Exploring the role of local governments as intermediaries to facilitate partnerships for the Sustainable Development Goals

Abstract

• Partnerships as a key for localizing the Sustainable Development Goals. • Local governments can enhance intermediary roles for partnership with private sectors. • The Sustainable Development Goals recognized as a driver for sustainable transitions. • Balancing the level of public sector's involvement in partnerships. • New intermediaries can be created by local governments. Implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) requires localization and multi-stakeholder partnerships, and local governments have the best potential to act as intermediaries to facilitate partnerships. This study examines how local governments have facilitated partnerships for the SDGs, especially partnerships with private sectors. It focuses on how local governments conducted their intermediary roles from the perspective of sustainable transitions and analyzes Japanese cases. The results of our analysis provide the following suggestions for local governments to enhance their intermediary roles to facilitate partnerships for the SDGs. First, the SDGs should be recognized as a driver of sustainable transitions. Second, there needs a balance in terms of the level of the public sector's involvement in partnerships, so that local governments can maximize the benefits of informal networks in relation to SDG localization. Third, new intermediaries can be created by local governments. The findings of this study contribute to the growing body of literature on SDG localization and partnerships by identifying possible roles and suggestions that local governments can adopt as transition intermediaries.