October 5, 2022
Located in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area, the City of Mafra, Portugal, was awarded on September 5th the SDG Cities Silver Certificate recognizing the city’s commitment to meet the SDGs.
The Municipality of Mafra has prioritised the implementation of the Agenda 2030 and the achievement of the SDGs. To develop a local strategy aligned with the 17 SDGs and 169 respective targets, the city chose to collaborate directly with UN-Habitat by signing a letter of intent to join the SDG Cities programme.
The implementation of the programme aims to support the creation of this local strategy, Mafra Mais Sustentável (Mafra More Sustainable).
The city already stands out for its sustainable initiatives and projects. Indeed, Mafra is part of the Portuguese Network of municipalities for local adaptation to climate change, of the CESOP-Local Observatory for Sustainable Territories and is certified as a sustainable tourism destination.
Receiving the SDG Cities Silver Certificate, Mafra is at the forefront of European and global cities showing interest in implementing the SDGs in their cities through SDG Cities. The Letter of Intent signed by the City of Mafra and UN-Habitat is the first step in the collaboration between the two entities to make cities more sustainable and improve quality of life for all.
The city’s commitment to the SDGs is also reflected through various actions, some including youth.
The Portuguese municipalities of Mafra, Braga, Loulé, the Mozambican city of Quelimane, the Lisbon Metropolitan Area, the Commission for Regional Development and Coordination of Lisbon and Tagus Valley, and the Catholic University of Portugal have indicated their intention to develop a joint action plan within the scope of the project SDG Localization Regional Labs and Global Hub.