Engagement

Participation, interaction and engagement of all stakeholders from the public, private and civil sectors of society are essential for meeting the SDG targets underlying the 17 Sustainable Development Guidelines (SDGs).  All stakeholders must commit to the SDGs, collaborate, cooperate and coordinate collective action for their integration and to realize their shared goals.

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development recognizes the need for inclusive participation and effective stakeholder engagement for the successful implementation of the SDGs.  Stakeholder interaction, awareness and engagement drive the sustainable development and operation of the built environment of communities, regions, and countries.

While governments are ultimately responsible for delivering the SDGs, the realization of the 2030 Agenda necessitates the engagement of all stakeholders.  The SDG framework helps build common cause among decision-makers and service providers and fosters greater engagement and collaboration.

Engaged enablers develop publications, research materials and tools to strengthen stakeholder engagement in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda.  Strategic engagement must envision a path towards SDG contribution by stakeholders and use of similar and interconnected goals and metrics.

Private-sector enablers provide capacity-building opportunities that support knowledge exchange and identify good practices.  Business is the primary source of finance, driver of innovation and technology, and engine of economic growth and employment.

Sustainability relies on a circular economy (CE), which calls for the engagement and collaboration between all public-, private, and civil society stakeholders, including producers, consumers, policymakers and community citizens.  The circular economy is viewed as the optimal pathway to sustainable development and the means to transition to a truly sustainable society.

To make the 2030 Agenda a reality, broad ownership of the SDGs must translate into a strong stakeholder commitment to their implementation.  BuildAction enables the participation, interaction and engagement of the stakeholders in the development of our communities.

Responsibility

Stakeholders must increase their involvement and sense of responsibility to gain broad political support for land-use intervention and protection of living space.  Stakeholder participation influences community decisions and allows for the engagement of the community in decision-making and for stakeholders to exercise their civic responsibility to manage, control and govern the local built environment.

It is primarily the responsibility of local governments to protect the citizens and ecosystem of their communities.  To regulate the development of the built environment and land use, cities integrate sustainability into their plans and implement them through zoning and local building codes.

Local and regional governments are required to identify, respond to and meet the various needs and community services of their people.  Accordingly, they are calling upon their national governments to develop localization policies for sustainable development that promote a bottom-up approach to integrate local priorities in national and regional plans.

Land use must be managed and regulated to mitigate climate change, improve accessibility, enhance competitiveness, restore degraded biospheres, and promote social cohesion.  This includes the planning, monitoring and governance of programs, creating and maintaining organizations in support of these efforts, and evaluating the effects and adjusting goals and programs on an ongoing basis.

To accelerate SDG localization, national governments must urgently implement an enabling framework for subnational governments to meet their devolved responsibilities and the demands of the communities.  The planning mechanisms must also integrate participatory policy-making to meet the needs, rights and priorities of local citizens.

Politicians and government representatives are responsible to protect the environment and prevent the unsustainable and irresponsible use of resources for the development of communities.  To avoid the worst, every tool must be used and every measure taken to reduce carbon emissions and protect our natural resources to prevent the threatened ecological and social-economic catastrophe.

Mobilization

The mobilization of citizens and other stakeholders to take action at the local level is critical for the development and protection of the community.  To participate in the process, public awareness must be raised and complementary action between diverse sectors and stakeholders must be coordinated.

Making causes public and getting broad-based support help to motivate people into action.  The success of community action depends on the effectiveness of public mobilization.

Meetings, discussions and petitions provide interested stakeholders with the opportunity to participate in the development and operation of their communities, direct issues of concern to policymakers, and call for policymaker attention and action.  Media mobilizes public interest in issues concerning the building and use of the local built environment.

Part of strategic planning and action management is the awareness of resources to monitor and control development projects and the use of productive resources to take action.  The knowledge resources and tools facilitate the intended social and political change and collaboration with others who may join forces in taking the appropriate action.

Various open resources cover the policies and governance of the socio-economic transformation of societies at the international, domestic, and local levels.  These include the specific roles of legislation, litigation, national, regional, and local government, and the private sector in these processes.

Surveys enable the general public to participate in governance by mobilizing mass support for a particular policy or action.  Petitioning is a long-established fundamental right of the citizen and the only direct means by which an individual or group can request governments to take action.

BuildAction enables local-level participation in the sustainable development and operation of the communities in which we hold a stake.  The platform provides the resources and tools to communicate, collaborate, cooperate and coordinate the engagement of interested stakeholders and responsible enablers.