City of Bonn has
the first German cities to sign the model dec- also contributed internationally to making the
laration of the German Association of Cities contribution of the local level to achieving the
Introduction and Towns and the Council of European Munic-
ipalities and Regions on Agenda 2030. In its
2030 Agenda visible.
Strategic and
endeavours to implement Agenda 2030, a highly
committed citizenry and numerous local initi-
This newly compiled second VLR updates and
expands the first VLR from 2020. It now covers
Organizational
UN City and its impact
atives, which foster sustainable development
at the local level, support the city. Bonn is also
qualitative reporting parts and includes the
entire range of fields of action for municipal
Approach for
In Bonn, the United Nations have concentrated
active to support Agenda 2030 in its internation-
al networks and memberships and is a strong
sustainability.
Sustainability
their global sustainability activities. Twenty-five advocate for strengthening the role of cities at
UN organisations work from here under the the international level.
common motto “Shaping a sustainable future”,
among them the UN Climate Change Secre- Sustainability Reporting In 2019, the Bonn City Council adopted the
tariat and the UN SDG Action Campaign. The first integrated Bonn Sustainability Strategy
issue of sustainability is a common theme also Local sustainability reporting is an additional to systematically align municipal action with
throughout the many federal institutes, de- important component, which makes sustainable the 17 SDGs and achieve progress in shaping
velopment organizations, NGOs, and scientific development measurable. It shows with con- the future with sustainable development in
institutions based in Bonn. There is probably crete figures and trends where the city stands mind. The City of Bonn drafted this roadmap
no other city of comparable size with a simi- on the path towards sustainability. Bonn has a in a two-year process from 2016 to 2018. The
larly large number of organizations committed long tradition in sustainability reporting. Since strategy was developed within the model pro-
to sustainability. Interaction between these 2005, the city of Bonn has regularly published a ject Globally Sustainable Municipality in North
diverse stakeholders is what sets Bonn apart. sustainability report every three years. In 2020, Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), implemented by the
Cooperation platforms, think tanks, and net- the fifth Sustainability Report was published Service Agency Communities in One World of
works have emerged, creating a unique cluster for the period 2016 to 2018, using 55 indicators Engagement Global (SKEW) in cooperation with
that cultivates sustainability from various pers to quantitatively map development in the four the Sustainability Network NRW (LAG 21 NRW).
pectives. guiding categories of “Well-being”, “Social A municipal steering group was established to
Justice“, “Environmental Quality and Resource develop the strategy. Representatives from all
Sustainability and Agenda 2030 as the basis Efficiency”, and “Economic Efficiency”. administrative departments worked collabo-
for municipal action ratively with political bodies, civil society, and
Building on this, Bonn published as one of the the scientific and business communities. In so
Since decades, sustainability and global respon- first cities in Germany, a first Voluntary Local doing, overarching guidelines, strategic and
sibility issues play a central role for the City of Review highlighting how the SDGs are imple- operational goals, and concrete measures were
Bonn. Global agreements, such as Agenda 21 mented locally. The VLR reflected the structure developed. The strategy was then discussed at
(1992), the Millennium Development Goals (2000), of Bonn’s Sustainability Strategy (cf. below). and the policy-making level with the participation of
the Paris Climate Agreement, and Agenda 2030 covered its six fields of action: “Mobility”, “Cli- 12 specialized committees. It was adopted by
have always been guiding principles for munic- mate and Energy”, “Natural Resources and the the Bonn City Council on 7 February 2019. With
ipal action. As one of the first municipalities in Environment”, “Labour and business”, “Social this strategy, Bonn has a comprehensive action
Germany, Bonn established project partnerships Participation and Gender”, and “Global Respon- plan for sustainable development that is con-
with cities in emerging and developing countries, sibility and One World”. In the report, indicator tinuously reviewed and further developed with
dating as far back as the 1990s. By doing so, the values and their development were for the first a view to the progressing implementation.
city made a strong contribution to the successful time directly related to the objectives of the
emergence of development cooperation between sustainability strategy. It thus showed in an The strategy encompasses six fields of action,
cities. As a long-standing Fair Trade Town, Bonn understandable and comprehensible way where the selection of which was based on the follow-
promotes fair trade and sustainable procure- Bonn stands in the implementation of the 17 ing criteria: (1.) What is the current relevance of
ment. As a member of the UNESCO’s Learning Sustainable Development Goals. Focusing the topic area?; (2.) How much influence does
Cities Network, offers for education on sus- primarily on quantitative parts, the report was the municipality have in this field of action?; (3.)
tainable development—such as the annual based on data obtained from the fifth Sustaina- To what extent does the field of action contrib-
SDG Days or lecture series on SDGs—are also bility Report. The report also incorporated the ute to strengthening existing political priorities
fixed components of the municipal commit- findings of an international project conducted in Bonn?; and (4.) How is Bonn positioned in the
ment to sustainability. by the Organization for Economic Cooperation field of action? Figure 4 provides an overview of
18 Voluntary Local Review 2022 | City of Bonn 19 Municipal Sustainability Management2.3
the overarching guidelines and strategic goals sustainability measures (the public utility com- ment for decisions. Regarding the four central
formulated for these fields of action and the pany Stadtwerke Bonn, the waste manage- strategic focus areas mentioned above, the
addressed SDGs. In addition to this, in 2020, ment company bonnorange, and the municipal Strategic Program Management division was
Bonn identified four central strategic focus building management). The steering group is established in the mayor’s department together
areas for the further development of the city: coordinated jointly by the Office for Internation- with corresponding program offices, which im-
“Climate-neutral Bonn,” “Transport and Mobil- al Affairs and Global Sustainability and the plement the areas operationally (Program Office
Sustainable
Our guidelines and focal areas
ity Transformation,” “Socially Just Bonn,” and
“Digital Transformation”.
Office for Environment and Urban Greening.
The steering group discusses overarching
Climate-Neutral Bonn 2035, Program Office
Mobility Transition, Program Office Social Jus-
Administration,
for Bonn 2030
sustainability issues, and its main task is to tice, and Program Office Digital Transformation).
The municipal steering group established to
develop the Bonn Sustainability Strategy acts
bundle and consolidate topics. Operational
implementation is performed by the respective
Contracting and
as a central body for implementing and further
Implementing
developing the 17 Sustainable
the sustainability goals. All depart
departments, which are also responsible for
Development Goals in all
the necessary areas of the respective
involvement
Procurement
of municipal
ments action. in the steering group,
are represented management level. Topics of central impor-
along with central in-house companies for tance are submitted to the Board of Manage-
The city administration acts as a role model in
the implementation of sustainability. For in-
stance, against the background of the city’s cli-
mate protection targets, the administration is to
SOCIAL PARTICIPATION AND GENDER LABOR AND BUSINESS become climate-neutral by 2035 (see also aspect
1.2). In recent years, various measures have
been integrated into administrative actions with
a view to sustainable procurement and awarding
In Bonn, all people can participate in social life, regardless of age, gen- Bonn is a prospering economic location and in harmony with the en-
der, ethnicity, religion, national origin, physical and mental condition or vironment. An innovative local economy uses the potential of digita-
contracts. The Bonn Sustainability Strategy aims
social status. Gender equality and equal opportunities are top priorities. lization and thereby also minimizes its demand for space. Remaining
land requirements are met in mutually agreed regional cooperation. All
to have all available products procured accord-
people living in Bonn find employment opportunities according to their ing to product-specific sustainability criteria by
qualifications and their personal situation.
Foster an effective culture
Ensure good and
2030. To this end, procurement is to be expanded
of participation
fair labour
to include additional sustainable product groups,
Actively promote educational Support sustainable
justice and self-determination innovations information events on sustainability criteria are
Enable gender Enhance the understanding to be organized, and an audit on requirements
GLOBAL MOBILITY
for sustainable businesses
RESPONSIBILITY
equality for all and compliance with criteria is to be conducted
AND ONE WORLD Create the foundations Promote before each product purchase. Corresponding
Ensure services of for working models emission-
general interest for all that can adjust to friendly rules on sustainable procurement have been
different phases in life mobility
integrated into the procurement instructions for
Build several years (“Guidelines for the consideration
awareness
for global Support environmentalfriendly of sustainability, social standards and environ-
responsibility public transport systems
Expand
partnerships
Continuously
expand The City of Bonn is an interna-
mental protection criteria in the procurement
Ensure sustainability in public pro- for global justice bicycle traffic
Promote
tional role model for sustain- of goods, works and services“). In addition, a
curement and financial investments and sustainable able mobility. The majority of
sustainable
lifestyles
business traffic
people living in Bonn mainly separate service instruction for sustainable
Bonn is a globally recognized in- Ensure sustain- uses the differentiated and net-
ternational location for sustain- ably integrated worked offer of low-emission procurement has been created to supplement
urban planning and climate-neutral means of
ability actors and their activities
and events. People in Bonn both transport. Traffic avoidance has the procurement service instruction.
live and experience globally fair Reduce Promote high priority.
FIGURE 5: Summary of the Bonn Sustainability
and sustainable action every day. CO2-emissions ecological
production and
sustainable Reduce health stress through noise and air pollution
In 2020, at the initiative of the City of Bonn, a
Support the use of
renewable energies
consumption new digital procurement tool for sustainable
Encourage resource- Increase quality of life through well-developed blue-green procurement was published as part of Com-
saving lifestyles infrastructure and biodiversity
Strategy 2019 (own elaboration)
pass Sustainability, a cooperative project by the
Climate-friendly, energy-efficient living and working are a matter of course
People in Bonn live in a resource-saving and sustainable way. More nat-
ural landscape areas are developing. Both biodiversity and adaptability
Service Agency Communities in One World and
for all people living in Bonn as well as for institutional actors. Climate pro-
tection is considered in the context of natural resources and the environ-
to climate change are increasing. Bonn’s residents appreciate the city’s the German Society for International Coopera-
blue-green infrastructure with the wide range of ecosystem services it
ment, and energy is sourced from renewable and, if possible, local sources. provides and actively contribute to its preservation. tion. The tool was developed in cooperation with
the Department of Procurement Services of
the City of Bonn, the organization FEMNET, and
a procurement lawyer. The tool guides staff in
CLIMATE AND ENERGY NATURAL RESOURCES AND THE ENVIRONMENT
charge of procurement through critical ques-
Voluntary Local Review – Agenda 2030 on the local level 11
20 Voluntary Local Review 2022 | City of Bonn 21 Municipal Sustainability Managementtions for sustainable procurement and gives
recommendations on how social and ecological 2.4
criteria can be implemented in the procurement
process. Thus, for the first time, procurement
officers have the opportunity to make use of
individualized digital support for the consider-
ation of sustainability criteria in the award pro-
Public Participation
cess. The consideration of social standards and
environmental protection criteria in the award-
for Sustainability
ing of contracts is fundamentally integrated
within the framework of the awarding instruc-
tions of the city of Bonn. The city administration
uses the instruments of public procurement Involving the public in implementing sustain-
law to consider sustainability aspects (suitabil- ability plays a central role in Bonn. From the
ity of bidders, specification of services, evalua- outset, various stakeholder groups from civil
tion criteria.) The legal framework is designed society, science, business, and politics were The portal for citizen participation “Bonn joins city has provided annual funding to interested
by the public procurement department, while the closely involved in developing the Bonn Sus- in” (see also aspect 5.4) bundles all offers for initiatives and smaller organizations for devel-
responsibility for considering sustainability cri- tainability Strategy. Regarding civil society, the population’s involvement. Here, ongoing opment education work, strengthening Bonn’s
teria in award procedures lies with the respec- regular exchange rounds are organized or participation processes and city plans are project partnerships, and implementing the
tive departments. accompanied by the city. These include, for presented, and information is provided on the 2030 Agenda.
example, the meetings of the Bonn Network instruments for submitting proposals, such
As part of the “Good work unites” project, Bonn for Development, an association of large and as applications to the citizens’ committee and Other examples of the city‘s support for civil
procures sustainable service and protective small development policy organizations and citizens’ petitions. All citizens can use the por- society include the provision of urban land for
clothing. In this regard, and in collaboration initiatives, and the Forum FutureLocal Agenda tal to make suggestions and submit questions “urban gardening” projects or the provision
with FEMNET, the city published the brochure Bonn, which provides a forum for local initia- and comments. As part of the citizens’ dialog of materials for educational work (e. g., “foot-
Step by Step—Your Way to Fair Public Pro- tives, organizations, and associations that deal on the 2021/2022 budget, the public was also prints” to illustrate the ecological footprint).
curement of Service and Protective Clothing in with the local agenda (see also aspect 18.1). invited to submit proposals for specific projects Cooperation with scientific institutions in Bonn
2017. The use of recycled paper has also been Affiliations to the networks are fluid, and joint in the city districts and to vote on the propos- also plays an important role in municipal sus-
established in the administration for many appearances are promoted by the city, such als (examples of selected projects include the tainability activities. For example, the Office of
years (see also aspect 11.5). In 2021, Bonn was as the closing party for the Urban Art Project information campaign for regional and sea- Urban Greening and the Environment regularly
the first signatory, along with 33 other munici- Weltbaustelle Bonn in 2019. At the Market sonal foods and the Leihbar Library of Things.) cooperates with the Botanical Gardens of the
palities, to the Germany-wide resolution on a of Opportunities organized for this occasion, Since 2010, based on a council resolution, the University of Bonn regarding biodiversity.
strong supply chain law. With this resolution, Bonn Agenda Groups and groups from the Bonn
municipalities conveyed their demand for re- Network for Development presented their
sponsible procurement by passing an effective work. The latter was also a civil society part-
supply chain law. ner of the Bonn SDG Days in 2019 and 2021.
Indicator
With the Bonn SDG Days (see practical exam-
ple in the field of action Global Responsibility
and One World), Bonn offers all interested
Informal civic participation 16.7
groups, initiatives, and institutions a platform
to present activities or events related to the
Global Sustainability Goals and provides sup- 2016 2017 2018
port for individual program items. Specifically Number of informal participation
NUMBER 0.055 0.082 0.099 procedures per 1,000 inhabitants
on the topic of climate protection, the partici-
patory process Bonn4FuturePeople for Climate The “joint effort” of sustainable development can only be achieved if citizens support it. Citizens
has been started since December 2020 (see can make crucial contributions to advancing sustainability in the city in which they live. Against
practical example in the field of action Climate this background, the indicator “Informal civic participation” was systematically recorded for the
Protection and Energy). The city also plays a first time in the Bonn Sustainability Report 2016-2018. It can be assumed that the indicatoras
vital coordinating role in the Fairtrade Town in recent yearswill continue to show a positive trend. In accordance with the Bonn Sustainability
steering group (see also aspect 9.2) and the Strategy, dialogue with citizens will be intensified and an effective, diverse culture of participation
Organic City Bonn network established in 2019 will be created. A network of social actors and facilitators from the local population will ensue,
(see also aspect 8.2.). and regular information on opportunities to participate will be provided.
22 Voluntary Local Review 2022 | City of Bonn 23 Municipal Sustainability Management2.5 group is allowed to explain the alignment of the
Indicators
product group with the six thematic fields of the
Bonn Sustainability Strategy. The integration of
sustainability goals into the municipal budget is
Sustainable intended to enable a targeted use of funds and
thus long-term and impact-oriented sustainabil-
Financial resources balance 16.6
Finances ity management. In this respect, introducing an
impact-oriented budget also implies a “person-
2010 2015 2019
Budget surplus or deficit per
nel development measure” that accompanies EURO -344 221 133 inhabitant
the project work in the conversion of individual
The financial balance provides information on the financial capacity of a municipality to shape the
product groups.
local economic, social and ecological framework autonomously. In Bonn, the indicator tends to re-
Scarce financial resources are often cited as a
veal a positive development. Although the financial balance in 2010 was € -344.00 per inhabitant*
central obstacle to implementing sustainable The question of how municipal funds should be
(i.e., a debt), Bonn recorded a budget surplus in 2015 and in 2019. This development is reflected
development. At the same time, the implemen- invested is also a key sustainability issue. In 2015,
nationwide and can be related, among other things, to the introduction of the debt brake in 2009.
tation of ambitious sustainability goals requires the Bonn City Council decided that ethical, social
In the long term, this development also contributes to achieving the German Sustainability Strate-
a fundamental change to any municipal activity. and ecological principles should be observed
gy Goal 8.2.c “Debt ratio max. 60 % of GDP—maintain until 2030.”
Sustainability must therefore be integrated into in municipal financial investments. Currently,
standard municipal procedures across all sec- 97 million euros, or nearly 100 % of long-term
tors. Once sustainability is no longer seen as investments, are invested sustainably. Bonn takes Tax revenue 16.6
an add-on but as a fundamental principle for a multidimensional approach to this, excluding
all municipal activities, the need to link it to the sensitive industries and including how companies
2010 2015 2019
municipal budget also becomes clear. Only within produce and offer their products and services.
the budget planning framework can adequate Observing environment, social, and corporate gov- EURO 1.029 1.421 1.771 Tax revenue per inhabitant
allocation of human and financial resources be ernance (ESG) criteria ensures that these aspects
Tax capacity is a key determinant of a municipality‘s financial power and provides information
ensured and impact-oriented sustainability man- are considered. The ESG filter specifies that a spe-
about its economic strength or structural weakness. However, this indicator does not consider
agement be established. Against this background, cific ESG score must be achieved in the portfolio
other revenues, such as fees, charges, investment allocations from the federal and state govern-
Bonn participated in the model project Municipal so that an active decision can be made in favor of
ments, and general key allocations under the municipal fiscal equalization systems. In Bonn, there
Sustainability Budget of the Sustainability Net- companies with high scores. The asset managers
has been a consistently positive development in tax revenue per inhabitant over time. For exam-
work North Rhine-Westphalia (LAG 21 NRW) continuously confirm compliance with the criteria,
ple, revenue power rose from € 1,029 per inhabitant in 2010 to € 1,771 per inhabitant in 2019. The
from 2020 to 2021. The project aimed to integrate and regular further development occurs. In 2020,
development of tax revenues in Bonn is significantly above the German average. The sustainability
sustainability objectives into the municipal budget Bonn introduced an additional filter to ensure
strategies at federal and NRW state level define no specific targets for the development of tax
and link the budget areas of individual offices with that financial investments contribute directly to
revenues.
municipal sustainability objectives in an exempla- achieving Global Sustainability Goals. This SDG
ry manner to make sustainability an integral part filter identifies companies that positively impact
of all municipal activities. Bonn is also acting as a social or environmental issues. Bonn also active- Liquidity loans 16.6
project partner in the joint study Sustainability ly participates in exchanges with other cities as
Budget and ‘Sustainability Return’—Strategic one of the pioneer cities and engages in various
2010 2015 2018
Orientation in Municipal Budgeting, conducted formats to disseminate sustainable financial Liquidity/cash loans in the core
by NRW.Bank and the German Institute of Urban investments. For example, the city collaborated EURO 1.588 2.163 1.945 budget per inhabitant
Affairs in association with eight cities in NRW until on the Sustainable Municipal Finance guide
Short-term liquidity loans or cash loans in the core budget indicate financing bottlenecks in mu-
the end of 2022. published by the adelphi consulting institute in
nicipalities that are bridged by overdrawing accounts (“overdraft facilities”). High and long-term
2020. Bonn has also assumed a multiplier role
liquidity loans indicate a fundamental imbalance in the budget structure of a municipality, which is
The City Council of Bonn introduced an impact- at various events (e. g., the regional conference in
problematic regarding intergenerational equity. In Bonn, liquidity loans per inhabitant have tended
oriented budget in 2010. According to this, prod- Bonn on the German Sustainability Strategy, and
to increase over time. In 2010, the city recorded liquidity loans of € 1,588 per inhabitant to finance
uct budget targets and key figures for measuring the Ministry of the Environment’s conference in
current costs, and this figure increased to € 1,945 per inhabitant by 2019. Over time, these figures
target achievement are set and aligned with mis- Rhineland-Palatinate in 2020) and as part of the
are significantly higher than the national average. Bonn adopted the double budget 2019/2020,
sion statements, strategic goals, and impacts. Municipal Divestment and Re-Investment project
which includes financial planning and a budget protection concept until 2024. A balanced budget
As part of the 2021/2022 budget preparation, the funded by the German government’s National
regarding income and expenditure was adopted for 2021, with the indirect objective of a “net new
product group descriptions for the impact-orient- Climate Protection Initiative. As part of the project,
debt < zero” and the reduction of liquidity loans. The sustainability strategies at federal and NRW
ed budget were supplemented by a further mod- the city, together with the Forum for Sustainable
state levels define no specific targets for liquidity loans.
ule, “Relation of the product group to the Sus- Investment and Climate Alliance, conducted the
tainability Strategy of the Federal City of Bonn.” citizens’ dialog Money and Climate! in 2019 to
Here, the person responsible for the product raise awareness of the topic among the population.
24 Voluntary Local Review 2022 | City of Bonn 25 Municipal Sustainability ManagementYou can also read
