The Catalan government has adopted a National Plan for the 2030 Agenda in Catalonia, in line with an initiative launched by the United Nations in 2015 that sets out 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to be achieved by 2030. The UN resolution adopting the 2030 Agenda encourages governments to tailor the SDGs to the characteristics of each territory. In line with this principle, the National Plan sets out 920 commitments and programme objectives. Eight hundred and ten of these will be implemented in Catalonia, and 110 will have a global impact, strengthening Catalonia's commitment to play its part in achieving the SDGs at the global level. Thirteen government ministries were involved in developing the Plan.

 

The National Plan is a dynamic planning instrument aimed at making public policy more consistent. The document will be available in open data format and will be revised annually to keep it up-to-date until 2030. It is anticipated that in the coming years the Plan will be linked to the Urban Agenda for Catalonia, currently being developed, and the budget of the Government of Catalonia. Channels will also be opened to facilitate the participation of experts and civil society actors through the participatory and consultative bodies of the Government of Catalonia.

 

The National Plan is the culmination of a long and complex work process formally launched in February 2017. Work on the Plan began that year based on a report from the Advisory Council for the Sustainable Development of Catalonia (CADS) entitled The 2030 Agenda: Transforming Catalonia, Improving the World and pilot testing by the Ministry of Territory and Sustainability. The process was interrupted when Catalan self-rule was suspended by the Spanish government, and relaunched in September 2018, culminating in the adoption of the Plan by the Executive Council.

 

The SDGs cover the social, economic and environmental dimensions of sustainability within the framework of five pillars: planet, people, prosperity, peace and partnership. The United Nations adopted the 2030 Agenda in 2015 to address the need for an internationally agreed framework for tackling global challenges. Achieving the SDGs is a responsibility shared among a multitude of actors at the global level, and Catalonia is committed to playing its part as a member of the international community.