Michele Foletti: "Lugano will host a major event to discuss progress on the 2030 Agenda"

What do the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) represent for the City of Lugano and how was the #LuganoSustainable project set up? 

In keeping with federal sustainability policy, the City of Lugano has adopted the principles of sustainable development through the 'Lugano Duemilatrenta' programme guidelines. Every year, numerous projects are designed and implemented in the different departments, with the objective of meeting specific goals. The city's first sustainability report was also presented in 2023 – an important step towards greater transparency and sharing of results. In order to strengthen effectiveness and efficiency in the localisation of the SDGs and to spark synergies within the communal administration, the creation of a centre dedicated to sustainable development became necessary. In this context, #LuganoSostenibile was born, a project launched in 2020 to promote the localisation of the SDGs and spread awareness about sustainable lifestyles among citizens and local actors. 

This project is the first of its kind in Switzerland, isn't it? 

The project was also supported by the Federal Office for Spatial Development (ARE), standing out as one of ten winning projects nationwide. This year, thanks to #LuganoSostenibile and its efforts to promote sustainability, the City of Lugano was invited to participate in the Forum of Mayors at the United Nations in Geneva. It is the second most important global event on sustainable development, right after the one organised for states in New York. 

We often talk about the SDGs at the state level and Switzerland's commitment at the global level to facilitate sustainable development. Can you tell us how cities like Lugano are able to take forward the global challenges of the 2030 Agenda? 

Cities play a key role: they are where most of the population live and where most economic activity is concentrated. They are therefore the real drivers of sustainability, capable of guiding and leading this process at the national level. It is cities that can translate global goals into concrete action on the ground, identifying gaps and challenges and responding with targeted policies to make the 2030 Agenda a local reality. If each community assessed its strengths and weaknesses and implemented improvement measures, the results, when added up, would have an extraordinary impact globally. Everyone, in their own sphere, has an essential role to play: from the individual citizen to the small business, from communal to national administrations. Only with everyone's contribution can we build a more liveable, sustainable and resilient world. 

To what extent are cities like Lugano affected by the many facets of sustainability and the 2030 Agenda? 

All cities are affected by the big global challenges. Indeed, we live in a world where borders don't stop the negative effects of pollution or other phenomena that affect us on a daily basis. Therefore, local action must go hand in hand with cooperation between neighbouring communes and regions, and at the national and transnational levels. As global phenomena affect us every day, being open to joint responses – by those who suffer the consequences and those who benefit from certain dynamics – means improving conditions for all. 

A project carried out by pupils of Lugano's Liceo 1 and Liceo 3 secondary schools reveals how the SDGs unite all generations in addressing the issue of sustainability in Switzerland and around the world. Here too are we harnessing the creativity and ideas of young people? 

The City of Lugano has always encouraged the active participation of citizens in its development through numerous projects. These include workshops on urban culture and design, organised by the communal offices in cooperation with the local secondary schools and the i2a Institute. Such workshops don't exist elsewhere in Switzerland. Each year they address different topics related to sustainable urban development, such as the study on the planning programme for the commune, and the redevelopment of the Cassarate River, to more recent topics such as urban heat islands and sustainable mobility. One of the most noteworthy events revolved around the 'summer islands' project, implemented in one of the hottest parts of the city centre. The space was transformed to offer citizens a welcoming place to stop, relax and cool off during the summer months. 

On 17 October the SDG Flag Day will be held in Lugano. What do you have planned? 

On 17 October, to mark SDG Flag Day 2025, the City of Lugano will host a major event bringing together key Swiss cities to discuss progress on the 2030 Agenda. A first for Switzerland. The event, jointly organised by the City of Lugano, the offices of the Federal Council delegates for the 2030 Agenda, and the Swiss Union of Cities, will be held at the Asilo Ciani. Representatives from the cities of Bern, Biel, Basel, Zurich and Lugano will come together in Lugano, alongside local representatives from business, academia and civil society. With the active participation of pupils from Lugano's Liceo 1 and Liceo 3 secondary schools, they will have a unique opportunity to discuss and consider a shared vision for sustainable, liveable and attractive cities for the future. 

What do you expect from the symposium at the Asilo Ciani in Lugano? 

As the first event of its kind for Swiss cities, we expect a strong call for joint action, an exchange of best practice, and a discussion on current difficulties and the challenges the future may bring. We will be asking ourselves whether what we're already doing is enough and, if not, how much we can still achieve with an eye to future generations. I hope it becomes clear that everyone – cities, academia and business, civil society, as well as cantonal and federal authorities – can and must contribute so that the results are truly meaningful. Because global challenges also affect us locally, and it is precisely by acting locally that we can make the SDGs a reality. 

After Lugano, the SDG flag will continue its circuit, stopping in a different Swiss city each year. The next event will be in Basel, where we will meet to share and compare our latest progress.