Sustainability
"Vaduz 2030" - A good Vaduz for generations
Vaduz has a high quality of location and quality of life. To ensure that this remains the case for future generations, the municipality has developed a sustainability strategy. Representatives from politics and administration, civil society and business were invited to workshops where they were able to contribute ideas and input.
Where do we stand today?
Vaduz is an energy town and has been Liechtenstein's first fair trade town since October 2020. However, selective sustainability is not yet sustainable enough. For this reason, Vaduz has been addressing this topic and its importance for the day-to-day activities of a municipality for some time. Numerous projects are based on the idea of sustainability:
- Vaduz is an energy town
- Vaduz is a Fair Trade Town
- "Vadozner Huus" Städtle 14
- Local bus and local cab Vaduz
- "Vadoz hums" - project to promote biodiversity
- Fruit tree campaign
- "Vadoz makes you fit" - project to support health
- Nutrition field - VBO project with the support of the municipality of Vaduz
- Solar power share certificate - project to promote solar power
- Pick-up and drop-off days - reusing instead of throwing away
Where do we want to go?
The municipal council wants to tackle global challenges strategically and has committed itself to the UN 2030 Agenda. The sustainability goals set out therein, which Liechtenstein has committed to implementing, provide the framework. There are 17 Sustainable Development Goals, or SDGs for short, which set out the vision of a sustainable community and include environmental as well as social and economic goals.
How do we get there?
The project group, consisting of members of the municipal council, the municipal administration and the Center for Municipalities at the University of Applied Sciences Eastern Switzerland (OST), has set up a process that will result in a sustainability strategy that will form the framework for action and reference for the various activities and decisions in Vaduz in the future.
Above all, the municipal council wants to develop a common understanding of sustainability at municipal level and is therefore reliant on the support and assistance of residents and local businesses. Representatives from the areas of politics, business and civil society will be able to contribute their ideas and suggestions in four workshops.
These inputs will then be summarized and incorporated into the "Vaduz 2030" sustainability strategy. It is intended to be a jointly defined framework for action and reference for a wide range of activities and decisions in Vaduz. Regardless of the topic, the right questions regarding sustainability should always be asked and the answers critically scrutinized.
What is sustainability?
It is important that we develop a common understanding of sustainability. This forms the basis for a transformation towards a sustainable society. It is therefore also important for the municipality to get residents and the local economy on board so that we can set a sustainable course together and live sustainably. Everyone can and should make a contribution.
What can a municipality like Vaduz do?
With the SDGs, the 2030 Agenda offers a vision and a framework for action that the municipality, i.e. politics, business and society, can use as a long-term guide to tackle the challenges.
Sustainable development works when it is perceived as a "joint task in different roles" and when a joint dialog takes place with a wide range of stakeholders. This allows a common framework for action to be developed. This is what the municipality of Vaduz is doing by developing a sustainability strategy.
Sustainable development works when future political, but also economic and civil society decisions are made with a balance in favor of sustainability.
With a sustainability strategy, Vaduz can define sustainability indicators and measure sustainability accordingly. The municipality's mission statement needs to be reviewed and adapted. Laws and regulations should also be reviewed for sustainability.
The municipality of Vaduz is leading by example, offering very specific support for economic and civic concerns and is committed to networking committed people and companies, promoting projects, but also demanding sustainability.
What can each and every one of us do?
It is often said that everyone can do something to achieve the sustainability goals. However, it is not so easy to give a concrete answer to this question. Various surveys and studies show that in the end it all comes down to collective action. Everyone is needed, but together we are stronger. The first step could be to take part in a joint dialog on sustainability or to get involved in a project.
