About: SDGs

Basque country leads way in implementing global development goals

While the sustainable development agenda took a back seat during the pandemic, one region in Spain pressed ahead with creating an 'ecosystem for sustainable development goals' to reach global goals locally. To take a closer look, EURACTIV spoke with Marta Marín, delegate of the Basque Country's mission to the EU.

Local players still sidelined in global sustainability efforts

With less than a decade to achieve the UN sustainable development goals (SDGs) by 2030, new studies show that local and regional authorities are still often sidelined in the monitoring and national coordination of implementing the global benchmarks.

Cities at the forefront: cooperation as an opportunity for towns to internationalise

Cities across the world have chosen to go beyond fulfilling their citizens’ needs and contribute to development by engaging in international cooperation. EURACTIV has looked into local and regional leaders’ motivation to do so. 

Urpilainen: COVID-19 crisis ‘proves the need for an international rule-based order’

The COVID-19 crisis "proves the need for an international rules-based order,” the EU's Commissioner for International Partnerships Jutta Urpilainen said in an interview with EURACTIV.

EU development policy to be more interest-driven under ‘geopolitical’ Commission

The geopolitical Europea Commission ambition would turn cooperation and development policy into an internal and external interest-driven policy, Alexei Jones, Senior Policy Officer at the European Centre for Development Policy Management (ECDPM) told EURACTIV. 

Frontier Research: Creating Pathways to Sustainability

This conference covered relevant research supported by the European Research Council (ERC) and provided a networking forum for ERC-funded researchers as well as policy-makers.

Why EU must guarantee funding for local, regional governments in post-2020 development policy

Member states must strongly support the proposal of the European Parliament to add a budget line for local authorities to tackle global challenges, including through their decentralised cooperation, writes Marlène Siméon.  

In-work-poverty increasing in spite of economic growth, study reveals

Social inequalities, including in-work-poverty, have increased in the aftermath of the 2008 economic crisis, according to the findings of a study released by SOLIDAR, published on Wednesday (13 November).

UN summit day #3 : SDGs in the spotlight

Over this special series on the UN climate action summit (23 September) and SDGs summit (24-25 September), EURACTIV gives you a glimpse into the goings on in New York and what is driving the conversation there. In this edition: A radical change of the food system, climate adaptation, dozing commerce secretary and World Heritage.

UN climate summit diary, day #1: ‘Big announcement’ expected

Over this special series on the UN climate action summit (23-25 September), EURACTIV gives you a glimpse into the goings on in New York and what is driving the conversation there. In this edition: What’s at stake, who’s coming, who's not, and what corporations have planned.

Why multilateralism matters

This September, world leaders will gather at the UN in New York to reiterate the need to speed up action on the global promise to build a more equitable and sustainable world, which is the 2030 Agenda and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), write Ulrika Modéer and Ahunna Eziakonwa.

The Energy Charter Treaty, a case study of ‘business as usual’ in the energy sector

A closer look at the Energy Charter Treaty provides a case study of who really holds power in our increasingly interconnected world, writes Timothy Knickerbocker.

Statistics are at the heart of achieving SDGs, says gender equality advocate

In an interview with EURACTIV France, Fatiha Hassouni, head of the gender equality unit of the intergovernmental organisation Union for the Mediterranean, spoke about statistics being a crucial tool for assessing sustainable development goals (SDGs), especially with regards to gender equality.

One in ten of the world’s children are forced to work, report shows

Every tenth child in the world, which amounts to over 150 million in total, are forced to work to support their family financially, according to the human rights organisation Terre des Hommes. This finding was published in the organisation's 2019 Child Labour Report, which it published for International Child Labour Day (12 June). EURACTIV Germany reports.

Climate progress is key to reinvigorate European project

If the EU is to regain trust and achieve a renewed social contract, the most progressive response to the climate crisis must be at the core of its new mission, writes Martin Porter.

Today, the EU has used up nature’s budget for the year

Did you think Europe was doing relatively well, environmentally speaking? EU Overshoot Day is your reality check. The EU elections and the response of EU leaders will be crucial to turn the tide, writes Ester Asin.

If Europe doesn’t care for the people, the people won’t care for Europe

The next EU budget is a golden chance to put our continent on the right path for the long term, write socialist EU affairs ministers.

‘Citizens are calling for a change’, regional leader says on upcoming EU election

If the EU wants to regain citizens' trust after the European elections, it has to strengthen links with cities and regions, Stefano Bonaccini told EURACTIV.com.

EU needs ambitious Cohesion policy to achieve SDGs, socialists argue

Europe’s economic strategy should focus on achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and Cohesion policy is key in getting there, socialist groups in the European Parliament and in the Committee of the Regions said in an appeal launched on Thursday (7 February).

Europe needs a new governance mechanism for sustainability

The European Union unveiled a strategy last week to become the world's first climate neutral economy by 2050, generating a positive momentum ahead of the COP24 in Katowice, writes Luca Jahier.