To give a brief answer straight away: yes – because a local authority that is neither climate-resilient nor socially resilient will not be able to implement the 2030 Agenda in the long term.
Sustainability means acting today in such a way that future generations can also live well. Put simply, resilience means withstanding crises and adapting to them. Climate resilience describes the ability to anticipate the negative consequences of climate change, to adapt, to withstand stresses and to recover from extreme weather events. Local authorities are the key level of action here – they plan land use, buildings and green spaces. Democratic resilience – that is, the ability to ward off crises and disinformation without compromising fundamental democratic values – is fostered in local communities through participation and education: those who incorporate diverse perspectives into decision-making create processes that enjoy broad support and are therefore more robust.
It was precisely this connection that took centre stage on 30 September 2026 at our networking event and project conclusion for the ‘Globally Sustainable Municipality (GNK) Hesse 2025–2026’ programme at the Hessian Ministry of Agriculture and the Environment in Wiesbaden. We were particularly delighted that the seven project municipalities we supported have either finalised their sustainability strategies or are on the verge of doing so – a milestone we celebrated together with the presentation of certificates of recognition.
The afternoon was themed ‘Municipal Resilience’: through keynote presentations and a fishbowl discussion, the focus was on what climate and democratic resilience actually mean for local authorities – ranging from climate adaptation in the state of Hesse to digital solutions in the ‘Smart Gießener Land’ and citizen participation in Homberg (Efze).
Contact person at IfLS: Hanna Kramer (kramer[at]ifls.de)
