SDG Reports and Documents
The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) underpin the Goals in the One City Plan. In 2019, Bristol was the first UK city to produce a Voluntary Local Review; the latest Voluntary Local Review was published in 2022. Both reviews are available to download from this page, along with documents that explain more about embedding the SDGs into projects.
Bristol’s Voluntary Local Review (Second Iteration)
2022
On September 23rd 2022, during Global Goals Week, Bristol launched an update of progress on the UN Sustainable Development Goals. This second Voluntary Local Review for Bristol was developed by the City Office in partnership with the Cabot Institute for the Environment and Policy Bristol at the University of Bristol. This report reflects Bristol’s citywide efforts to tackling the SDGs and includes information on the activities of Bristol based organisations working to make the city more economically, environmentally and socially sustainable. Having interviewed a number of UK core cities, the VLR also contains a review of the Challenges and Opportunities faced by UK local authorities in delivering the SDGs.
To find out more you can contact the team at: city.office@bristol.gov.uk
Why the One City model works: Local governance to achieve the SDGs and leave no one behind
2020
The City Playbook for Advancing the SDGs is a series of how-to briefs and case studies on advancing sustainable development and social progress locally. They are written by city government officials for other city officials, based on their direct experience.
Bristol is the focus of the first in the series, entitled, Why the One City model works: Local governance to achieve the SDGs and leave no one behind
The playbook responds to significant appetite expressed by city leaders for capturing and sharing the ‘how’ of innovations and practices to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) locally and it is part of the Local Leadership on the Sustainable Development Goals project. These briefs come from cities participating in the Brookings SDG Leadership Cities community of practice and others to elevate innovations or processes with concrete positive outcomes for equity and sustainability.
The One City Plan and the Sustainable Development Goals
2019
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are an initiative of the United Nations; a blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all. They address the key global challenges we face related to poverty, inequality, environment, prosperity, and peace and justice. The SDGs are interconnected and signatories have agreed the aspiration to achieve each Goal by 2030. As a city, Bristol is committed to the SDGs and all the actions in the One City Plan have been mapped against them.
Bristol’s Voluntary Local Review (First Iteration)
2019
In July 2019, the Cabot Institute for the Environment at the University of Bristol launched the United Kingdom’s first Voluntary Local Review (VLR) of SDG progress. This report reflects a whole city approach to tackling the SDGs and includes information on the activities of 90 Bristol based organisations working to make the city more economically, environmentally and socially sustainable. The VLR reviews progress on all 17 SDGs and includes data on over 140 indicators.
This report was produced in partnership with the City Office and Bristol City Council.
To find out more you can contact the team at is sdgalliance@gmail.com
Voluntary Local Reviews: A handbook for UK cities
2019
Following the production of the UK’s first Voluntary Local Review (VLR) of progress towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals, Bristol have developed a tool to assist other cities interested in undertaking the same report.
Our VLR handbook, produced jointly by the Cabot Institute and Bristol City Office, with support from the British Council, draws from Bristol’s experience of undertaking a VLR as well as discussions with other leading cities that have also undertaken VLRs.
The handbook details the variety of styles and types of VLRs that have been completed thus far around the world, and aims to facilitate greater uptake of the SDGs in other cities and local authorities. It shares in depth how we undertook our VLR and where the key UK data sources were for each SDG.
We hope this handbook will be useful not only to UK cities but any local government interested in monitoring progress towards the SDGs.
