Germany’s Third Voluntary National Review (VNR) to the HLPF 2025

    Governance Cooperation among all levels: Federation-Länder Exchange on Sustainable Development (BLE NE) and the local level

    In a multi-level federal system, each level of government bears a joint responsibility for achieving the goals of the 2030 Agenda in and with Germany. This requires strong actors at local level, too, because regional states (Länder), towns and cities, municipalities and districts play a key role in implementing the SDGs.

    Prominent political issues with relevance for sustainable development are addressed as appropriate at the level of the Federal Chancellor with the Heads of Government of the Länder, or by the Head of the Federal Chancellery with the Heads of the State and Senate Chancelleries of the Länder.

    The twice-yearly Federation-Länder Exchange on Sustainable Development (BLE NE) provides a forum for regular expert discussion of current issues. The Länder are also actively involved in updates to the German Sustainable Development Strategy by taking part in special sessions at working level, providing written opinions and participating in the Sustainability Forum, an annual dialogue format of the German Government.

    The Regional Hubs for Sustainability Strategies (RENN) were created in 2016 as a regional-level network for sustainable action and social transformation with 16 partners from all of the Länder. Since then, the four hubs (RENN Nord, West, Mitte and Süd) have made an important contribution to linking up sustainability activities at regional level and ensuring a broad impact. From 2025 onwards their activities are brought together by the newly founded organisation RENN e.V.

    Further information

    As at: 17.06.2025