United States’ Stance toward United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals:

Abstract

This dissertation examines the role of New York City in implementing locally the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) within the background of an uneven U.S. federal response. While the SDGs were adopted as a universal framework in 2015, their implementation depends heavily on national and subnational governance. The U.S. federal government has shown inconsistent engagement across administrations, lacking a coordinated national strategy. In contrast, New York City has positioned itself as a global leader in SDG localization, notably becoming the first city to submit a Voluntary Local Review (VLR) to the UN in 2018. Through initiatives like OneNYC 2050, NYC has aligned its policy goals with the SDGs, offering a valuable case study of urban leadership in global sustainability governance. Using a qualitative case study methodology, including content analysis and data from stakeholder interviews, this research explores the extent to which NYC’s engagement with the SDGs reflects, complements, or challenges the broader federal stance. The study contributes to discussions on multilevel governance, policy transfer, and the potential of cities to drive global sustainability efforts in the absence of strong national coordination