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The document analyzes the trajectory of sustainable urban development, noting that while urban populations are projected to reach 68% by 2050, cities contribute significantly to global carbon emissions and biodiversity loss. It highlights a divide between the Global North's focus on infrastructure transformation and the Global South's need to 'jump start' sustainable development. The paper identifies key trends such as nature-based solutions, multimodal transportation, and a growing emphasis on equity and inclusive planning to address environmental racism and green gentrification.

The report outlines the concept and strategy of the Local2030 Coalition for the Decade of Action, focusing on the integration and coordination of efforts across governance scales to overcome challenges faced by local actors. It describes the coalition's aim to leverage existing partnerships to promote bottom-up action and scale successful initiatives, while establishing specific measures, achievement indicators, and progress benchmarks.

The Independent Integrity Unit (IIU) report details activities from June to September 2021, focusing on the launch of a new case management system, the closure of nine cases, and the provision of 10 policy advisories. The unit is currently developing secondary documents to operationalise the Administrative Remedies and Exclusion (ARE) Policy and updating the 'Transparency and Accountability' section of the Initial Fiduciary Principles and Standards. Additionally, the IIU expanded its cooperation with Accredited Entities, signing four new Memoranda of Understanding, and participated in Stockholm World Water Week to discuss the nexus between climate finance and corruption.

The report 'Together for Safety 21 Ways Forward' outlines strategies for urban leaders to combat extremism and polarisation, exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic. It identifies trends such as the 'gamification of extremism' and the use of conspiracy theories by right-wing and jihadist groups to target minorities and youth. The document provides 21 guiding principles across four themes: preventing extremism post-pandemic, countering online hate, securing public spaces, and empowering youth. Key recommendations include adopting evidence-based 'hot spot mapping', investing in youth-led organisations, and strengthening mental health initiatives to build community resilience.

The report assesses green public procurement (GPP) in Tallinn, finding that while 17% of procurements are registered as green, 92% of these rely solely on ISO 14001 certification and do not meet EU GPP definitions. Key barriers include a lack of time, experience, and centralized information. The report recommends establishing a strategic framework, creating a GPP competence center within the procurement sector, and developing product-group-specific model criteria to increase the quality and quantity of sustainable purchases.

The document reports that while Swedish cities are actively pursuing climate neutrality and social sustainability, there is a lack of national coordination, leading to varied levels of ambition and format in sustainability plans. External financing is not considered a bottleneck for achieving these goals due to low interest rates and the ability to borrow for capital expenditure. Green bonds have been issued primarily for non-financial reasons, such as marketing or avoiding political criticism, rather than financial necessity. Conversely, there is low interest in social bonds and social impact bonds, which are perceived as too small-scale, complex, or difficult to measure. The brief also notes a 'silo effect' where sustainability projects are disconnected from finance departments, and highlights that political changes can lead to the abolition of sustainability goals.

The 1972 Stockholm Conference marked the beginning of global environmental cooperation, introducing the concept of sustainable development and leading to the creation of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Despite Cold War tensions and conflicts between industrialized and developing nations, the conference produced the Stockholm Declaration and Action Plan, which provided the first global principles for environmental law. Its legacy includes the democratization of environmental policy through NGO participation and the establishment of foundational treaties on marine pollution and biodiversity.

The report outlines strategies for organizations to manage business air travel emissions, emphasizing the need for direct reductions over carbon offsets. It discusses the use of absolute and intensity targets, the importance of senior management leadership, and the role of decision-support tools in encouraging sustainable travel choices.

The report inventories organic waste in Naivasha, Kenya, identifying significant potential for resource recovery from wastewater, faecal sludge, municipal solid waste, and agro-industrial residues. It highlights existing initiatives such as biogas production at Gorge Farm Energy Park and briquette manufacturing by Sanivation, while noting critical data gaps and stakeholder conflicts in waste collection.

The document examines the application of the Tandem framework for co-designing climate services in Karlstad and Stockholm, Sweden. It argues that tailoring climate information to the specific institutional and decision contexts of users—such as local planners—bridges the gap between research and action. The findings suggest that climate service needs vary based on the user's prior experience and their stage in the adaptation learning cycle, and that co-design can help overcome barriers like competing policy priorities and climate uncertainty.

The brief outlines ten recommendations for co-designing climate services, categorized by process, format, and content, to bridge the gap between climate science and policy implementation. Drawing on case studies from Karlstad and Stockholm, it emphasizes the need for iterative dialogue, the use of facilitators, and the alignment of climate data with existing planning tools to ensure that scientific information is actionable for practitioners.

The document argues that current NDCs insufficiently address the transport sector, which accounts for approximately one-quarter of energy-related CO2 emissions. It advocates for a comprehensive approach based on the "Avoid-Shift-Improve" framework: avoiding unnecessary travel through land-use planning, shifting to low-carbon modes like public transit and cycling, and improving vehicle technology via electrification and fuel efficiency. The authors identify three primary opportunities for NDC enhancement: accelerating electrification and fuel economy, amplifying avoid-and-shift measures, and addressing freight emissions through clean fuels and information technology.

The paper examines the decline of urban accessibility in the global South due to rapid urbanization and motorization. It introduces an access-mobility framework to categorize under-served residents and proposes three priority action areas: building safe, democratic street networks; developing integrated, user-oriented transport services; and managing private vehicle demand. The authors emphasize that these actions require capable governance and sustainable funding models to move cities from a vicious cycle of car-dependency to a virtuous cycle of balanced, multimodal transport.

The report outlines critical knowledge gaps across four themes essential for achieving SDG 17 and the broader 2030 Agenda. It emphasizes the need for research on the relationship between quality of government and sustainability outcomes, the development of tools for policy coherence, the removal of barriers to technology transfer in least developed countries, and the creation of empirical metrics to evaluate the effectiveness of multi-stakeholder partnerships.

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development examines eight case studies of organizations utilizing innovative technologies—including blockchain, artificial intelligence, big data, and the Internet of Things—to improve data processing and decision-making for the protection of freshwater resources.

The document outlines how to apply a gender and social equality (GSE) lens to sustainable development research to uncover power relations and inequalities. It defines key concepts such as intersectionality, the distinction between sex and gender, and the role of social constructions in creating hierarchies. The guide provides a framework for analyzing norms, division of labour, resource access, and decision-making power, while offering specific methodological advice for defining research questions, collecting data from diverse social groups, and presenting results to ensure the voices of marginalized populations are represented.

The report explores the integration of 'fintech' (IoT, big data, AI, and blockchain) into environmental science to address water challenges exacerbated by climate change. Through case studies like the Jefferson Project and Copernicus, it demonstrates how real-time data and advanced analytics enable early warning systems, fill critical data gaps, and inform sustainable decision-making in watersheds, agriculture, and urban environments.

The BONUS RETURN project launched the Nutrients and Carbon Reuse Challenge in December 2017 to identify eco-technologies capable of transforming nutrients and carbon into benefits. Out of 13 applications, three winners—Biophree, TerraNovaUltra, and Ravita—were selected based on criteria including relevance, sustainability, and market potential. These technologies focus on recovering phosphorus and carbon from wastewater and agricultural sectors to support the Baltic Sea Region's environmental goals.

The statement highlights Sweden's leadership in climate science and finance, its goal to become one of the first fossil-free welfare nations by achieving net zero emissions by 2045, and the necessity of using public finance to mobilize private investment for the green economy. It emphasizes the role of the IPCC and the Paris Agreement in guiding global action, noting that renewable energy is becoming increasingly affordable compared to fossil fuels.

The CASCADE project seeks to enhance urban and macro-regional resilience in the Baltic Sea Region (BSR) by adapting risk assessment methodologies to the climate change context. The initiative focuses on bridging the gap between climate change professionals and civil protection experts, aligning with the UN Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 and the Baltic 2030 Action Plan. The project intends to produce a training course for city officials responsible for civil protection that can be replicated across BSR countries and to initiate a region-wide policy dialogue on cross-sectorial cooperation and policy coherence regarding climate risk assessments.