A message from Katrin Stjernfeldt Jammeh – ICLEI President and Mayor of Malmö:
Dear readers,
We are excited to share with you the first edition of ICLEI’s brand new newsletter specifically dedicated to equitable development in cities and regions. You can subscribe for future editions here.
Prioritizing equity in local policymaking builds trust, improves public outcomes, and supports long-term environmental, social and economic well-being for everyone. Fostering inclusive, just, and thriving communities has been an essential focus throughout the ICLEI network. In 2018, we established equitable development as one of the key strategic priorities of ICLEI’s sustainability concept as part of our five sustainable development pathways.
Through the stories shared here, we are keen to explore how our cities, towns and regions are putting equitable development at the heart of their sustainable development.
We see fair access to resources and services, participatory governance with a focus on including underrepresented voices, and fair economic opportunities for all backgrounds and skill-sets as key aspects of truly equitable development. Equitable development is built on the recognition of injustices, rights and responsibilities, while embracing and fostering diverse capabilities, social networks, and local heritage and culture.
What does equitable development mean in practice? In my city, Malmö, a key focus and guiding priority is to ensure affordability of goods and services for all our residents. Since we created the Malmö Commitment on Inclusive and Equitable Communities in 2022, we have been inspired by this global community of cities and regions in addressing specific challenges around affordable housing, sustainable and healthy food, and inclusive economic opportunities.
We are working closely with our municipal housing agency on different measures for increased access to affordable housing for all. We are also using our planning monopoly and land allocation policy as tools in this regard. Simultaneously, we are working actively together with different stakeholders on providing energy efficient and climate-friendly buildings in new as well as existing residential areas in the city. Furthermore, we are working on sustainable food for all with focus on organic public school meals and by reducing the amount of food waste. At the same time, we are supporting circular and sharing economy initiatives that support local livelihoods and provide perspectives especially for young people in Malmö.
The Malmö Commitment aims to align subnational climate mitigation efforts with social equity priorities, with a special focus on addressing challenges like fair and equitable resource distribution and benefits allocation while continuing to pursue greenhouse gas reduction goals.
Even as we make the necessary societal transformation towards more sustainable and climate-friendly systems, we must ensure that this transformation does not contribute to widening social gaps and increasing polarization. That is why it is important to bring together all members of our societies to create a shared vision where everyone has a place.
In solidarity,
Katrin Stjernfeldt Jammeh
Mayor of Malmö
ICLEI President
Subscribe to the Equitable Development newsletter here.
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