Information dissemination related to the Sustainable Development Goals on German local governmental websites
Aslib Journal of Information Management
ISSN: 2050-3806
Article publication date: 1 April 2019
Issue publication date: 13 June 2019
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate information dissemination related to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on German local governmental websites in metropolitan areas. With the growing importance of urban areas for sustainable development, the Association of German Cities recommended an official commitment to the SDGs of all cities. In this paper, the author analyzes which cities report about their commitment to the SDGs on their governmental websites, what thematic information with regard to the SDGs is published on these websites and the role of partnerships and citizen participation in relation to the SDGs.
Design/methodology/approach
Content analysis of local governmental websites of the 15 largest German cities was conducted in July 2018.
Findings
The SDGs found their way into several German cities and their corresponding governmental websites. The most prevalent topics linked to the SDGs are education, climate protection, fair trade, energy and mobility. The cities have different strategies in informing about the goals. Most cities emphasize the role of citizen participation and partnerships on their websites.
Research limitations/implications
The analysis of websites can only provide a snapshot of reality as the content changes permanently. Further, a limited number of cities were considered which should be expanded in future research.
Originality/value
This study shows examples of German cities raising awareness on the SDGs and demonstrates gaps in doing so. It can help other cities in identifying possibilities and opportunities to deal with the SDGs and raise awareness on them by publishing related information on governmental websites.
Keywords
Citation
Meschede, C. (2019), "Information dissemination related to the Sustainable Development Goals on German local governmental websites", Aslib Journal of Information Management, Vol. 71 No. 3, pp. 440-455. https://doi.org/10.1108/AJIM-08-2018-0195
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2019, Emerald Publishing Limited