The Network of Local Entities for the 2030 Agenda now has more than 400 Local Entities as members. Almost 60% of them are municipalities with fewer than 20,000 inhabitants; these localities face greater challenges in implementing the 2030 Agenda and require financial and technical resources to carry out the process. In this regard, the support provided by the Provincial Councils, Island Councils and Insular Councils is essential.

There are already 25 Provincial Councils, Island Councils and Consells within the Network that are developing highly relevant actions focused on extending knowledge, awareness-raising and implementation of the 2030 Agenda across the entire territory. A dual commitment (on the one hand, integrating the SDGs within the institution itself and in its public policies; on the other, providing essential support to small municipalities) that the Network wishes to highlight and recognise in a series of articles (read the first one here), in order to disseminate the public policies these institutions are implementing to address the social, political, environmental and economic challenges required by the targets set.

The Barcelona Provincial Council has launched its “Term of Office Action Plan (PAM)“, an ambitious municipalist strategy focused on sustainable development. It sets out 19 transformative projects to address environmental, social and economic sustainability in a post-Covid-19 scenario. It is a guide that sets its objectives through 2023 and aims to establish a model capable of effectively meeting the challenges of the future.

Also noteworthy is the Agenda 2030 Viewer, a platform for visualising a multidimensional indicator system, aligned with the Agenda, on the economic, social and environmental reality of the municipalities in the province of Barcelona. With this dataset, they promote debate, reflection and analysis, and improved decision-making both by Local Entities and by the Provincial Council itself.

The Málaga Provincial Council has already firmly established its “Green Charter” plan, aimed at reducing greenhouse gases from an institutional perspective. Ultimately, it is about contributing to sustainability from within the Provincial Council itself, rolling out a wide range of “Good practices” that help reduce paper use, promote sustainable procurement and drive e-processing, among many others. An action that not only contributes to sustainable development, but also constitutes, as a whole, an exemplary initiative that puts the focus on institutions.

The Córdoba Provincial Council has launched Dipucórdoba, a broad strategic plan that is already rolling out the 17 goals set by the 2030 Agenda across the province. Through its website, citizens will not only obtain information on the SDGs, but will also be able to learn about the actions the corporation is carrying out in the field of sustainable development, institutional agreements and other data of interest.

The Palencia Provincial Council has already promoted its Urban Agenda, a strategic document that addresses the demographic challenge through the SDGs and that not only focuses its action plan on large urban centres, but also pays particular attention to rural areas. It is a proposal selected by the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda from among 121 others, and it addresses transformation policies in the area of services, sustainable development, governance, transparency and participation, among other key aspects.

Also noteworthy is its initiative to align the provincial budget with the SDGs, which serves as an example for the rest of the Local Entities.

The Segovia Provincial Council is implementing several actions aimed at achieving the targets set by the 2030 Agenda. In this regard, its Sustainable Rural Agenda stands out, a comprehensive document structured around ten strategic axes that seeks to adapt the approaches of the Spanish Urban Agenda to the needs of rural areas. Its lines of action are many and, among others, are aimed at addressing territorial cohesion, economic opportunities, access to housing and the provision of services.

The Cádiz Provincial Council is finalising an ambitious plan to implement the 17 SDGs set by the 2030 Agenda across the province, together with the Institute for Employment and Technological Development (IEDT). The aim is to develop a strategy designed to foster an effective ecological transition in the towns and cities of Cádiz and to address, in a cross-cutting manner, the social, environmental and economic transformation challenges set out by the 2030 Agenda.

The Granada Provincial Council has already launched a roadmap aimed at the sustainable development of its towns and cities. It has done so through the Urban Agenda 2030, a strategic document structured around 10 general objectives aligned with the SDGs and designed to roll out 169 targets. A guide that focuses its actions on improving quality of life, efficient service management, economic and environmental sustainability, innovative use of resources and the improvement of its local policies.

The Toledo Provincial Council is working to promote “Eco-Schools” in the province, a project that seeks to implement education on sustainable development in schools. It is a proposal that aims to introduce knowledge of the 17 SDGs set by the 2030 Agenda into the classroom in order to engage the entire educational community. The project also helps improve the environment and the local community through social engagement.

The Consell of Menorca is rolling out its “Menorca 2030 Strategy” programme, an extensive document detailing the roadmap the island institution is following to address the decarbonisation challenge. Many of the actions set out in the text are already under way and others are framed as a near-term horizon aimed at driving an energy transition. It is a guide that is moving towards a model based on renewables and zero emissions.

The Pontevedra Provincial Council maintains a firm commitment to the 2030 Agenda. This is reflected in its specialised website on these matters, which highlights the “Digital Rights Charter”, the “Urban and Rural Agenda” and the “Strategy” to achieve the SDGs in the province. The latter is a comprehensive document that sets out actions aimed at effectively tackling the challenges of today and tomorrow. It includes multiple transformative measures in the areas of equality, mobility, depopulation and the economy.