Fig. 1: Relationships between the Sustainable Development Agenda, Data Revolution, and Localization.

While connections 1, 2, and 3 are well established in the literature and practice (see Table 1), this paper focuses on links 4 and 5, demonstrating the two-pronged roles of the data revolution: to enable the SDGs to provide a framework for local sustainable development policy, and to drive local governments’ targeted focus for local sustainable development outcomes. Note: We use the term ‘local development priorities/policies’ to refer to the existing local development policies (which may or may not be comprehensive or aimed towards sustainable development). It is when they are either explicitly developed keeping sustainable development as an objective or are aligned with the SDG framework, that they are referred to as local sustainable development policies.