The new Asker municipality (1) has formally decided to utilise the United Nations’ 17 sustainable development goals as a framework for the development of the municipal master plan. The work has started, both politically and administratively. By 2020 new Asker will have localised the SDGs.

The preliminary agreement (treaty of intention) between the three municipalities (Asker, Røyken, and Hurum) that from 2020 will make up ‘Asker municipality’, highlights that the UN’s 17 SDGs and their 169 sub-goals will be implemented as a an overarching framework for the design and development of a new municipal master plan and planning strategy. This is further formalised through the project mandate for sub-project “A/P1 Municipal plan”:

“The UN’s sustainable development goals shall be utilised as a framework for local development and included in the design of planning programs and the municipal master plan for new Asker”

A political sub-group for the SDGs has been created within the abovementioned A/P1-project. The sub-group has started its work on developing a suitable methodology for the inclusion of the SDGs in the planning processes of new Asker. The SDG sub-group is one of three sub-groups working specifically on municipal planning processes for the new municipality. The project groups and sub-groups answer to the Joint Executive Council. The Joint Executive Council, comprised of three politicians from each of the three current municipal councils and led by Lene Conradi, has the formal responsibility and is the highest decision-making authority in the work on constructing the new Asker municipality.

General time-frame for localising the SDGs in new Asker:

• Autumn 2017: Establish methodology that will facilitate the attainment of SDG goals and sub-goals in, and through, future municipal plan and planning strategies
• Spring 2018: Coordination and hearing
• 2018: Work on the Planning Programs for new Asker municipal master plan
• 2019: Work on the social section (2) of the municipal master plan, including the implementation of the SDGs
• 2020: The municipal master plan’s social section is adopted.

(1) Asker is merging with Røyken and Hurum – from 01.01.2020 this new larger municipality will be in effect, and will be known as Asker. Until then we refer to this future municipality as ‘new Asker’.
2 The municipal master plan is comprised of two main sections – a social section, and ‘physical’ section.