C-EENRG: 'Cross-sector partnerships, sustainable cities, and implementing the SDGs at the local level'

The Cambridge Centre for Environment, Energy and Natural Resource Governance (C-EENRG) is pleased to invite you to a talk on 'Cross-sector Partnerships, Sustainable Cities, and Implementing the SDGs at the Local Level'.

The talk is given by Professor Amelia Clarke, from the University of Waterloo, and will be followed by coffee and biscuits in the Common Room.

As social and ecological problems escalate, involving stakeholder groups in helping solve these issues becomes critical for reaching solutions. Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 17 and targets #11.3, #16.7, #17.17 recognize the importance of participatory decision-making at all levels through public, private and civil society partnerships and through collaborative governance. In the urban context, the importance of stakeholder involvement was solidified with the creation of Local Agenda 21s (introduced in Agenda 21, an outcome document of UNCED in 1992). By 2012, there were over 10,000 Local Agenda 21 (or equivalent) initiatives around the world. Cross-sector partnerships continue to be part of the solution, and are mentioned throughout the New Urban Agenda adopted at UN Habitat III in 2016.

However, organizing large multi-stakeholder groups (or partnerships) requires sophisticated implementation structures for ensuring collaborative action. Understanding the relationship between implementation structures and outcomes is central to designing successful partnerships for sustainability. In the context of implementing sustainable community plans, this research project examines how stakeholders configure to achieve results. The research considers two levels of implementation: (1) partner level and (2) partnership level; and examines two types of outcomes: (1) partner outcomes (i.e., what partners obtain through being involved) and (2) plan outcomes (i.e., actual sustainability progress).