This essay examines the implementation of Agenda 2030 in Malmö municipality. The study uses three theoretical approaches: implementation theory “can, understand and want” along with top-down bottom-up theory and institutionalism to examine how Malmö municipality dealt with integration of Sustainable development goals into their organization. In order to attain the goal an empirical analysis was conducted where vision of Malmö municipality, governing documents, goals, and activities of Malmö municipality were examined. An interview study was also conducted to examine the level of understanding of Agenda 2030, as well as public officials' discretion. The implementation and integration of Agenda 2030 in Malmö municipality was understood and explained by using the theories. The result of this study reveals that there’s a decent condition and resources in place in order to implement the Agenda 2030. Moreover, the implementation of Global goals in Malmö city has advancement to some extent. However, there is challenges that needs to be solved continuously during implementation period. At the local level, Malmö municipality plays an important role in the implementation of Global goals. Furthermore, adaptation to Agenda 2030 as a global model and action plan has been a significant factor in Malmö municipality. Therefore, it’s important to examine whether the adaptation takes place on the outer level or deep integrated into all levels of Malmö municipality.
This study contributes to the literature on the implementation of Agenda 2030 by using a mixture of theories. Additionally, it provides valuable insight for the Malmö municipality and other municipalities that strive to integrate the Global goals with subgoals.