In 2023, the European Union published a report called “Sustainable development in the European Union — monitoring report on progress towards the SDGs in an EU context, 2023 edition” which is a statistical summary of the EU’s progress made toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
According to the investigation, the European Union has made headway on the majority of its targets over the last five years, aligning with the priorities of the Commission in important policy domains like the European Green Deal, the Eighth Environment Action Programme, and the European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan. According to the data, the EU has made significant progress toward a number of socioeconomic goals. As Member States carry out the challenging objectives of the European Green Deal, additional advancements in the environmental sphere are anticipated.

For example, the report shows these positive datas:

– In terms of guaranteeing decent work and economic growth (SDG 8), the EU achieved the most progress. The employment rate in the EU hit a new high of 74.6% in 2022.
– Significant advancements were also made in the areas of gender equality (SDG 5) and poverty reduction (SDG 1). Since 2015, the proportion of people who are overpaying for housing has decreased, and women’s hourly wages are now equal to men’s.
– Additionally, significant progress was made in achieving SDGs 10 and 16, which call for lowering inequality, guaranteeing high-quality education, promoting personal security and peace on EU territory, and enhancing access to justice and institutional trust.

But the report also pointed out that more progress is expected for three goals: climate action (SDG 13), life on land (SDG 15) and global partnerships (SDG 17). Regarding climate action (SDG 13), the EU has set very ambitious and unparalleled climate targets for 2030 and, as compared to past trends, they will require more efforts. Concerning life on land (SDG 15), even though terrestrial protected areas have increased since 2013, the EU continues to face steady declines in common bird and grassland butterfly populations. Additional efforts needed to reverse the degradation of ecosystems are envisaged in the EU 2030 Biodiversity Strategy. Regarding partnerships for the goals (SDG 17), the trend partially reflects cyclical effects and notably the increase in public debt resulting from the COVID-19 crisis.