The for Sustainable Development

The Voluntary Local Review of the Metropolitan City of Messina represents the starting point for a collective renewal and employment towards sustainable development in the metropolitan area. The elaboration of the VLR allowed for a comprehensive program before proceeding with medium-term planning for sustainable development required by the Metropolitan Agenda 2030. In addition, the "Strategic Plan 2030" and other planning tools take into account the main dimensions of social, economic and environmental sustainable development despite the fact that the United Nations 2030 Agenda was not used directly as a framework for the adopted plans. The Metropolitan City of Messina, at conclusion 3 of Strategic process, is preparing to share what has been analyzed, collected and systematized to guide the development projects that will involve Municipalities of in the next years. Specifically, the will strengths and minimize critical issues, with the ultimate aim of eradicating them. It focuses 8 System Actions, containers of planning which, albeit related to different areas, as a whole to Mend diversity for a cohesive community towards a sustainable future.


Introduction
The Metropolitan City of Messina signed on 28/11/2019 a collaboration agreement with the Ministry of the Environment and the Protection of the Territory and the Sea, now the Ministry of Ecological Transition, has undertaken to define its own Metropolitan Agenda for Development Sustainable in order to direct its strategic choices towards sustainable development based on characteristics and the priorities of the Messina metropolitan area.
The Ministry of the Environment and the Protection of the Territory and the Sea, to collaborate with metropolitan cities to define coherent strategic tools capable of contributing to the realization of the objectives of the regional strategies for sustainable development in the implementation of the National Strategy for Sustainable Development, published on the institutional website, section Call sand notices, on 07/30/2019 with deadline 09/30/2019, a "Public notice addressed to metropolitan cities for the presentation of expressions of interest for activities referred to in 'art. 34 of the legislative decree n. 152/2006 and subsequent amendments". Following the publication of the above Notice, the Metropolitan City of Messina presented, signed by the Metropolitan Mayor, an expression of interest in the candidature for the stipulation of a collaboration agreement for the implementation of activities pursuant to art. 34 of Legislative Decree, n. 152/2006 presenting the project called "Messina, Sustainable Metropolitan City". The DDG n. 511 of 02/12/2019 of the Ministry of the Environment and the Protection of the Territory and the Sea, approved and implemented the collaboration agreement signed with digital signature between the MATTM -General Directorate for Sustainable Development and the Metropolitan City of Messina for the realization of the project called "Messina, Sustainable Metropolitan City".

Territorial framework
The territory of the Metropolitan City of Messina covers an area of 3,266.12 km2 with a population of about 600,000 and a density of 183.7 inhabitants/km2, established by Regional Law No. 15 of August 4, 2015, which simultaneously abolished the Regional Province of Messina, with which its territory coincides.
It is bordered to the north by the Tyrrhenian Sea, to the east by the Ionian Sea, to the south by the Metropolitan City of Catania and the Free Consortium of Enna, and to the west by the Metropolitan City of Palermo.
Its territory consists of 108 municipalities, is separated from Calabria by the Strait of Messina and includes the Aeolian Islands archipelago, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is an action program for people, the planet and prosperity signed in September 2015 by the governments of the 193 UN member countries (A/RES/70/1). It incorporates 17 Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs-into a large action program for a total of 169 'targets' or milestones. The official launch of the Sustainable Development Goals coincided with the beginning of 2016, guiding the world on the way to go over the next 15 years: the countries, in fact, are committed to achieving them by 2030. The Development Goals follow up on the results of the Millennium Development Goals that preceded them, and represent common goals on a set of important development issues: the fight against poverty, the eradication of hunger and the fight against climate change, to name but a few. 'Common goals' means that they concern all countries and all individuals: no one is excluded, nor should they be left behind on the path necessary to lead the world on the path of sustainability.

The National Strategy for Sustainable Development
The premise of the National Strategy for Sustainable Development (SNSvS) 2017-2030 somehow contains the aims: "Define a strategic program for the country, a common vision that initiates a structural path of reforms capable of addressing environmental, economic and still unresolved social issues, is a crucial need to lay the foundations for a sustainable future for Italy ".
In recent years, central administrations, Regions, Metropolitan Cities, civil society, the world of research have, in fact, worked on the document to define a shared path of sustainability, understood in the broadest sense. The result is a set of objectives and possible measures with which we will try to stimulate economic growth by reconciling it with environmental and social needs. The SNSvS builds on the update of the previous "Environmental action strategy for sustainable development in Italy 2002-2010", but obviously expands its range of action, integrating the objectives contained in the United Nations 2030 Agenda. It defines itself as "the main tool for creating a new circular economic model, with low CO 2 emissions, resilient to climate change and other global changes".
To steer the efforts of this economic-environmental transition in the right direction, the Sustainable Development Strategy defines 5 areas of intervention: People, Planet, Prosperity, Peace, Partnership, each of which is composed of a system of strategic choices expressed in national objectives . Where possible, objective values have been associated with each of the strategic choices and objectives, identified in existing policies, strategies, programs or standards at national, community and international level. From this incipit, it therefore appears evident that the SNSvS constitutes the national reference framework for the planning, programming and evaluation processes of an environmental and territorial type, in implementation with the provisions of art. 34 of Legislative Decree. 152/2006 and subsequent amendments On the basis of the same article, the Ministry supports the Regions, the Autonomous Provinces and the Metropolitan Cities in the territorial declination of the SNSvS, defining their own sustainability strategies. As established by the Ministry, therefore, to ensure the widest involvement of civil society, the Forum for Sustainable Development was established, which inspired by the principle of inclusion as a key and essential element of the 2030 Agenda is intended as a space open to civil society and experts in various subjects, with multilevel consultations.
The general objective of the Forum is to accompany the implementation of the SNSvS and the 2030 Agenda through the active contribution of the actors who promote actions and policies in favor of sustainability.
Specifically, the purposes can be declined in the following points: • support for the evaluetion of the implementation of the National Strategy and operational indications for the treatment of critical issues encountered, taking into account the monitoring platform of the SDGs prepared by ISTAT (ISTAT SISTAN SDGs platform); • three-year updating and reprogramming of the National Strategy; • elaboration of recommendations, suggestions and opinions on how to qualify the impacts of the Strategy on public policies, according to the method indicated by the OECD in the Partnership on "Policy Coherence for Sustainable Development"; • promotion of education for sustainable development, with particular attention to the construction of listening and interaction paths for the younger generations; • dissemination of the contents of the Strategy; • support for the exchange of information, mutual knowledge and networking between sustainability actors; • elaboration of a positioning document of the Forum as its own contribution in preparing the national positions for the main European and international negotiation processes on sustainable development; • relationship with the activities of the fora activated by the Regions for the elaboration and implementation of their own sustainable development strategies. (Source Ministry of Ecological Transition)

Regional Strategies, Agendas and the Metropolitan Strategic Plans and the tools of planning of municipalities in Italy
The greatest impetus for the territorialization of the SDGs in our country, which sees numerous interesting experiences also in small and medium-sized cities and local communities, came with the Notices of Expression of Interest from the Ministry of the Environment. Two were published addressed to the Regions (3 August 2018 for 4 million euros and 30 July 2019 for 4.2 million euros) to elaborate their own regional strategies for sustainable development (SRSvS) and one aimed at metropolitan cities (30 July 2019 for 2.5 million euros) for their Agendas for sustainable development. Both the regional Strategies and the Metropolitan Agendas must be placed within the SNSvS approved with the CIPE resolution of 22 December 2017, lasting three years and now being updated. On 8 June 2017, the Mayors of Metropolitan Cities had signed the Bologna Charter for the Environment which also provided for the preparation of Agendas and following which only the Metropolitan City of Bologna had done so. Strategic Plans are another important tool of Metropolitan Cities which place particular emphasis on the SDGs. For the Law n. 56 of 2014, the Metropolitan Strategic Plans constitute "(...) an act of guidance for the body and for the exercise of the functions of the Municipalities and Unions of Municipalities". Finally, all municipalities, even those of small and very small size, have by law a single programming document (DUP) by law which contains the guidelines and operating methods of the body starting from those of a financial nature.

Towards the Metropolitan Agenda for Sustainable Development (AMSvS) of the Metropolitan City of Messina
The Metropolitan Agenda is a tool for the sustainable development of the Metropolitan City of Messina and its territory to be built in a participatory manner according to the principles of bottom-up governance. As established by the framework agreements, the newly established Agenda refers to the objectives of the 2030 Agenda, to the SNSvS and must make a contribution to the realization of the objectives of the SRSvS of the Sicily Region, still under construction. The agenda aim is to identify policies, strategies and lines of action that address, in a coherent and integrated way, the 3 dimensions of sustainability (social, environmental and economic) and whose definition and implementation the territories and local stakeholders contribute to. According to the activity and actions of the Control Room and the Technical Table, the intention is to create an instrument for the sustainable development of the territory that satisfies the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to satisfy their own needs. How? By harmonizing three fundamental elements at the basis of every action for green-oriented political governance, namely: economic growth, social inclusion and environmental protection. Similar assessments are also valid for the gender employment gap. Six Targets have a negative rating because the records a deviation from the goal.
In the last five years, the rate of injuries in road accidents has increased by 21.3%, the share of university graduates has fallen by 2.6 percentage points, and the efficiency of the water system has decreased by 21.2 percentage points.
The per capita production of urban waste, on the other hand, shows a negative trend in the long term, as it increases by 2.2%.
As regards the labor market, the employment rate and the share of NEETs (Young people Neither in Employment or in Education or Training -young people who do not study and do not work) have a negative trend both in the short and in the long term.
There is a discordant assessment between the short and long term for two Targets.
The number of per capita places-km offered by LPT in the last five years has increased by 60.2% but in the last 15 years it has decreased by 22.3%.
The opposite phenomenon is found for air quality which in the short term is stable and does not approach the target, while in the long term it shows a consistent positive trend.
Let's say that we are faced with a situation that generally concerns all the Regions of the South but also some realities of Northern Italy.
Therefore, also the Metropolitan City of Messina and its action falls within the average of the development policies of the Metropolitan Cities to achieve the objectives of the 2030 Agenda.

Territorial governance
Almost a year after the publication of the first report "Towards the Metropolitan Agenda for the Sustainable Development of the Metropolitan City of Messina and its territory" in which the foundations were laid for the construction of a sustainable development model of the Metropolitan City of Messina and its territory in a participatory manner according to the principle of bottom-up governance and so as established by the framework agreements with reference to the objectives of the 2030 Agenda, the SNSvS and the SRSvS, aiming to identify policies, strategies and lines of action that address, in a coherent and integrated way, the 3 dimensions of sustainability (social, environmental and economic) and the definition and implementation of which the territories and local stakeholders contributed, the work started in 2021 was deepened and updated to make available to decisionmakers and of the general public a tool which, through the activities and actions carried out in recent months, measures and monitors the impact and effectiveness of the actions taken by the metropolitan city, urban areas, municipalities and territories in general in favor of sustainability and with respect to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda.
This activity was developed in line with the activities envisaged by the collaboration agreement with the MiTE that guide the construction of the Metropolitan Agendas for sustainable development, favoring both the integration of policies and planning and programming tools (Metropolitan Strategic Plan (PSM), Urban Sustainable Mobility Plan (PUMS), Integrated Urban Plan (PUI), Single Programming Document (DUP), both within the same institutional level (between the structures of the Metropolitan City) and in integration and coordination between the different institutional levels, between the Metropolitan City and local institutions.
In particular, after the first phase of study of the state of the art of policies and strategies in the field of sustainable development of the Metropolitan City of Messina, the definition and construction of the Actions of the Metropolitan Agenda was developed according to definition of the governance structures of the Metropolitan Agenda for sustainable development or through the methods of consultation and connection with the ongoing Metropolitan Strategic Plan.
The first step in this direction was represented by the establishment of an institutional control room that guided and coordinated the entire process of building Agenda. To this end, it has included the representatives and experts for sustainable development of the Metropolitan City for activities that pertain to all dimensions of sustainable development (environmental, social and economic), with the aim of disseminating, within the body, awareness and knowledge on sustainability issues and orienting the various sector policies and governance tools of the Metropolitan territory towards sustainable development goals. At the same time, the control room, in addition to presiding over the definition activities of the Agenda contents, ensuder integration with the Strategic Plan and the other programming and planning tools in place and in programming of the CM Me and also represented the place within which to guarantee the monitoring of the activities carried out to date, the achievement of sustainability objectives in the metropolitan area, the progress of the work and the implementation programs of the Agenda as well as put in place all those support and planning strategies for the achievement of the project goals. The control room itself also promoted the link between the process of elaboration, discussion, implementation and implementation of the specific actions of the AMSvS and the process of defining the strategy for the sustainable development of the reference territory.

1.The metropolitan controlroom
With the Trade Union Decree no. 50 of 03/03/2020 the Control Room was established for the preparation of the Metropolitan Agenda for Sustainable Development.

IMAGE 2 -Structure and functioning of the control room
The starting action for the drafting of the AMSvS was attributed to the adoption by the Metropolitan Mayor of the decree establishing the control room. It was envisaged through the establishment of two tables, an Institutional Table and a Technical Table, the latter coordinated by the Environment Department. The Institutional Table was chaired by the Metropolitan Mayor and was made up of representatives of the Institutional Bodies (Institutional Cabinet of the Metropolitan Mayor, Metropolitan Council / Extraordinary Commissioner and General Secretariat) who influenced and determined the choices to be adopted for the definition of the AMSvS. Some representatives of the Technical Table also took part in the table. This represented the representative body of the process actors and of the widespread partnership. It had the task of animating the socio-political and socioeconomic components, of interacting with political, scientific and research institutions, with the coordination tables organized by the MiTE, of verifying consent and legitimizing the process. In conjunction with the Technical Roundtable, he also defined the aspects on the methodology and strategies of the AMSvS training and information awareness campaign. The Technical Table, with staff from the Metropolitan City and with external experts, performed the functions of the Technical and Operational Secretariat of the AMSvS set up at the Environment Department and took care of the production and processing of all documentation including the preliminary examination on the state the current art of programming, planning and all the tools in charge of each Office or Direction involved in defining the strategy, with reference to their cogency and/or influence with respect to the 5 areas identified in the SNSvS. In agreement with the Institutional Table, it has developed and managed themes and phases of animation and dissemination of issues of territorial interest and formulated the definitive drafting of the Agenda which will be approved by the Metropolitan Mayor's Decree.

Multilevel territorial governance
The phase of involvement of local institutions has actually started the verification procedure and the effectiveness of the territorial laboratory extended to the entire community. It represented the first operational phase of the AMSvS structuring process within which: • the strategy and methodology of consultation was implemented through the joint work between the Institutional and Technical Committee; • the training and information processes of the personnel responsible for the construction and management of the implementation tools of the AMSvS were consolidated; • workshops have started for the involvement of local authorities.
The activities contemplated in this phase included the following activities: • launch of the territorial verification procedures and methods; • dissemination of information material; • newsletter; videos and commercials; • sharing of questionnaires, forms, and vademecum of the AMSvS and of sustainable behavior.
The action took place with the transfer of information material to support the information on the tools used and the time schedule, with the aim of preparing the work of consultation and sharing on a consolidated basis of knowledge on the issues to be addressed. An important role was played by the website dedicated to AMSvS where all the information on the project was reported.

Comparison table between MiTE and Metropolitan Cities
For an effective implementation of the strategic objectives of the SNSvS, the Ministry considered the involvement and coordinated action of all territorial levels to be fundamental. Metropolitan Cities represent that intermediate level, in terms of size and extension, useful for experimenting an involvement that takes into account the needs of citizens and makes concrete the impact at the local level of the provisions of the ambitious objectives of the 2030 Agenda and the SNSvS. The Ministry of Ecological Transition, starting from 2019, has launched a path of collaboration and support to Metropolitan Cities, through forms of financial and technical support already operational with the Regions and Autonomous Provinces, aimed at defining and implementing metropolitan Agendas for the sustainable development: collaboration agreements; the establishment of an institutional discussion table; support activities within the CReIAMO PA Project, funded by the PON Governance and Institutional Capacity Program 2014-2020. In this context, the Ministry has activated a collaboration with ANCI which has supported the metropolitan cities as part of the Strategic Metropolis project in order to create synergies between the two paths. .

IMAGE 6 -Webinar comparison table
The comparison table represents the place for the exchange of experiences and methodological comparison functional to the implementation of the SNSvS and the elaboration and future implementation of the SRSvS and the metropolitan Agendas.
It was born with the regions in response to the request of the Permanent Conference for relations between the State, the Regions and the Autonomous Provinces of Trento and Bolzano -Interinstitutional table and, in the light of the positive results of the collaboration established, the MiTE has extended the same method of involvement in metropolitan cities, with a twofold objective: • refinement of the contents of the current SNSvS document, with particular reference to target and their adaptation to the Italianreality; • activation and stimulation of collaboration between institutions as a working method (vertical andhorizontal) • identification of coordination actions to ensure the alignment of programming tools with the national strategy, which while necessarily taking into account the specific needs of individual territories, guarantees the development of highly interconnected strategies, national and regional plans, promoting their coherence internal To learn more about the operating methods through which each Metropolitan City is defining its own Metropolitan Agenda for Sustainable Development, it is possible to consult the Report created by the Ministry in May 2020 and the interactive map of the Metropolitan Cities.

Active involvement of local authorities
Collaboration with institutions and common knowledge, transversal areas of the Strategy, were among the fundamental levers to initiate, guide, manage and monitor the integration of sustainability in the Agenda project.
It represented the start of the activities planned to reach the definition of the objectives of the strategy. The Control Room, on the basis of the documents received from local institutions, have identified the relevant working groups, formed by the representatives of the control room with the support of external experts from TPS Pro Srl and MG Communication, who, through specific moments for comparison, they formulated a sharing proposal to be brought to the larger table, that of the Forum (Action B1.) and to the table with civil society (Action B.2). With local institutions it was felt It was considered useful to engage in dialogue with local institutions through the applications and information technologies dedicated to the project, not being able to carry it out even through direct confrontation for the pandemic emergency. In fact, it was planned to hold at least three meetings for homogeneous territorial areas. The territorial areas of the local area are believed to be useful in order not to discourage interest in the procedure given the distances and viability that characterize our metropolitan territory and at the same time assume a role of territorial cohesion for the proposals that will be formalized. This obstacle has been overcome with the realization of telematic meetings.
In concrete terms, the action took place through the dissemination of documents and reports made by the Technical Table of the Control Room published on the dedicated website and thanks to the meetings of the Metropolitan Forum with reference to the 6 areas of interest of the 2030 Agenda and the National Forum, related to the territoriality and planning and management of the Municipalities of the metropolitan area. The 6 meetings were promoted through the dedicated portal which allowed knowledge, registration, participation and the ability to download video recordings of the meetings and related reports.

Territorial strategies as reference frameworks for policy coherence
Policy coherence for development aims to minimize contradictions and create synergies between different EU policies for the benefit of developing countries and to increase the effectiveness of development cooperation. It integrates the economic, social and environmental aspects of sustainable development at all levels of policymaking. It was introduced into EU fundamental law in 1992 with the Maastricht Treaty and was legally strengthened by the Lisbon Treaty in 2009. The "Policy coherence for sustainable development: mainstreaming the SDGs in Italian decision making process to enforce the paradigm shift" ( Table, the Forum for Sustainable Development, involving the central and territorial administrations, agencies, research centers, civil society organizations and non-state actors. The project investigates the coherence of existing instruments, bodies, national governance reforms with the objectives of sustainable development and intends to provide, as an overall result, proposals and recommendations capable of guiding a coherent and effective approach to achieving the sustainable development goals in the Italian decision-making process, thus defining a National Action Plan for Policy Coherence for Sustainable Development (PCSD).

Accompanying paths for policy coherence
To support the process of elaboration of the Strategic Plan and the AMSvS, the Metropolitan City of Messina has involved the metropolitan municipalities in the design of the various metropolitan plans trying to provide a common vision. For the activities of involving local institutions and civil society, the Metropolitan City of Messina has entrusted assignments through public notice of interest to study and research companies: TPS Pro S.r.l., LattanzioKibs S.p.A., MG Communications by Marco Giacponello.

2.Processes of alignment with other programming and evaluation tools
The Metropolitan City of Messina, from 2019 to date, has been committed to adopting new planning tools: Metropolitan Strategic Plan (PSM), Urban Sustainable Mobility Plan (PUMS), Integrated Urban Plan (PUI). At the same time, the Metropolitan Agenda for Sustainable Development should not be seen as an additional plan but as an integrated reading of existing plans. From the elaboration of the various laboratories, carried out with the formula of focus on key questions, it emerged the need to interconnect territorial areas, production sectors and stakeholders to mend the diversity of territories and to improve the quality of life, social cohesion and inclusiveness, activating a cohesive community towards a future. In addition, for the sustainability of public policies, two workshops were organized in which mayors and technicians of the municipalities and stakeholders concerned on reforestation and PNRR took part.

Areas of innovation and the role of research in support of sustainability policies
For the definition of the contents of the AMSvS and for the design and activation of integrated pilot actions, the Metropolitan City of Messina has signed an agreement pursuant to art. 15 Law 7 August 1990, n. 241 and subsequent amendments and ii. with the University of Messina. The University will provide the activities of analysis, study, accompaniment for the coherence of plans, programs, planning and the definition of training paths, studies and accompaniment of behavioural change, lifestyles and methodological approaches to the decision-making and operational processes of public administration for sustainable development. The Metropolitan City of Messina has also asked the collaboration of the Metropolitan City of Milan for the reuse of DataLab, a dashboard for the analysis and monitoring of the indicators of the Sustainable Development Goals linked to the objectives and targets of the Sustainable Metropolitan Agenda and for the programming of future common actions.

Participation and promotion of a culture for sustainability
Sustainability is not a purely environmental issue. Six years after the signing of the 2030 Agenda, awareness in civil society, the business world, administrations and public opinion is growing more and more about the need to adopt a collaborative approach and concrete measures to face an important change of socio-economic paradigm towards the numerous and complex environmental and institutional challenges that the transition to post-pandemic society requires of us.
For this reason, the Metropolitan City of Messina is implementing the 2030 Metropolitan Agenda for Sustainable Development, as a tool for the implementation of the UN Agenda and the National and Regional Strategy for Sustainable Development. From this framework, the challenge is to define one's own Agenda capable of grasping the complexity and richness of one's territory, and aligned with national and regional objectives. The implementation of the 2030 Agenda requires, in fact, a strong involvement of all the components of society, from private companies to the public sector, from civil society to information and culture operators.

Metropolitan Forum for sustainable development and further involvement actions
From November to December 2021, 4 participatory workshops promoted by the Metropolitan City of Messina were held online to discuss, confront and plan joint actions for the future development of the metropolitan area, in terms of social, environmental and economic sustainability.
Two thematic focuses took place in January and February 2022, the first on the management of PNRR funds and the second on the state of health of the Strait of Messina and the Capo Peloro lakes. The laboratories were built with the intention of laying the foundations for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development of metropolitan Messina, starting with its first 4 pilot projects and its 2 thematic focuses.

FOCUS WS # 1 "Building an active citizenship network for sustainability projects"
The first workshop was held on Thursday 11 November 2021. The event was an opportunity for meetings and exchanges between the realities active within the Metropolitan City of Messina. After sharing the experiences in progress, the laboratory proposed a comparison on how to build a collaborative network between sustainability projects to help achieve the objectives of the Messina 2030 strategy. To stimulate discussion, Selena Meli, community manager of the Sicilia che Cambia project, was invited to tell about her experience in building collaborative networks. Her speech can be reviewed here. Her speech was followed by two focus groups, in which representatives of associations, administration and civil society confronted each other based on key questions.

IMAGE 10 -WS #1 of 11/11/2021 FOCUS WS # 2 "Reforestation projects to create resilient communities and territories"
The second workshop was held on November 18, 2021 and focused on the issue of reforestation, indicating it as one of the most urgent and effective strategies to combat global warming and the loss of biodiversity. The intent of this workshop was to promote a reflection on possible initiatives involving institutions, associations, schools and private citizens in reforestation actions whit a strong impact on communities and territories. The discussion led to an initial reflection on the definition of strategies, tools and platforms necessary for the launch of these projects, with particular attention to the promotion of awareness and fundraising campaigns.
The workshop was aimed at citizens, entities and organizations of the metropolitan area, in particular among those affected by the fires of the 2021 summer season. To start the debate, the opening talk was entrusted to Guido Cencini of ZeroCO2, a B-corp active on reforestation with a high social impact. His speech and supporting slides can be reviewed here.

IMAGE 11 -WS #2 of 11/18/2021 FOCUS WS # 3 "What's the air in the city?"
The third workshop was held on 25 November 2021 and focused on air quality and the defense of citizens' health, which are considered increasingly relevant issues for cities in Europe and around the world. The laboratory wanted to stimulate citizens and associations to imagine their possible active contribution to monitoring pollution and promoting sustainable models for the city of the future. To animate the third meeting, the opening talk was curated by Paolo Barbato of Wiseair, an innovative start-up that deals with air quality monitoring through low-cost devices, with particular attention to the engagement and awareness of society civil. His speech and supporting slides can be reviewed here.

FOCUS WS # 4 "Less plastic at school"
The fourth laboratory, held on December 16, 2021, proposed a reflection and a comparison on the possible actions to be taken to reduce single-use plastics (plastic bottles, glasses, etc.) inside school buildings. The intent was to promote a discussion on the possible practical experiences of approaching change and the adoption of more sustainable behavioral models in the daily life of one's actions, even within school life. The laboratory was aimed at the school communities of the Metropolitan City of Messina: students, teachers, parents, schoolmanagers, administrative, technical and auxiliary staff. The opening talk was entrusted to Elena Lucia, architect, one of the founders of the social promotion association "Urban Interactions", active on sustainability issues and in particular on the promotion and dissemination of recycling and reuse practices in schools. Her speech and supporting slides can be reviewed here.

FOCUS WS # 5 "PNRR and projection of development and environmental sustainability"
The fifth workshop and first thematic focus was held on Wednesday 19 January 2022. The meeting aimed to promote a reflection on the funding provided for in the National Restart and Resilience Plan in terms of environmental and socio-economic sustainability. The reflection focused in particular on contribution of these projects to concrete measures to face an important paradigm shift towards the numerous and complex environmental and institutional challenges that the transition to postpandemic society requires of us, also for the metropolitan area of Messina. The speaker of the meeting was Marco Marcatici, economist and development manager of Nomisma with a long experience in territorial development processes. His speech can be reviewed here.

FOCUS WS # 6 "The state of health of the Strait of Messina and the Capo Peloro lakes"
The sixth workshop and second thematic focus was held on Monday 7 February 2022. The meeting focused on the state of health of an important ecosystem in the area: the Strait of Messina and the lakes of Ganzirri and Torre Faro. The Capo Peloro nature reserve represents one of the most important sites of ecological interest in the region, with unique and peculiar characteristics such as to make it a center of biodiversity to be safeguarded from the threat of anthropogenic actions that put it at risk. The speech underlined how environmental sustainability is closely linked to the quality of human life, and consequently a better quality of the environment corresponds hand in hand with greater social and economic sustainability. The enhancement of the area aims to protect, restore and promote the ecosystem of the Strait and the Lakes, to manage the waters in a sustainable way and stop the loss of biological diversity. At the same time, the desire to combine scientific research with the study of projects capable of enhancing the area from the point of view of sustainable tourism, culture, and sports activities compatible with the environmental ecosystem of the area, is highlighted. At the same time, awarenessraising work is hoped to promote the importance of environmental education and the involvement of citizens and the new generations in sustainability, promoting sustainable lifestyles. The issues discussed during the meeting fall within the future actions that converge within the strategies of the Metropolitan Agenda for Sustainable Development Messina 2030. The technical meeting was organized by the University of Messina, with an introduction by Prof. Nunziacarla Spanò and to follow the intervention of Prof. Serena Savoca, on the theme "The Strait of Messina and its resources" and the intervention of Prof. Gioele Capillo "Oriented Natural Reserve of Capo Peloro: activities and future perspectives". All interventions can be reviewed here.

TAB. 3 -The numbers of participation
At the end of the workshops, the following questionnaire was sent to the participants: We would like to know your opinion on the outcome of the workshops and the topics covered.

Further actions for the involvement of civil society
The aim is to create activities so as to be able to bring young people closer and raise public awareness on the great problem of marine litter to improve the ecological impact that causes lethal or sub-lethal effects on plants and animals, the economic impact that causes reduction of fish tourism and reclamation costs and the social impact that causes a reduction in the aesthetic value and public use of the environment. 1. Organization of days for collecting plastic on the beaches, or for collecting algae and plants such as gracilaria or posidonia, which in autumn lose their leaves which dry up and settle on the coasts. 2. Use of the collected material (plastics and metals) for the creation of objects or (algae and plants) for cosmetics. 3. Organization of a virtual museum to allow everyone to discover the riches of the seabed and not only of the R.N.O.
You can observe at this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ulKFqtQ_8UI a documentary on the Strait of Messina published in May 2022.

The territories and the promotion of a culture for sustainability
The VLR Voluntary Local Review promotes horizontal and vertical alignment between existing development plans and strategies, in order to strengthen the interaction of resources, skills and knowledge between levels and sectors. The process of involvement and empowerment of local territories can contribute to their more proactive, conscious and systematic involvement in sustainable development processes. At the same time, it represents an advantage as it brings young people and vulnerable groups closer to decision-making processes and strengthens a collective vision aimed at promoting sustainable development at the local level. With territorial support, local authorities can identify indicators appropriate to the context, which are also capable of guaranteeing comparability with other contexts and other levels.

Pilot actions
Following the workshops and thematic focuses held between November 2021 and February 2022 and the meetings of the Technical Table and the Institutional Table in February 2022, the establishes, together with the managers of the Strategic Plans and Programming documents and the technical contact person for the project "Former City of the Boy", the steps to be follow and it is agreed that the Actions must develop in synergy with the Strategic Plans of the Metropolitan City (PSM, PUMS, P.I.T., DUP) and at the same time think about Actions and indicators that are part of the sustainability policies in place, which lead to their replicability not only in the city but also in the entire metropolitan area. With the Project Group we thus come to two hypotheses:

Pilot Action # 1
Realization of a sustainable urban park model with characteristics of replicability even in different territorial contexts, destined to become a pole and socio-economic and environmental attraction of the Metropolitan City in an eco-sustainable key. The model is based on the environmental redevelopment and urban regeneration project represented by the building compendium "City of the boy" in the Gravitelli district to be used for social inclusion purposes, in line with the "After us" project, within which policies and measures to integrate different lines of action and interventions that are synergistic and consistent with the objectives of the 2030 Agenda such as energy saving (LED lighting of public spaces) and water in all structures, separate waste collection ( plastic free area), accessibility (rest areas, charging stations for electric mobility and soft mobility, integration with the Local Public Transport TPL), the accommodation of people with disabilities from all over the metropolitan area, the recovery of sports facilities , cultural and laboratory, metropolitan co-working spaces. The aim is to create a comfortable and comfortable environment for children with disabilities, organize fun, useful activities and at the same time provide quality education. Several inspections were carried out for this purpose. Currently the project, which can be financed through PNRR Mission 5, Component C2 Investment 2.2 of the Integrated Urban Plan of the Metropolitan City of Messina "Regeneration and Resilience" proposed by the Municipalities, is at DIP level -Documentation of the Initiation of the Project, being reelaborated at following a Ministerial Decree.
. to creating a circular economy through, for example, the use of energy sources (wind, photovoltaic, marine currents, etc.) and renewable materials, the extension of the useful life of a product, reuse and regeneration (design of plants for the use of clam shells and algae to nutraceuticals and cosmetic purposes), rethinking products as services (creation of nature trails, cycle paths and food and wine itineraries using signs, maps and apps, training of local guides dedicated to the park, the reserve, the area or the Strait); the creation of co-working spaces for the promotion of local products (mussels from Ganzirri, black pig from Nebrodi, swordfish from the Strait, etc.), of Slow Food presidia; the promotion of the Ecolabel for accommodation facilities in the metropolitan area and adherence to the Blue Flag Program of coastal resorts. For the redevelopment of Capo Peloro, 11 points have been identified in the "Pantano Grande" and 6 points in the "Pantano Piccolo" where to apply signs and attractive posters, accompanied by QR-codes in the areas of interest, increase buses and shuttles so as to encourage tourists in transit to Messina on large cruise ships and try to "certify" these routes as environmentally friendly excursions.

IMAGE 16 -Reportage of various environments of the former City of the boy
Following an analysis on the territory and following meetings with the Project group, 5 objectives have been identified: Sustainable Mobility and Smart Cities, Circular Economy, Ecosystems and Biodiversity, Sport and Sustainable Tourism in Protected Areas and Adaptation to Climate Change and Reduction risk. For each objective, taking into consideration the Istat data, 5 fundamental indicators have been extrapolated for their realization.

IMAGE 18 -Ganzirri Lakes poster forecast plan
The monitoring system of the SDGs The monitoring system, reused thanks to the agreement with the Metropolitan City of Milan, is represented by the DataLab, a dashboard of analysis and monitoring of the indicators of the SDGs Sustainable Development Goals related to the objectives and targets of the Sustainable Metropolitan Agenda.
For each of the 16 Goals of the UN Agenda 2030 and for the 5 Targets of Goal 11, a document has been prepared with reference to the Targets that compose them. By clicking on each Goal you will know the context indicators used to monitor the progress of sustainable development actions in the metropolitan city. Click here to consult the methodological note of the analysis. The documents were prepared by ASviS, the Italian Alliance for Sustainable Development, and are updated in February 2022. The Datalab visualization system was developed by Colouree. To consult the dashboard: https://sdgcittametropreste.mi.it/

Mending diversity and interconnecting the territory. A cohesive community towards a better future
The Voluntary Local Review of the Metropolitan City of Messina represents the starting point for a collective renewal and employment towards sustainable development in the metropolitan area. The elaboration of the VLR allowed for a comprehensive program before proceeding with medium-term planning for sustainable development required by the Metropolitan Agenda 2030. In addition, the "Strategic Plan 2030" and other planning tools take into account the main dimensions of social, economic and environmental sustainable development despite the fact that the United Nations 2030 Agenda was not used directly as a framework for the adopted plans. The Metropolitan City of Messina, at the conclusion of Phase 3 of the Strategic Plan process, is preparing to share what has been analyzed, collected and systematized to guide the development projects that will involve the Municipalities of the Metropolitan City in the next 3 years. Specifically, the Plan identifies the Strategies that will enhance the strengths of the metropolitan area and minimize critical issues, with the ultimate aim of eradicating them. It focuses on 8 System Actions, containers of planning which, albeit related to different areas, as a whole aim to Mend diversity for a cohesive community towards a sustainable future. The goal is to move toward a more consolidated, metropolitan-wide model of sustainable development. The next steps, in fact, will require a great commitment not only political, but also civically on the part of all the parties and social groups, to identify and pursue a number of priority objectives on which the Metropolitan City will have to commit itself to act in the coming years. The elaboration and dissemination of the VLR contributes to communicate the objectives, targets and performance of sustainable development both to the Metropolitan City of Messina as a local authority with its different Departments and Offices, and to the different social groups in the territory. Thus, one of the implicit purposes of this document is to raise awareness of the current situation and create a basis for a future vision and to strengthen internal cooperation within the metropolitan administration. It now seems clear to all that only by involving the citizens of the entire metropolitan area and the local society as a whole can we truly identify effective solutions to address the major social, environmental and economic challenges of the current landscape.

-Future work trajectories
In the coming months of 2022, therefore, the elaboration of the Metropolitan Agenda 2030 is foreseen as an instrument of guidance that will have to be closely connected with the other existing strategic planning instruments, namely the Metropolitan Strategic Plan, the Metropolitan Territorial Plan and the Urban Plan of Sustainable mobility. This will also mean that future updates of these plans explicitly take into account the objectives and targets of the Metropolitan Agenda, including defining, if necessary, a new governance model for the promotion of sustainable development in order to ensure its functionality and coherence in the future. The Voluntary Local Review of the Metropolitan City of Messina is a central element to ensure coherence in terms of planning and policies between the different levels of local governance (municipal, metropolitan and regional) and will be updated every three years.