Presentation by Mr. Bo H. Eriksen, Chief Analyst of the Region of Southern Denmark, Denmark The 2nd OECD Roundtable on Cities and Regions for the SDGs was held at the World Conference Center in Bonn, Germany, on 9 December 2019, within the scope of the OECD programme on A Territorial Approach to the SDGs. The Roundtable brought together cities, regions, national governments, international organisations, private sector and other key stakeholders to identify trends and challenges in the localisation of the SDGs, including the experiences and key findings from the pilots of the programme.

1. Multi-level Governance
of SDGs: The Region of
Southern Denmark
Bo H. Eriksen
Chief Analyst – Regional Development, Ph.D.

2. WHERE ARE WE?

3. Our Strategic
Framework
A Framework for Action
• Green transition, climate and resources
• Clean water and soil
• Skills for the future
• Healthy living conditions
• An attractive region, rich in experiences
• Mobility for all
Four cross-cutting themes
• Danish-German and international collaboration
• Knowledge and analyses
• Development throughout the region
• Digitalisation

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Connecting the Regional development strategy with
SDG’s: Prioritize and focus (11 out of 17 SDG’s)
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5. Addressing SDG’s in
the Regional Context
• Translating goals to our context
• Following through to policy and action
• For example our regional development goal: Skills for a sustainable society
• Influenced by SDG 4.7, “By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and
skills needed to promote sustainable development, including, among others,
through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human
rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global
citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to
sustainable development.”
• Initiatives include e.g. programs to fund initiatives in high schools and trade schools
that increase awareness and ability among students (typically ages 16-19)

6. Focusing on our
own stewardship
• The Region of Southern Denmark employs 25,000+ people, run several
hospitals, and funds and manages regional public transportation (buses)
• As an organization we can influence SDG 12 by how we deploy our budget
• 5 Internal steering committees for: Transportation, environment, energy,
finance and purchasing
• E.g.: The purchasing committee focuses on reducing wasteful consumption
but not at the expense of patient safety, health or working conditions
• We also work on more general initiatives to mobilize stakeholders in the
region to join forces with regards to SDG’s

7. Reflections
• How do we…
• Ensure that SDG’s are more than a badge?
• Address conflicting priorities: E.g. cost of services vs. sustainability?
• Overall, our experiences indicate that SDG’s contribute to
• A common language or framework for engaging multiple stakeholders
• New perspectives on existing policies and actions
• Catalyze development of new policies and actions