"Tallinn 2035" strategy presented at the UN Sustainable Goals Summit

The 2023 United Nations Sustainable Development Summit took place on September 18-19 in New York, focusing on discussions about the action plan for achieving Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 and the current progress of its implementation. Prior to the event, discussions were held with representatives from various cities, during which Deputy Mayor Tiit Terik introduced Tallinn's Development Strategy, "Tallinn 2035," and discussed other initiatives.

According to Tiit Terik, countries and cities are increasingly dedicated to Sustainable Development Goals, starting from reducing inequality and promoting gender equality, and ending with sustainable consumption and production. "The 'Tallinn 2035' Development Strategy largely aligns with the goals set by the United Nations. While each municipality faces its own challenges, it is crucial to have the ability to create a strategy and possess the knowledge in order to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals," said the Deputy Mayor.

In his presentation, Terik emphasized that nearly 65 percent of achieving the set goals depends on the activity of local governments and cited examples in Tallinn such as becoming the European Green Capital, participatory budget, and citizen assembly. "Enforcing political decisions made at the central government level is not possible without active participation from cities and municipalities, as well as the desire of citizens to implement changes,"said the Deputy Mayor.

The United Nations expects all member states to align their policies and actions with Sustainable Development Goals until 2030. In Estonia, these goals are being enforced under the long-term strategy "Estonia 2035," which is also reflected in the "Tallinn 2035" Development Strategy.

For more information on the United Nations Sustainable Development Summit, please visit
www.un.org/en/conferences/SDGSummit2023.