Municipal governance and the 2030 Agenda: An analysis of public policies in São Cristóvão, Brazil (2019–2025)

This study contributes to the interdisciplinary debate on the local implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by analysing public policies in the municipality of São Cristóvão, Sergipe, between 2019 and 2025. The selected period corresponds to the formal incorporation of the 2030 Agenda into local planning instruments, including the revision of the Master Plan and its integration into multiannual plans and annual budgetary legislation. Although the municipality has gained recognition for sustainability-oriented initiatives and has been referred to as a “Sustainable City,” a systematic assessment of policy coherence and social development impacts remains limited. The research aims to: (i) map municipal programs and actions across the social, environmental, and economic dimensions of sustainable development; (ii) classify these initiatives according to their alignment with the 17 SDGs, with particular emphasis on SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities); and (iii) evaluate the coherence between implemented policies and municipal sustainability and social development indicators. Special attention is given to how local governance addresses inclusion, equitable access to urban services, and the protection of vulnerable populations. Methodologically, the study adopts a qualitative documentary approach, analyzing official municipal documents produced between 2019 and 2025, including planning instruments, fiscal legislation, and management reports, complemented by a structured literature review on sustainable urban governance. The findings contribute to the debate on the effectiveness of municipal public policies in advancing inclusive, resilient, and sustainable urban development, highlighting both institutional advances and structural constraints in implementing the 2030 Agenda at the local level.