Measuring the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals at a local level: the WeGIx index

The broadness and ambition of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development calls for commitment and effort from all society sectors. Either at national or local level, where the action of communities and governance is of the utmost importance for the implementation and operationalization of such an interconnected and transformative agenda, adequate means for monitoring, measurement and accountability of plans and actions are also required. Academia, being one of the strongest pillars of the contemporary societies, should embrace its role as both a promoter and supporter of this universal Agenda, not only by developing fundamental scientific knowledge and educational resources but by also acting as advisers for governmental decisions and the establishment of proper and tailored public policies. This work describes the design and application processes of WeGIx—a composite indicator aiming to be a global objective measure of communities’ quality of life, at municipality level. WeGIx quantifies a combination of forty-three variables contributing to tackle municipalities’ global progress, in an integrated manner, on SDGs 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 15 and 16. Results of the WeGIx application on Portugal demonstrate development asymmetries in municipalities and help to identify implementation gaps and improvement opportunities.