Sustainable development – from strategy to practice
The City of Espoo participated in a European network project to test how sustainable development strategies can be implemented in practice through the city’s administration and organisational culture. The experiences gained can be applied in public administration both nationally and internationally.
Sustainable development is a broad concept that, in addition to environmental sustainability, also includes economic, social and cultural sustainability. How can a city organisation ensure that the responsibilities related to these areas move from paper to practice?
During the two-and-a-half-year project, the City of Espoo tested and developed new ways to promote the different aspects of sustainability in everyday work and public services. For sustainable development to be realised in everyday work, it must be consistently integrated into both guiding administrative structures and the organisational culture.
“Everything starts with sustainability being embedded in guiding documents, such as the strategy. After that, however, it is important to support implementation. Goals do not automatically translate into action without systematic support and tools,” says Senior Specialist Suvi Jäntti from the City of Espoo.
The project developed ways to strengthen the integration of sustainable development into the city’s strategic management, operating models, and decision-making processes. This was achieved, among other things, through improved use of information and project management, as well as by providing sustainability training for staff. Overall, the project reinforced the idea that sustainability is not a separate theme, but something every city employee contributes to through their daily work.
The lessons learned from the project were compiled into an English-language guide, which describes concrete measures for incorporating sustainability perspectives across different sectors and in the everyday operations of the city. You can find it at the bottom of the page.
These development efforts support the City of Espoo’s long-term sustainability goals, including carbon neutrality, social sustainability, and economically responsible urban development. At the same time, they strengthen staff competence and foster a shared understanding of the importance of sustainable development as part of city management. The project’s outcomes provide Espoo with an even stronger foundation for sustainable, effective and transparent management of sustainability work.
The development work was carried out as part of the European Urbact CSG project, in which nine European cities, led by Espoo, developed solutions for integrating holistic sustainability more closely into city administration and operations. URBACT IV (2021–2027) is an EU-funded programme for interregional cooperation aimed at integrated and sustainable urban development around various themes.
Further information
Suvi Jäntti, Senior Specialist, tel. +358 40 5794840, suvi.jantti@espoo.fi
Read more: Espoo wants to integrate sustainability into everything it does
See also: Publication describing the project’s network-level work(external link, opens in a new window)