Sustainable development is locally, regionally and globally occurring guided and ongoing social change that aims to secure good living conditions to current and future generations. The environment, economy and individuals are taken equally into account in operations and decision-making. For sustainable development to come through, it requires the effort of all the city employees, decision-makers and citizens.
In Lahti, sustainable development is considered in all operations. Sustainable mobility by walking, biking or public transport works smoothly. Sustainable procurements and circular economy are part of the daily life. The state and programmes of the environment are monitored by various indicators. The urban environment is clean and welcoming. In Lahti, the citizens can make sustainable choices effortlessly.
2030 Agenda
The UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was approved at a presidential level in the UN Sustainable Development Summit 2015. The objective is to end extreme poverty in the world and secure environmental well-being in a sustainable way. The Agenda applies to all countries in the world and is a politically binding document to the countries. The Agenda is monitored by the agreed UN indicators, of which there are around 240. The purpose is primarily to provide a global and regional overview.
Finland has been one of the pioneers in implementing the 2030 Agenda. The Finnish Government’s implementation plan for the 2030 Agenda was completed in early 2017. The national implementation focus areas are “A carbon-neutral and resource-wise Finland” and “A non-discriminating, equal and competent Finland”. Finland was one of the first countries to report about its plans to implement the 2030 Agenda in the UN High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development.