GHENT, Belgium – The SDG Voices campaign, led by the City of Ghent, challenged cities in Belgium to encourage and mobilize Belgians to implement the SDGs in their daily lives. The campaign involved 23 different Ghent city services and departments. Nearly 6,000 citizens in six cities participated physically. Citizens participated in SDG challenges which included shifting to biking as a carbon neutral transportation mechanism, showcasing theatre performances on gender equality, and conducting school debates on sustainability.
The campaign brought together stakeholders such as Ghent knowledge institutions, NGOs, The Shift, Gent en Garde, Football Club KAA Gent, while paving the way for new partnerships with organizations such as the Flemish Association of Cities and Municipalities, University and Academy Ghent, and CSR Europe. The City of Ghent’s initiative is having a multiplier effect on more citizens’ and organizations’ dedication to the SDGs. The city administration has integrated the SDGs in the preparation of the long-term city planning, while partners of the initiative have embraced the SDGs in their new strategies.
What is new with this initiative since winning an UN SDG Action Award?
By winning an UN SDG Action Award, Ghent has developed into a city that stands at the forefront of real action to achieve the SDGs. The city has continued their bottom-up SDG challenges for citizens, while collaborating with partners to achieve them. Together with the Belgian city Sint-Niklaas, the City of Ghent launched the 40 days without meat challenge, which focused on the impact of dietary habits on our environment. Although Ghent was already a pioneer and the first city in the world to have a weekly veggie day, winning an SDG Action Award resulted in greater awareness and citizen participation. In 2021, no fewer than 4 in 10 Ghent residents indicated that they participate in veggie day, which is twice the amount of the regional average.
Key to the City of Ghent’s current agenda is their focus on fair trade, as aligned with SDG12 – Responsible Consumption and Production. Specifically, the City of Ghent chose to place the textile industry at the heart of their fair trade policy, thereby placing a critical eye on their own textile supply chains. As a result, the uniforms and work clothes of city workers are now sourced sustainably. Due to their efforts, the City of Ghent was the first winner of the European Union Cities for Fair and Ethical Trade Award and is, at the European level, viewed as a leading example for local authorities working towards fair trade. Since 2019, the City of Ghent has also committed to participating in an annual SDG progress report in alignment with UN Habitat Voluntary Local Reviews.
