REPORT on the implementation and delivery of the Sustainable Development Goals
5.6.2023 - (2023/2010(INI))
Committee on Development
Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety
(Joint committee procedure - Rule 58 of the Rules of Procedure)
Rapporteurs: Udo Bullmann, Petros Kokkalis
PR_INI
CONTENTS
Page
MOTION FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT RESOLUTION
EXPLANATORY STATEMENT
INFORMATION ON ADOPTION IN COMMITTEE RESPONSIBLE
FINAL VOTE BY ROLL CALL IN COMMITTEE RESPONSIBLE
MOTION FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT RESOLUTION
on the implementation and delivery of the Sustainable Development Goals
The European Parliament,
– having regard to UN Resolution 70/1 entitled ‘Transforming our World – the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development’ (Agenda 2030), adopted at the UN Sustainable Development Summit on 25 September 2015 in New York and establishing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),
– having regard to the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs’ publication of January 2022 entitled ‘SDG Good Practices: A compilation of success stories and lessons learned in SDG implementation – Second Edition’,
– having regard to the UN Global Sustainable Development Report 2019, entitled ‘The Future is Now: Science for Achieving Sustainable Development’,
– having regard to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (UNCBD) and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, agreed at the 15th meeting of the Conference of Parties to the UNCBD,
– having regard to the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, adopted by UN member states at the Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction on 18 March 2015,
– having regard to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the agreement adopted at the 21st Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC (COP21) in Paris on 12 December 2015 and the agreement on new ‘loss and damage’ funding for vulnerable countries adopted at COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh on 20 November 2022,
– having regard to the IPCC Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate of 24 September 2019,
– having regard to the IPCC sixth assessment report (AR6) of 28 February 2022 and its Synthesis Report of 20 March 2023,
– having regard to the Human Development Report 2021/22, entitled ’Uncertain Times, Unsettled Lives: Shaping our Future in a Transforming World’,
– having regard to the third International Conference on Financing for Development, held in Addis Ababa from 13 to 16 July 2015,
– having regard to the 6th European Union – African Union Summit of 17-18 February 2022 and the related final statement entitled ‘A Joint Vision for 2030’,
– having regard to the negotiations on a new Partnership Agreement between the EU and the countries of Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific (ACP), to replace the Cotonou agreement,
– having regard to the 2022 UN Transforming Education Summit held on 16-19 September in New York,
– having regard to the 2023 SDG Summit which will be convened in September 2023, during the United Nations General Assembly high-level week,
– having regard to the Summit of the Future, scheduled for September 2024, to adopt major reforms of multilateral institutions and financing for sustainable development at global level,
– having regard to the UN Sustainable Development Report 2021, entitled ‘The Decade of Action for the Sustainable Development Goals’, and the UN Sustainable Development Report 2022, entitled ‘From Crisis to Sustainable Development: the SDGs as Roadmap to 2030 and Beyond’,
– having regard to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals Report 2022,
– having regard to the ‘SDG Acceleration Actions’ online database,
– having regard to the initiative by the UN Secretary-General ‘SDG Stimulus to Deliver Agenda 2030’ of February 2023,
– having regard to the resolution of 8 October 2021 of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC), and the resolution of 28 July 2022 of the UN General Assembly, on the human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment,
– having regard to the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) resolution ‘5/10. The environmental dimension of a sustainable, resilient and inclusive post-COVID-19 recovery’, adopted on 2 March 2022,
– having regard to the WHO One Health Initiative,
– having regard to the draft agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ) of 4 March 2023 (UN High Seas Treaty),
– having regard to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and the EU Strategy on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2021-2030,
– having regard to the UN Secretary-General’s report entitled ‘Our Common Agenda’, presented to the UN General Assembly, and to the mandate that UN General Assembly Resolution 76/6 of 15 November 2021 gave the UN Secretary-General to follow up on his report,
– having regard to the joint statement by the Council and the representatives of the governments of the Member States meeting within the Council, the European Parliament and the Commission of 30 June 2017 on the New European Consensus on Development – ‘Our world, our dignity, our future’[1],
– having regard to Decision (EU) 2022/591 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 6 April 2022 on a General Union Environment Action Programme to 2030[2],
– having regard to the European Environment Agency report of 4 December 2019 entitled ‘The European environment – state and outlook 2020: Knowledge for transition to a sustainable Europe’,
– having regard to the OECD report of 10 November 2022 entitled ‘Global Outlook on Financing for Sustainable Development 2023: No Sustainability Without Equity’,
– having regard to the opinions of the European Economic and Social Committee of 19 September 2018 entitled ‘Indicators better suited to evaluate the SDGs – the civil society contribution’, 30 October 2019 entitled ‘Leaving no one behind when implementing the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda’, and 8 December 2021 entitled ‘Renewed sustainable finance strategy',
– having regard to the opinion of the Committee of the Regions of 8 February 2023 entitled ‘Progress in the implementation of the SDGs’,
– having regard to the ‘Green Deal’ and the ‘Global Gateway’ initiatives, launched on 11 December 2019 and on 1 December 2021, respectively,
– having regard to the Commission work programmes for 2020 (COM(2020)0037), 2021 (COM(2020)0690), 2022 (COM(2021)0645) and 2023 (COM(2022)0548), and their references to the SDGs, in particular the EU’s first voluntary review of SDG implementation,
– having regard to the Commission staff working document of 18 November 2020 entitled ‘Delivering on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals – A comprehensive approach’ (SWD(2020)0400),
– having regard to the integration of the SDGs into the better regulation framework, including the Commission communication of 29 April 2021 entitled ‘Better regulation: Joining forces to make better laws’ (COM(2021)0219),
– having regard to the Commission communication on decent work worldwide for a global just transition and sustainable recovery (COM(2022)0066 final), in particular its commitments to achieve the SDGs,
– having regard to the European Commission Social Economy Action Plan adopted on 9 December 2021,
– having regard to the Council conclusions of 24 October 2019 on the Economy of Wellbeing[3],
– having regard to the Council recommendation of 16 June 2022 on Learning for the Green transition and sustainable development,
– having regard to the Council conclusions of 22 June 2021 entitled ‘A comprehensive approach to accelerate the implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda for sustainable development – Building back better from the COVID-19 crisis’,
– having regard to the Council conclusions of 21 June 2022 entitled ‘The transformative role of education for sustainable development and global citizenship as an instrumental tool for the achievement of the sustainable development goals (SDGs)’,
– having regard to Eurostat’s 2021 monitoring report on progress towards the SDGs in an EU context, published on 15 June 2021,
– having regard to its resolution of 8 September 2015 on the follow-up to the European Citizens’ Initiative Right2Water[4] and its resolution of 5 October 2022 on access to water as a human right – the external dimension[5],
– having regard to its resolution of 6 July 2017 on EU action for sustainability[6],
– having regard to its resolution of 14 March 2019 on the Annual strategic report on the implementation and delivery of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)[7],
– having regard to its resolution of 28 November 2019 on the climate and environment emergency[8],
– having regard to its resolution of 9 June 2021 on the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030: Bringing nature back into our lives[9],
– having regard to its resolution of 10 March 2022 on the European Semester for economic policy coordination: annual sustainable growth survey 2022[10],
– having regard to its resolution of 23 June 2022 on the implementation and delivery of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)[11],
– having regard to its resolution of 6 July 2022 on the EU action plan for the social economy[12],
– having regard to its resolution of 24 November 2022 on the future European Financial Architecture for Development[13],
– having regard to the joint declaration of the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union and the European Commission entitled ‘EU Legislative Priorities for 2023 and 2024’[14],
– having regard to its resolution of 14 March 2023 on Policy Coherence for Development[15],
– having regard to Article 3(5) of the Treaty on European Union and Article 208(1) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,
– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2021/947 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 June 2021 establishing the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument – Global Europe, amending and repealing Decision No 466/2014/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council and repealing Regulation (EU) 2017/1601 of the European Parliament and of the Council and Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 480/2009[16][17],
– having regard to Rule 54 of its Rules of Procedure,
– having regard to the joint deliberations of the Committee on Development and the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety under Rule 58 of the Rules of Procedure,
– having regard to the report of the Committee on Development and the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (A9-0213/2023).
A. whereas, with less than seven years to go until the deadline for the implementation of Agenda 2030 , the new geopolitical landscape and the multiple crises in various areas have further slowed the achievement of the SDGs; whereas collective action on a new scale is urgently needed to respond to poverty, which is blighting hundreds of millions of lives, and to respond to the unprecedented threats to the habitability of our planet posed by the interlinked climate and biodiversity crises;
B. whereas Agenda 2030 and the 17 SDGs, 169 targets and accompanying indicators represent the only globally shared and politically agreed framework for evidence-based policies, thus making them crucial to addressing today’s challenges and reorienting the global compass towards a socially and environmentally just transition within planetary boundaries that leaves no one and no place behind;
C. whereas the SDGs, being universal and indivisible, are applicable to all actors, including civil society and social partners, and to both the public and private sectors; whereas these actors should be systematically involved in devising and implementing policies related to the SDGs;
D. whereas, despite some progress on certain SDGs before the crises, some trends have since reversed; whereas, according to the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) Sustainable Development Report 2022, for the second year in a row, the world is no longer making progress on the SDGs and the average SDG Index score further declined in 2021, with no country being on track to achieve all 17 SDGs by 2030;
E. whereas in 2020 and 2021 the Human Development Index (HDI) recorded the only declines in the 30-year history of the index, erasing the gains made in the previous five years;
F. whereas Europe is on track to meet 26 SDG targets, has to accelerate its efforts to meet 64 targets and reverse the current trend for 15 targets; whereas EU countries are closest to achieving the Agenda 2030 targets, yet are responsible for larger negative spillovers, which undermine the ability of other countries to achieve their targets; whereas if the world’s population were to consume as much as the EU, 2.8 Earths would be needed to sustain the demand for natural resources required by this lifestyle;
G. whereas the EU Institutions and the 27 EU Member States together constitute the largest donor for developing countries, responsible for approximately 46 % of the total Official Development Assistance (ODA) provided by all OECD members to developing countries; whereas prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the annual SDG global financing gap was estimated at USD 2.5 trillion; whereas the pandemic is estimated to have widened this gap to at least USD 3.9 trillion per year;
H. whereas the fiscal space for relevant policies in developing countries is critically reduced by huge and ever-growing debt burdens, with 37 out of 69 of the world’s poorest countries either at high risk or already in debt distress as of November 2022, limiting their capacity to invest in achieving the SDGs; whereas that fiscal space is furthermore reduced by external shocks related to the cumulating crises and the absence of a conducive international environment for domestic resource mobilisation;
I. whereas the United Nations estimate that at least USD 500 billion annually needs to be delivered to provide the necessary SDG stimulus; whereas the UN’s SDG Stimulus Plan aims to tackle the high cost of debt and rising risks of debt distress, to massively scale up affordable long-term financing for development and to expand contingency financing to countries in need;
J. whereas the private sector will continue to play a critical role in the achievement of the SDGs;
K. whereas France will host an international summit on 22 and 23 June 2023 on the theme of a ‘New Global Financial Pact’ in order to take stock of all the ways and means to strengthen financial solidarity with the countries of the Global South; whereas the current context demands an extraordinary sustained response from all EU actors and a system-wide review of the European Financial Architecture for Development (EFAD);
L. whereas, with the compound shocks and permanent crises ranging from climate change and the biodiversity emergency, the COVID-19 pandemic, and Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine to the rising prices of energy, food and fertilisers, fragile supply chains, higher inflation, unsustainable debt burdens and tightened monetary policy, a general trend is emerging of a ‘two-track recovery’ between advanced economies and developing countries, characterised by a wide financial divide, with high borrowing costs for developing countries as one symptom of an imbalanced international financial and monetary system, worsening the lack of progress towards the achievement of the SDGs;
M. whereas the international system does not have the tools to address a systemic debt crisis or to effectively facilitate debt restructurings that sufficiently reduce countries’ debt burdens;
N. whereas 2023 is a pivotal year for the review of the SDGs and a push for their realisation by 2030, especially with the EU presenting its first Voluntary Review report at the High Level Political Forum (HLPF) in July 2023 and the global SDGs Summit on 19-20 September 2023 marking the mid-point of Agenda 2030 and the SDGs and bringing together political and thought leaders from governments, international organisations, the private sector, civil society, women and youth and other stakeholders; whereas the 2023 SDG Summit will be a crucial moment for a renewed political commitment to the SDGs to salvage Agenda 2030, given that it takes place just once every four years;
O. whereas the Commission has not yet devised an overarching strategy for the EU’s implementation of Agenda 2030 or a financing plan for the SDGs, as requested on repeated occasions since the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in 2015 by the Parliament, the Council and the European Council; whereas the Commission has committed to taking a ‘whole-of-government’ approach to SDG implementation; whereas a European governance strategy integrating the SDGs in a transversal approach would allow greater alignment between, and efficiency in, public policies;P. whereas the joint statement on legislative priorities for 2023 and 2024 sets the overarching objective of accelerating the implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda for sustainable development through the legislative proposals put forward;
Q. whereas any EU strategy proposed by the Commission with the objective of achieving the SDGs should contain EU wide, measurable, time-bound targets and concrete measures for achieving the SDGs, which should include an updated monitoring system which takes into account the EU’s internal and external impact on the SDG process;
R. whereas there is a lack of integration of the SDGs into the National Recovery and Resilience Plans (NRRPs); whereas, in particular, very few Member States have explicitly linked NRRPs to the SDGs;
S. whereas the capacity to retrieve data to fill in the SDG indicators is limited in several developing countries, which can seriously hinder the evaluation of progress;
T. whereas, in 2021, the EU’s collective ODA represented 0.49 % of EU Gross National Income (GNI), which still falls short of the agreed target of 0.7 % of donor country GNI; whereas, with the adoption of the EUR 79.5 billion Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument – Global Europe (NDICI-GE) under the EU budget for the period 2021-2027, the EU can deploy this single unified development instrument strategically and flexibly to support developing countries more effectively;
U. whereas the establishment of the European Fund for Sustainable Development Plus (EFSD+) provides an open architecture for public development banks (PDBs) and development finance institutions (DFIs) to leverage public and private finance through EU guarantees and blended finance, to achieve more ambitious inclusive development and green impact;
V. whereas there are serious doubts as to whether the EU’s new Global Gateway strategy aligns with development effectiveness principles or is a suitable tool to fill the SDG financing gap;
W. whereas reducing inequalities (SDG 10) is inextricably linked to the overall implementation of Agenda 2030 and to effective climate action;
X. whereas sustainable resource mobilisation is essential for transformative public action; whereas it is crucial to scale up efforts related to tax justice, climate justice and intergenerational justice both within developed and developing countries;
Y. whereas the EU’s political commitment to Policy Coherence for Development (PCD) was reaffirmed in the 2017 New European Consensus on Development, which identified PCD as a ‘crucial element of the [EU’s] strategy to achieve the SDGs and an important contribution to the broader objective of Policy Coherence for Sustainable Development (PCSD); whereas PCSD is an approach to integrate the economic, social, and environmental dimensions of sustainable development at all stages of the policymaking cycle, in order to foster synergies across policy areas, and identify and reconcile potential trade-offs, as well as address the international spillover effects of EU policies;
Z. whereas close cooperation between all development finance institutions, governments, EU institutions and all partners is urgently needed to ensure that limited public funds are used in the most effective and efficient way, keeping in mind that the successful mobilisation of further capital, both public and private, is essential;
AA. whereas, notably, Article 208 TFEU requires the EU to incorporate development cooperation objectives into all internal and external policies that are likely to affect developing countries;
AB. whereas the success of the European Green Deal and the pledge of a just green transition is inextricably linked to the achievement of the SDGs; whereas the 2019 IPBES Global Assessment provides evidence that the current negative trends in biodiversity and ecosystems will undermine progress towards 80 % of assessed SDG targets relating to poverty, hunger, health, water, cities, climate, oceans and land; whereas the climate and biodiversity crises are intertwined and need to be addressed in tandem and consistently;
AC. whereas the external dimension of the Green Deal and the Global Gateway strategy should allow Europe to better project itself abroad, articulating a green vision for climate mitigation and adaptation, nature protection and biodiversity, addressing infrastructure development and broader development needs anchored in European strategic objectives; whereas in doing so, the EU is also committed to inclusive approaches, supporting women and youth, and leaving no one behind;
AD. whereas the 8th Union Environment Action Programme is the EU’s common legally agreed climate and environmental agenda until 2030 and forms the basis for achieving the environmental and climate objectives defined under the UN 2030 Agenda and its SDGs, pursuing a well-being economy as a priority; whereas, however, the action programme requires the strengthening of environmentally positive incentives and the phasing out of environmentally harmful subsidies, in particular fossil fuel subsidies, at EU, national, regional and local levels, without delay;
AE. whereas only 24 % of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in the EU have a specific plan to reduce their carbon footprints[18];
AF. whereas education is a key factor in achieving the SDGs and a lifeline for people in crisis situations; whereas hundreds of millions of the most vulnerable children, youth and adults are still excluded from education today; whereas the education-related goals and targets of Agenda 2030 have been derailed and risk leaving learners and societies ill-equipped to face an uncertain future;
AG. whereas globally 760 million people still have no access to electricity and 2.4 billion people rely on harmful fuels for cooking detrimental to their health and the environment;
AH. whereas seven out of every 10 buildings in the EU are energy inefficient while 11 % of the EU’s population is affected by energy poverty, leading to possible delays in access to basic needs, care, education and healthcare, in particular for children and young people; whereas buildings represent approximately 40 % of the EU’s energy consumption and 36 % of carbon emissions;
AI. whereas 3.6 billion people worldwide live without safely managed sanitation and 2.3 billion lack basic handwashing facilities at home; whereas 2018-2028 has been declared the International Decade for Action on Water for Sustainable Development; whereas, in particular, Resolution 64/292 of the UN General Assembly explicitly recognised the human right to water and sanitation; whereas, in developing countries and emerging economies, demand for water is increasing from all sectors, in particular for energy and agriculture;
AJ. whereas the developed world and China import large quantities of virtual water, that is water used for the production of food and goods, including from countries suffering from water scarcity;
AK. whereas ‘Right2Water’ was the first successful European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) with 1.9 million signatures; whereas, in its resolution on the Follow Up to the ECI, Parliament considered it regrettable that the Commission’s communication in response to the ECI lacked ambition;
AL. whereas, according to the NGO ‘Global Witness’, more than a third of the land and environmental defenders murdered worldwide between 2015 and 2019 belonged to indigenous communities, whose land and water management skills are crucial in combating the climate crisis and biodiversity loss;AM. whereas, according to the One Health approach, there is evidence that human health depends on planetary health and that a healthy environment is a fundamental pillar for sustainable development and human well-being;
Status update at the halfway mark
1. Recognises that SDGs are a common concern for humanity as a whole; stresses its commitment to Agenda 2030 and the 17 SDGs with their 169 accompanying measurable targets, especially in the light of the new deteriorating geopolitical landscape such as, among other things, the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, and the ongoing climate, biodiversity, health, debt and food security crises, as well as the growing backlash against women’s rights and gender equality and the violent conflicts that continue to affect many parts of the world, especially the developing countries; recalls that it is crucial to take into account the strong interdependence between such crises;
2. Warns against an ever-widening gap in the distribution of wealth and income, which would lead to further inequality and poverty and has already resulted in fragmented societies in many parts of the developed and developing world in recent years; warns also against any delay in tackling the environmental and climate challenges Europe and the global community are facing;
3. Highlights, against this backdrop, the importance of implementing an integrated approach to the SDGs, which provide the only evidence-based universal policy roadmap, for protecting the planet and averting the climate crisis and providing the tools to achieve prosperity for all; recalls that the pledge to leave no one and no place behind lies at the heart of Agenda 2030 and that the achievement of the SDGs would benefit all countries, regions, peoples and segments of society by focusing on issues of equality and non-discrimination and addressing the root causes of these issues, paying particular attention to those who are most marginalised and vulnerable, and that it should enhance cultural sustainability and the rights of indigenous people;
4. Stresses that the SDGs should be achieved in a social and climate-just way while respecting a fair distribution of scarce resources within the planetary boundaries; reiterates that peace, diplomacy, and international cooperation are fundamental conditions for the world to make progress on the SDGs towards 2030 and beyond;
5. Highlights the fact that, at the halfway point in the Agenda 2030 timeline, EU leadership in the global implementation of the SDGs remains crucial and must be further credibly demonstrated, for instance by taking the lead to mobilise adequate financial resources to support SDG-relevant transformations; recalls that the 2020s have been declared to be the UN Decade of Action on Sustainable Development;
6. Emphasises the need for EU Members and the European Commission to promote policy coherence and inclusiveness at all levels of governance, prioritising and including SDGs in all impact assessments;
7. Underlines that 2023 offers a unique opportunity to build momentum and undertake the urgent transformative action required to place our societies firmly on course to achieve the SDGs; warns that the consequences of inaction and losing another year would primarily be borne by the most vulnerable people and communities; calls upon all EU leaders to do their utmost to advance progress on EU commitments, policies, and financing without delay;
8. Recalls that, by 2050, the EU needs to be fully respecting planetary boundaries; stresses that this can only be achieved if it multiplies its efforts in environmental actions, such as those relating to climate and biodiversity, energy efficiency and the green transition, and increases its resource efficiency tenfold while using its non-renewable materials in totally closed loops and renewables at least in tenfold loops while respecting the non-toxicity and ‘do no significant harm’ principles; stresses that the EU should not only stop destroying but also preserve and restore its natural ecosystems to achieve healthy, vital and resilient ecosystems;
9. Notes that the implementation process for almost all the SDGs is behind schedule and that two consecutive years of regression have been recorded for many indicators[19]; reaffirms the importance of each SDG and highlights the key challenges that persist for sustainable development, particularly in relation to poverty (SDG 1), hunger (SDG 2), health (SDG 3), education (SDG 4), gender equality (SDG 5), safe water and adequate sanitation for all (SDG 6), clean and affordable energy (SDG 7), climate change (SDG 13), life below water including oceans (SDG 14) and biodiversity (SDG 15); underlines the strategic role that SDG 10, on reducing inequality, and SDG 17 on global partnerships can play in the global implementation of Agenda 2030;
10. Highlights the importance of the 2023 High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development and the SDG Summit, which are both due to take place in New York, as opportunities to review progress of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the halfway point; believes these meetings must give high-level political guidance and new impetus to an intensified effort and accelerated action to achieve the goals by 2030; acknowledges, in this regard, the SDGs being focused on in 2023 (SDGs 6, 7, 9, 11 and 17)[20];
11. Reaffirms that access to water and sanitation is a fundamental right and that improving this access is crucial for pursuing poverty eradication, social equality, public health, food security, and sustainable development objectives; recalls that, as the EU Water Framework Directive[21] recognises, water is not a mere commodity but a public good that is vital to human life and dignity;
12. Stresses that water policies must prioritise the sustainable management of rivers, lakes, wetlands, springs, and aquifers, and support sustainable water management in the agricultural sector as key to confronting ongoing crises of pollution, deforestation, desertification, biodiversity loss, and climate change; highlights the potential risks of water grabbing and water pollution in large-scale land acquisitions for agriculture and the extractive industries;
13. Notes that Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine has disrupted the global energy supply systems, and has underscored the need to rapidly end dependence on fossil fuels and phase out all relevant subsidies and shift to renewable energy sources;
14. Stresses, in this regard, the urgency for the EU and its Member States to make concerted efforts to progress towards SDG 7 to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all; underlines that in the long term security of energy supply, universal access and affordability can only be attained through renewable energy deployment;
15. Stresses that achieving SDG 7 will contribute to the attainment of several other SDGs, including in relation to poverty eradication, gender equality, climate change, food security, health, education, sustainable cities and communities, clean water and sanitation, decent jobs, innovation, transport, and refugees;
16. Highlights that the implementation of SDG 7 should be aligned with a just, inclusive and equitable energy transition with universal energy access, green jobs, diversified economies, people’s well-being and the empowerment of women, local communities and vulnerable groups to leave no one behind;
17. Welcomes the landmark agreement for a Treaty of the High Seas to protect the ocean, tackle environmental degradation, fight climate change, and prevent biodiversity loss;
Governance, multilateralism and partnerships
18. Recognises the EU’s decisive role in shaping the 2030 Agenda in 2015 and calls for it and its Member States to take bold action and provide global leadership by setting an example in the implementation of the SDGs, redoubling its efforts to meet the deadline and by leading a political reset of the SDGs at the upcoming SDG summit, such as pushing for binding targets, mandatory review, and a more transformational approach towards achieving the SDGs as a whole;
19. Invites the presidents of Parliament, the Commission and the Council to come forward with a joint declaration renewing the EU’s commitment to Agenda 2030; stresses that the EU needs to intensify cooperation and accelerate progress on SDG 17, partnerships for the goals; notes that the EU is uniquely placed to accelerate progress on partnerships, given its proven record as a champion of multilateralism;
20. Highlights the role and resources of local and regional authorities, and especially the key role of regions and cities, with the OECD estimating that 65 % of the SDGs targets cannot be reached without their coordination or involvement; and stresses that multilevel governance is one of the SDGs’ core values; calls on the EU to increase engagement with civil society and the private sector;
21. Recalls that PCD is a substantive requirement in order to avoid EU policies having negative impacts on poor and vulnerable people in developing countries and to seek and take advantage of opportunities to achieve synergies, in line with the principles of Agenda 2030 entitled ‘Leave no one behind’ and ‘Address the needs of those furthest behind first’ and the SDGs; underlines that PCD should be applied across all policies and all areas covered by Agenda 2030 and the SDGs;
22. Calls for a step change in the implementation of PCD to ensure that impacts on developing countries are properly identified and analysed, that negative impacts are avoided and that full use is made of possible synergies, for the purpose of achieving development objectives and the SDGs;
23. Once again calls for an audit by the European Commission to ensure consistency between its internal and external policies;
24. Stresses the need for better communication on the SDGs, since not all stakeholders are familiar with the framework or prioritise the SDGs at EU, national or local level, such that better communication is needed to strengthen political commitment and raise awareness of SDGs on the ground;
25. Stresses the significance of the expanding young population in the Global South for sustainable development; reiterates that access to quality education (SDG 4) including vocational training is a critical tool to enable the continent to empower the expanding young population; strongly stresses the creation of stronger linkages between education, skills development and employment, to allow access to decent work in the rapidly changing labour market; emphasises that quality education for all must be ensured, regardless of gender, socio-economic status, cultural background and religion;
26. Recognises the importance of education for global citizenship and sustainable development as an enabler of all of the goals, and calls on the Commission to include this as a priority in all relevant calls for funding;
27. Regrets the fact that the Commission has still not presented a comprehensive strategy for achieving Agenda 2030, despite calls from the European Parliament, the Council of the EU6a, the European Economic and Social Committee6b and the Committee of the Regions, even though there are less than seven years left to achieve the SDGs and, hence, urgent implementation is required; insists that the Commission should proceed to adopt such a strategy without further delay; believes that it should define, at a minimum:
(a) a new governance framework, led by a single high-level Commissioner who is accountable for the implementation of the SDGs across all portfolios and who will systematically consult the new multi-stakeholder platform, for transforming collective knowledge into collective action, and which should include regional and local governments, all relevant civil society organisations and scientists;
(b) a revised set of concrete, measurable, EU-wide, time-bound targets and indicators and concrete measures for achieving them;
(c) an updated monitoring system and indicators, taking into account the EU’s internal and external impact on global progress towards the SDGs;
(d) a single financial plan to achieve the EU’s SDG objectives, linked to the above targets;
(e) a plan for the EU’s SDG diplomacy and international cooperation, led by a Special Envoy for the SDGs, answerable to the Commissioner responsible, to promote consistent action on the SDGs globally through the EU’s external actions and to ensure fair burden sharing and a level playing field;
28. Stresses that the strategy should be regularly reviewed and accompanied by corrective measures in areas where progress is deemed to have stalled or be insufficient; calls for the implementation of the SDGs to be an agenda item for the weekly College of Commissioners meeting not less than every three months; urges the future upcoming Council’s Presidency to organise a high-level debate on how to implement the SDGs on time, preferably in the General Affairs Council at ministerial level;
29. Stresses that the SDGs should form the backbone of European public policies and that all Member States should raise the level of ambition of their national responses on SDG implementation;
30. Calls on the Commission to continue the reform of the European Semester to balance economic, social and environmental priorities and to better link the European Semester to the monitoring of the Green Deal, the Paris Agreement, and NRRPs under the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF), engaging local and regional authorities in the process – while noting, in particular, that very few Member States have explicitly linked their NRRPs to the SDGs – and including comprehensive mapping of the corresponding financial envelopes;
31. Calls on the Commission to use the country-specific recommendations to systematically measure Member States’ progress and set out concrete proposals for necessary changes and improvements, including recommendations for country-specific SDG targets, and to continue reforming the European Semester in order to balance economic, social and environmental priorities, so that it drives a long-term social, environmental and economic transformation and improves the integration of Agenda 2030, the European Pillar of Social Rights and the European Green Deal at all levels;
32. Stresses the important role of the European Parliament as well those of national parliaments and regional and local authorities, in promoting the SDGs’ implementation through European policies and heightening the goals’ visibility in public discourse; underlines its scrutiny, legislation and budgetary powers to foster the implementation of Agenda 2030; calls, to this end, on its committees to further integrate SDG considerations in their legislative and non-legislative work;
33. Also calls for Parliament to appoint a standing rapporteur on the implementation of the SDGs to embed them in EU legislation across committees; welcomes in this regard the efforts made by the Parliament’s SDG Alliance; calls on the President of the European Parliament to appoint a Vice-President for the SDGs to promote the SDGs within the bureau and externally represent the European Parliament on the SDGs;
34. Encourages the Parliament’s general secretariat to produce a Parliament SDG review to fully assess its contribution to the achievement of the SDGs, following similar commitments by other EU institutions; underlines that coordination and regular structured dialogue within and between the EU institutions is essential to ensure the EU’s leadership and increase the effectiveness of its efforts to implement Agenda 2030; therefore calls for the creation of an interinstitutional task force to assume the responsibility of coordinating the EU’s efforts to deliver the SDGs internally and globally;
35. Recognises that the SDGs have to be strengthened through the creation of effective legal and regulatory frameworks, policies and practices at EU and Member State level to promote their implementation;
36. Recalls that voluntary national reviews are the cornerstone of the follow-up and review framework for Agenda 2030 and a key accountability tool; welcomes the commitment of nine EU Member States to present their national voluntary review at the 2023 HLPF and invites all Member States to engage in this process in subsequent years; and to give due consideration to and implement the recommendations that will be formulated on that occasion; emphasises that voluntary national reviews can only provide accountability if they are conducted objectively in a way that focuses on shortcomings as much as on achievements;
37. Calls on the Commission to encourage Member States as well as third countries to include the social economy in a horizontal and holistic manner in their Voluntary National Reviews, recognising the social economy’s key role in achieving the SDGs; considers that 2023 is the moment for the global community to shift from voluntary reporting to mandatory reporting; calls on the EU to push for further standardisation of national and regional voluntary reviews;
38. Welcomes the Commission’s initiative to draft and present the first EU voluntary review report in 2023; highlights the importance of the EU voluntary review containing:
(a) a reaffirmation of the EU’s commitment to deliver Agenda 2030 and the accompanying goals;
(b) a strategic overview of the EU’s commitments and targets to progress towards the SDGs, including, where applicable, quantified and time-bound targets for 2030;
(c) a comprehensive summary of internal and external EU measures to support the implementation of the SDGs, as well as policy consistency between activities on both levels, including potential trade-offs, having regard to impacts on partner countries and positive and negative impacts on the global progress of the SDGs, as well as international partnerships and diplomacy for the SDGs;
(d) orientations on actions to be undertaken to take the implementation of Agenda 2030 further, in particular in anticipation of the 2024-2029 Commission political priorities;
39. Recalls the importance of taking into consideration the regional and local perspective and the contributions provided by civil society during the consultation process; calls on the Commission to include a social economy perspective in its European Voluntary Review;
40. Highlights that in order to achieve the SDGs, Agenda 2030 requires a strong level of societal legitimacy; reiterates the call on the Commission to establish a new permanent platform, for a ‘whole of society’ approach as an important innovation, for regular and structured engagement with civil society organisations, community-based organisations, the private sector (including SMEs), trade unions, cooperatives, academia and research institutions, regional and local governments and marginalised groups in order to systematically involve them in a meaningful way in the SDG implementation process;
41. Stresses, in the context of the implementation of the SDGs, the importance of an interdisciplinary approach and openness to the changes the modern world is undergoing, building awareness through education from an early age, promoting attitudes that take account of environmental and climate challenges, encouraging participation in development processes and active citizenship;
42. Underlines the importance of enhanced cooperation with partners in the Global South, particularly the African Union and representatives of local and regional governments and civil society representatives, in order to implement Agenda 2030 globally; notes that the implementation of Agenda 2030 will enable partner countries to achieve their own development goals (e.g. the African Union Agenda 2063) and strengthen their self-reliance on the path to a just and equal society; stresses in this context that the universality of the SDGs as a common agenda represents an opportunity to restore trust and position the EU as a bridge builder between the Global North and the Global South; stresses, in this regard, the need for sufficient alignment with partner countries’ own efforts and local needs, when it comes to partnerships on development cooperation;
43. Highlights that it is imperative that the effectiveness and efficiency of European development policies be improved in order to accelerate SDG implementation in developing countries; calls for a stronger EU engagement and greater consistency across all policies and financing instruments for fostering sustainable development; advocates for a regular review with partner countries and relevant stakeholders from the Global South on jointly agreed development objectives in order to address shortcomings;
44. Stresses the need to promote the social economy in the EU’s relations with third countries, including during trade negotiations; reiterates that trade policy can be an instrument for fostering regional integration and stability, economic development, migration, combating climate change as well as fostering peace and security;
45. Recognises the important role of the ACP-EU partnership, notably in fostering sustainable development in ACP countries and ensuring the existence of stronger alliances to tackle global challenges; strongly supports the signing of the new agreement (Post-Cotonou Agreement) as soon as possible;
46. Stresses, in this regard, that the EU and its Member States must avoid negative spillovers adversely affecting the Global South, undermining their efforts to achieve the SDGs and which occur as a result of the Member States’ past economic and technological model; advocates for cooperation with global partners to turn any negative spillovers into virtuous circles;
47. Calls for all EU policies to be subject to a mandatory check to assess all impacts and expenditure affecting SDG implementation in the Global South and address any negative effects, including by taking mitigating action and revising legislative acts where necessary, and ensuring that change in this area is measurable;
48. Welcomes the recent agreement reached between the co-legislators on the Deforestation Regulation[22];
49. Reiterates its calls on the Commission and on the Council to take the actions listed in its recent resolution on policy coherence for development so as to ensure effective implementation of this principle and the ‘do no harm’ principle, paying special attention to trade, finance, environment and climate change, food security, migration and security;
50. Notes that critical raw material sourcing necessary for the EU energy transition is often associated with potentially severe environmental impacts as well as potential conflicts with local communities and human rights violations against indigenous people in the Global South;
51. Expresses particular concern about the significant impact of certain mega-projects in third countries, notably in the energy and extractive industries, on indigenous peoples and local communities and urges the EU and the Member States to maintain high social and environmental standards in line with the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People and ILO Convention No 169, notably the recognition of the principles of free, prior and informed consent and customary ownership;
52. Highlights the need to develop and promote multiple solutions that all actors in society can implement to reduce their carbon footprint, such as responsible consumption of resources (from water to food), the transition to the circular economy, investments in green energy, developing green value chains in the private sector, increasing the percentage of green public procurement, prioritising and supporting investments in the research sector dedicated to bio-based solutions, increasing the percentage of green credits to support the transition to low-carbon businesses;
53. Calls on the EU to learn from innovative projects implemented by certain non-EU countries, such as the African-led ‘Great Green Wall’ initiative, which aims to restore 100 million hectares of currently degraded land by 2030 throughout the Sahel region and to enable the development of agro-ecology and regeneration projects;
54. Stresses that the EU’s external and trade policy affecting developing countries must be consistent with the principle of policy coherence for development and its development cooperation objective of eradicating poverty, while helping achieve the SDGs;
55. Stresses the importance of working for the development of peace, justice and strong institutions (SDG 16) especially in the current situation marked by the increase in conflicts, such as the war in Ukraine following Russia’s illegal invasion;
56. Calls on EU Member States and its global partners to support research and development, innovative green technologies, capacity-building and knowledge-sharing for a sustainable, resilient and inclusive recovery;
57. Stresses the need to ensure gender-budgeting, gender equality and women’s active participation in promoting the implementation of the SDGs as well as the participation of different minorities and indigenous peoples;
58. Stresses that women’s contribution in green economic activities is essential to achieve equitable sustainable development and should be seen and valued; believes that women and girls can also benefit from the opportunities in the field of green entrepreneurship and become green employers rather than employees;
Data and monitoring
59. Reiterates its support for the work of Eurostat in relation to annual SDG monitoring in the EU; points out that, in order to assess Member States’ progress on the SDGs, the Eurostat sustainable development indicators must be improved by filling existing gaps for some SDGs, and addressing weaknesses in information systems by strengthening the use of existing statistical data from a variety of sources and by better measuring EU policies’ cross-border and long-term distributional impact on territories and specific marginalised and vulnerable groups, in the EU and globally; believes it is crucial to monitor progress on all 169 sub-goal targets;
60. Calls on the Member States to enhance their data collection as well as to adopt SDG indicators and monitor their implementation in the NRRPs;
61. Points out that Eurostat sustainable development indicators do not reflect reality on the ground, since they are used to assess the SDGs at national level and are largely dependent on data provided by national institutes; believes, therefore, that local and regional NUTS-2-level data should also be used and be based on measurable, time-bound targets;
62. Stresses that a minimum level of data and statistical disaggregation should be ensured and aligned more closely to the global SDG monitoring framework, covering, where appropriate, geographical location and demographic aspects, gender, income, education level, age, race, ethnicity, migratory status, impairment and other characteristics;
63. Calls on Member States to report more thoroughly to the OECD on their development cooperation, so as to fill the data gap regarding the EU’s external impact on third countries’ SDG progress and to develop more evidence-based indicators, in line with the consumption-based spillover indicator included in the Eurostat report;
64. Notes, furthermore, that important evidence-based data remains unavailable on global, national and regional development policies in the Global South, particularly with regard to their impact on the poorest and most vulnerable and marginalised groups and territories;
65. Highlights the disruption of data production and data accuracy caused by global crises; highlights that accurate and reliable data is crucial to measuring progress and identifying bottlenecks;
66. Regrets the lack of comprehensive ODA reporting per SDG by the EU and all Member States;
67. Calls for strengthening and accelerating human, institutional and infrastructure data capacity building, especially in the developing countries and EU internal monitoring tools, such as the gender marker or the newly established inequality marker;
68. Calls for the EU to significantly step up technical cooperation with, and technical assistance to, developing countries to address the global data gap created by insufficient monitoring capacities and inconsistent methodologies;
69. Recalls that SDG implementation is a shared responsibility, requiring action at the national, regional and local levels; highlights, in that regard, the importance of voluntary local reviews (VLRs) and voluntary subnational reviews, as a means of further localising the SDGs and therefore advancing their implementation;
70. Calls on Member States to put in place comprehensive tools, such as mapping, for the effective implementation of SDGs;
71. Stresses that regular comprehensive reviews of SDGs’ progress at sub-national and local level can reinforce vertical and horizontal consistency, stimulate local participation, facilitate peer-learning and sharing of best practices between regions and cities at global level and contribute to overall SDG implementation and therefore recommends support for the implementation at all territorial levels;
72. Welcomes in this regard the work of UN-HABITAT and strongly supports the work of the Joint Research Centre on localising the SDGs inter alia through the ‘REGIONS2030: Monitoring the SDGs in the EU regions - Filling the data gaps’ project and the European Handbook for SDGs Voluntary Local Reviews;
73. Calls for a European platform for VLRs to foster exchange and learning as well as twinning approaches across Europe for accelerated SDG implementation at local level; suggests that this data be integrated in EU cohesion policies;
74. Highlights that corporate sustainability reporting and due diligence, when subject to relevant audits, can be an important framework to encourage greater accountability in the private sector regarding the social and environmental impact of companies and their contribution to the achievement of the SDGs;
75. Encourages all actors across society, including private entities, to engage in regular voluntary reporting on SDG implementation and stresses the need to finance training for capacity building for SMEs in order to learn how to implement the SDGs in their daily activities;
76. Points out that there is a growing awareness that economic growth, as measured primarily by GDP, has little to do with prosperity and well-being and that sustainability must be at the core of economic systems;
77. Demands crucial reforms also in the methodology of measuring economic performance, which have to properly indicate progress, based on the well-being of people and the planet;
78. Calls on the Commission to present the summary dashboard and indicator set measuring ‘beyond GDP’ without delay, as set out in the eighth environment action programme; urges the Commission to develop beyond-GDP indicators that incorporate societal and environmental factors, and to deepen its cooperation with the international community;
Financial framework
79. Recalls the broad recognition, when the SDGs were adopted, of the need to ‘go from billions to trillions’ in financing for development; is alarmed by the fact that the SDG financing gap has instead grown from USD 2.5 trillion to USD 4 trillion per year[23];
80. Stresses, in this regard, the need for a reformed global plan to finance the SDGs; draws attention to the fact that, with global GDP now over USD 100 trillion and the capitalisation of global equity and fixed income markets being around USD 250 trillion, global financial resources are sufficient for a big push towards closure of the SDG financing gap and should be made available for this, including through fair effective taxation and effective international measures against tax competition, tax avoidance and evasion;
81. Underlines the important role of ODA as a catalyst for change and leverage for the mobilisation of other resources and recalls that it remains a major source of finance for the poorest countries and continues to play a crucial role in achieving Agenda 2030; notes with concern that, while being the biggest global ODA provider, the EU and its Member States failed to achieve their collective commitments to provide at least 0.7 % of GNI as ODA and, consequently, urges them to honour their commitment;
82. Stresses the need for donors to prioritise grant-based financing, especially to LDCs, in view of their unsustainable debt burdens; insists that ODA, as defined by the OECD, should always have as its primary objective the promotion of developing countries’ economic development and welfare and therefore needs to play a key role in financing the SDGs;
83. Stresses that the principles of development effectiveness should be followed, that human rights must be fully respected by all actors benefiting from blended finance and guarantees;
84. Calls on the Commission to ensure full transparency in private sector cooperation so that it is open to effective stakeholder, parliamentary and public scrutiny;
85. Stresses that the absence of a financing plan for the SDGs prevents the overall monitoring of spending on their implementation within the EU budget; calls for the adoption of an EU financing plan for the SDGs under a revised Multiannual Financial Framework;
86. Underlines that Agenda 2030 should guide all EU financing tools and their programming, especially the MFF, NDICI-Global Europe, EFSD+, the EU’s main development financing tools as well as explore synergies with Horizon Europe, LIFE+, InvestEU, and the Digital Europe Programme;
87. Underlines that the financing plan for the SDGs should address the lack of margin under Heading 6 of the Multiannual Financial Framework, which does not provide sufficient means for the EU’s external action to help partner countries finance their SDGs strategies;
88. Stresses that important EU investment strategies like the Global Gateway must be clearly oriented towards and fully assessed against the need to implement Agenda 2030 with its ‘leave no one and no place behind’ principle and encompassing the whole social, economic and environmental dimension; is worried that the Global Gateway lacks a clear development mandate, and that its design and planning lacks transparency and public scrutiny; criticises the absence of fresh funding and its reliance on private finance which is inherently risk averse, and thus, its inability to reach the furthest-behind first;
89. Highlights that the NDICI-Global Europe mid-term review provides an opportunity to assess the EU’s contribution to achieving the SDGs worldwide and reaffirms its support towards Agenda 2030 by setting out clear and measurable commitments for the coming years;
90. Recalls the obligation in the Taxonomy Regulation[24] for the Commission to publish a report with a view to extending its scope beyond environmentally sustainable economic activities, including other sustainability objectives, such as social objectives; emphasises that this would help implement the European Pillar of Social Rights and the European Green Deal while taking the situation of micro-enterprises and SMEs into account;
91. Recognises the EIB’s flagship role in the European Green Deal and sustainable blue economy, and its substantial contribution to the EU’s economic response to the COVID-19 pandemic; calls on the EU to further maximise the potential of the EIB as a tool to leverage the EU’s strategic autonomy and its achievement of the SDGs, and to promote its external policy interests and priorities in its relations with non-EU countries;
92. Highlights the urgency of requiring financial institutions to define and adopt strategies and targets to align financial portfolios and other assets with the SDGs and regularly report on progress inter alia in the context of their ESG reporting;
93. Underlines the importance of making the EU budget consistent with the 17 SDGs and their respective sub-targets; invites the Commission to examine the details of a dedicated methodology for tracking SDG expenditure in the EU budget, complementary to the climate and biodiversity tracking methodologies already in place; requests that a comprehensive mapping of the financial envelopes of existing and future EU policies, programmes and funds, including of the investments and structural reforms pursued under the Recovery and Resilience Facility, be conducted to ensure consistency with the objectives of Agenda 2030;
94. Stresses that adequate financing for the achievement of the SDGs, especially in developing countries, requires a thorough overhaul of the global financial architecture to align all of its parts with Agenda 2030 for global development, the Paris Agreement on climate action and the Global Biodiversity Framework;
95. Calls for the swift operationalisation of the Loss and Damage Fund agreed at COP27 and that new financing commitments are directed swiftly where they are needed most;
96. Urges the Commission and the Member States to step up their engagement and jointly work towards the necessary reforms of the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank Group and multilateral development banks in order to adjust these financial institutions’ visions and operating models with a focus on strengthening the fight against poverty and rising inequality and promoting a just and sustainable twin transition;
97. Regrets that, in a number of cases, the structural reforms promoted by the IMF and the World Bank have contributed to the weakening of the ability of developing countries to promote public policies to fight poverty and to strengthen education and health systems;
98. Urgently calls on the Commission to track inconsistencies among expenditures and identify and phase out all environmentally harmful subsidies without delay, as required by the General Union Environment Action Programme to 2030;
99. Points out the need to rechannel IMF Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) to developing countries and Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs), with a view to increasing SDG investment capacity without creating additional debt; underlines the need to improve the lending terms of MDBs, including lower interest rates and longer-term loans;
100. Strongly welcomes the Bridgetown Initiative in this regard and calls on the Commission and the Member States to constructively and proactively engage in the relevant discussions in international forums throughout 2023 so that ambitious reforms can be achieved swiftly;
101. In this regard, welcomes the fact that a Summit for a New Global Financial Pact is to be held in Paris in June 2023, making it possible to promote an inclusive approach by bringing together all the relevant stakeholders; calls on the EU and international partners to fully engage in real commitments and action during this international summit to facilitate vulnerable countries’ access to the finance they need to address the consequences of current and future crises and to implement Agenda 2030, and make it an opportunity to build a new contract between the North and the South;
102. Recognises the importance and the potential of Member States’ development banks and other European development finance institutions; stresses the pressing need to boost the private sector in developing countries, in Sub-Saharan Africa in particular, and the difficulties encountered in serving this area of development cooperation;
103. Calls for more effective dissemination of information concerning financing opportunities that may be available to business to support the implementation of SDG strategic plans at local and regional level from the European Investment Bank;
104. Encourages the private sector and multilateral financial institutions to continue to support countries whose economies have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic to achieve a sustainable, resilient and inclusive recovery;
105. Is alarmed by the fact that LDCs were already unable to finance the implementation of the SDGs before the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine and are now even more in need of financial support; stresses that more than half of the world’s 69 low and middle income countries face either a debt crisis or are at high risk of one; notes with deep concern that according to the UN, 25 developing countries spent more than 20 % of total government revenue on external debt servicing in 2022, while, at the same time, 16 of the most debt-troubled countries today owe more than 30 % of their public and publicly guaranteed external debt to private creditors; underlines that the high cost of borrowing for developing countries inhibits investment in the SDGs;
106. Emphasises the need both for rapid global debt relief efforts for developing countries, ending the ‘too little, too late’ syndrome and unnecessary exacerbation of debt situations, and for systemic changes towards a rules-based multilateral order capable of preventing new debt crises;
107. Reiterates its call on the Commission, in consultation with all major international actors and the countries concerned, to draw up a genuine strategy to save developing countries from excessive indebtedness; in particular, calls for the creation of a multilateral debt workout mechanism, under UN auspices;
108. Notes that the Common Debt Framework still does not provide concrete debt relief and calls for an enhanced multilateral debt relief initiative with an effective mechanism to engage private creditors, debt relief in return for achieving SDGs and climate action (debt swaps), measures to facilitate lender coordination on new loan contracts and the adoption of automatic debt suspension in the event of pre-defined shock;
109. Welcomes the UN Secretary-General’s push for a global SDG Stimulus to Deliver Agenda 2030 which calls for additional liquidity, effective debt restructuring and the expansion of development finance, with a view to freeing up significant fiscal space in developing economies and reforming the global international financial architecture; calls for a collective response from the EU and its Member States to the SDG Stimulus initiative and to start without delay on parallel preparation of proposals for such a plan;
110. Points to the pertinence of its resolution of 17 April 2018 on enhancing developing countries’ debt sustainability[25], which has only increased since new pressures and the lack of adequate action are now resulting in a major new debt crisis; reaffirms the calls made in this resolution for the systematic consideration of resource needs in the context of human rights, including the right to development, and the prioritisation of these needs, for the establishment of an international debt repayment mechanism, for the transformation of the UNCTAD Principles to Promote Responsible Lending and Borrowing into legally binding and enforceable instruments, for the sanctioning of lenders who lend to manifestly corrupt governments or in violation of the law established by the national parliament of the borrowing state;
111. Recognises the importance of domestic resources being mobilised in developing countries as well as the structural challenges of their mobilisation and draws attention to the fact that this is contingent on an enabling international environment; recalls that illicit financial outflows and tax havens have a severe impact on the fiscal space of developing countries and seriously undermine the Rule of Law and institutional resilience in these countries, which is an essential precondition to achieve sustainable development;
112. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to take the lead to clamp down on tax evasion and tax avoidance practices, including listing of non-cooperative jurisdictions for tax purposes, to scale up its cooperation with developing countries on tax matters to enable them to enhance mobilisation of public resources, and to take the initiative and push for the establishment of a UN intergovernmental commission for international cooperation on tax matters, in order to fight illicit financial outflows and cross-border tax evasion, and to close tax havens;
113. Reiterates the critical role of public and private investments and public-private partnerships to increase developmental investments in developing countries and LDCs, where needs are the greatest, in closing the annual SDG funding gap of USD 4 trillion; therefore calls on the Commission to enter into in-depth discussions and to engage with the private sector to encourage private financing;
114. At the same time, also warns of the risks involved, for example the erosion of universal access to quality critical public services (such as health, education and social protection, or local renewable energy production) or the overcompensation of private investors; notes in that regard that the overall evidence of the development effectiveness of subsidising private investment remains weak and that there is currently a lack of evidence that blended finance has had a large impact in the attainment of the SDGs;
115. Therefore calls on the EU to push for a new approach in blended finance that is based on SDG-targeted impact, fair sharing of risks and rewards, clear accountability mechanisms, and consistent social and environmental standards, in line with the Addis Ababa Action Agenda, and to prioritise partnerships with domestic enterprises in LDCs that pursue sustainable and inclusive business models;
116. Highlights the role of private philanthropy in financing sustainable development; calls on the Commission to promote a better enabling framework for foundations both in its internal policies and in its relations with third countries;
117. Recalls that developing countries are historically vulnerable to external shocks owing to narrow export bases and less diversified economies; stresses, therefore, that one of the main challenges for developing countries is to climb up the global value chain through economic diversification and to shift from an export-oriented production model towards development based on domestic and regional markets; to this end, emphasises the crucial role of multilateral forums and institutions to advance those objectives, with a view to harnessing resilience and to increasing national or regional autonomy in the production of essential goods and services;
118. Recognises the role of local micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, cooperatives, inclusive business models and research institutes as engines of growth, employment and local innovation, which will in turn contribute to the achievement of the SDGs;
Sectoral policies related to the SDGs under review at the 2023 High Level Political Forum
119. Regrets that many cases of policy inconsistencies persist in various EU sectoral areas, notably related to food, energy, trade and taxation policy, with particularly worrying negative consequences for developing countries;
120. Urges the Member States to ensure access to affordable and clean heating and electricity; highlights that reducing energy demand through increasing the efficiency of buildings, consumer goods and transport can also contribute to limiting global warming to 1.5°C as committed to under the Paris Agreement, while supporting global health, education, poverty, employment and food security goals;
121. Highlights that 70 % of the EU’s population lives in cities today and this is projected to reach almost 84 % in 2050; therefore stresses the importance of sustainable urban development in the EU, including through, inter alia: a modal shift from private cars to more sustainable modes of transport like high quality and affordable public transport, walking and cycling; an ambitious renovation wave to renovate the EU’s building stock and thereby reduce energy consumption and emissions, cut energy bills, create local employment and ensure safer, healthier buildings for people to live in; and the establishment and expansion of green and blue infrastructure in cities which serve to reduce air, water and noise pollution, provide protection from flooding, droughts and heat waves, and provide a refuge for nature as well as recreational amenities for people;
122. Stresses the importance of achieving universal access to energy for all in the Global South; insists upon the need to support renewable decentralised solutions, such as small-scale, off-grid and mini-grid energy solutions, to reach all parts of developing countries’ populations, particularly poor and rural populations; calls on the EU to target its efforts, financially and technically, towards these small-scale solutions to energy poverty in remote areas;
123. Notes the Commission’s proposal to conclude new Sustainable Investment Facilitation Agreements; stresses that the EU must aim to negotiate with its partners to develop sustainable trade and cooperation agreements that uphold the right of each party to regulate (including the ability to limit the exports of raw materials when justified by sustainable development objectives), create added-value for both parties, while ensuring a high level of climate and human rights protection;
124. Recalls that the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services will undermine progress in approximately 80 % of the assessed targets for the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and calls on the EU to address the root causes of biodiversity loss and to mainstream obligations on conservation, restoration and the sustainable use of resources into broader development policies; recalls that ecological restoration is critical for the implementation of the ‘One Health’ approach; stresses that conservation efforts must not violate human rights, notably those of indigenous peoples and local communities; accordingly, calls on the EU to develop a conservation programme in consultation with local communities, indigenous peoples and women, as well as other marginalised groups to truly contribute to the fight against deforestation and biodiversity loss;
Outlook
125. Reiterates that the SDGs are the only globally agreed and comprehensive set of goals on the major challenges ahead for both developed and developing countries and Agenda 2030 should therefore serve as a guiding light when navigating through the current uncertainties; strongly advocates for SDG 17 (Partnership for the goals) for the urgent revitalisation of global partnerships particularly between governments, the private sector, and civil society with a view to implementing Agenda 2030; highlights the opportunity that the SDGs provide to establish a true well-being economy centred on people and the planet and to work towards a sustainable world beyond 2030;
126. Suggests that the UN should push all Member States to support the introduction of concrete timelines and implementation plans that are binding for the signatory states towards 2030 and beyond; calls furthermore on the UN to prepare a post-Agenda 2030 strategy well ahead of time;
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127. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council and the Commission as well as to the Secretary General of the United Nations and the President of the United Nations General Assembly.
EXPLANATORY STATEMENT
With only 6,5 years left until the deadline for the realisation of the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), it is of utmost importance for the EU to show leadership, globally and regionally, in their implementation. Confronted with pluri-crisis, such as Covid-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine and the climate and biodiversity emergencies, the international community observes a global negative impact on the achievement of the SDGs. Despite some progress of certain SDGs prior to the crises, trends are now reversed for several years in a row, leading to increased poverty and inequality, food price crisis, environmental degradation and biodiversity loss. In this context, it is important for the co-rapporteurs to underline that the Agenda 2030 and its 17 SDGs are the key tools to address those challenges and that they serve as the global compass to a socially and environmentally just transition that leaves no one behind and to a wellbeing economy.
The year 2023 is a pivotal year for the review of the SDGs and a push for their realisation by 2030, especially with the EU presenting its first Voluntary Review report at the High Level Political Forum (HLPF) in July 2023 and the SDGs Global Summit in September 2023 marking the mid-term of their implementation. The HLPF is the main United Nations platform on sustainable development and plays a central role in the follow-up and global review of the Agenda 2030 and the SDGs. This year’s HLPF will be dedicated to “Accelerating the recovery from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at all levels”.
Status update at the halfway mark
This report aims at contributing to the overall EU efforts towards the SDGs implementation and at presenting a number of recommendations. The midterm is a key moment for the EU to translate its ambitions into concrete strategies and actions by stepping up its efforts. The report also serves in preparation for the European Parliament’s delegation to the HLPF in July 2023.
In this context, the report focuses on the midterm status of the SDGs implementation, on issues of governance, multilateralism and partnerships, it looks further at the availability of data and monitoring tools, followed by recommendations as regards the financial framework and provides an overall outlook for the future.
Governance, multilateralism and partnerships
The EU played a significant role in setting up the Agenda 2030 in 2015 and therefore carries a big responsibility to revive it on a global level while leading by example. For that, a comprehensive European strategy for achieving the Agenda 2030 is needed. The report regrets that the Commission has still not presented such an overarching strategy on full implementation of the SDGs, as called for by the European Parliament in its resolution of 23 June 2022 and in Council conclusions. There is a broader need for a wider coordination within the EU institutions, a better involvement of the European Parliament and tangible tools to consult the civil society. The first EU Voluntary Review in 2023 is a very much-welcomed step that the Parliament supports despite strong regrets over the lack of involvement of the Parliament in its preparations.
Moreover, the report places an important emphasis on the need for improved cooperation with global partner countries. In this context, the EU and its Member States must avoid negative spill-over effects at the expense of the Global South and ensure that all EU policies should be subject to a mandatory SDG check to better understand and address any negative effects.
Data and monitoring
There is an important lack of data for global, regional and national development policy in the Global South, particularly for the poorest and most marginalised which makes the monitoring of the implementation of the SDGs difficult. The EU must also enhance data collection and more specifically the Eurostat Sustainable Development indicator system, which must be improved by filling gaps for some SDGs, with specific focus on vulnerable groups.
Financial framework
As has been observed for years, financing of the SDGs is a major challenge in their implementation. At the time when the SDGs were adopted there was a broad recognition of the need to “go from billions to trillions” in financing for development. However, the SDG financing gap keeps growing at an alarming rate from USD 2.5 trillion to USD 4 trillion per year.
The COVID 19 pandemic and its economic impact contributed largely to the shifting of priorities and the reversal of prior progress with the Agenda 2030. The financing needs are ever bigger but the resources are smaller, subjecting the SDGs to the so-called ‘scissors effect’.
The co-rapporteurs therefore propose a number of measures in order to close the financing gap for the SDGs. Apart from the call for the EU to adopt its own SDGs financing plan, they call for the adoption of a global SDGs Stimulus package. Furthermore, the report highlights the need of a thorough overhaul of the global financial architecture, effective debt relief measures for developing countries and the fight against illicit financial outflows and tax havens.
INFORMATION ON ADOPTION IN COMMITTEE RESPONSIBLE
Rule 58 – Joint committee procedure Date announced in plenary |
16.2.2023 |
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Date adopted |
23.5.2023 |
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Result of final vote |
+: –: 0: |
65 11 5 |
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Members present for the final vote |
Barry Andrews, Eric Andrieu, Maria Arena, Bartosz Arłukowicz, Margrete Auken, Traian Băsescu, Hildegard Bentele, Stéphane Bijoux, Dominique Bilde, Malin Björk, Michael Bloss, Mercedes Bresso, Udo Bullmann, Delara Burkhardt, Mohammed Chahim, Antoni Comín i Oliveres, Elisabetta De Blasis, Esther de Lange, Heléne Fritzon, Malte Gallée, Charles Goerens, Mónica Silvana González, Teuvo Hakkarainen, Pierrette Herzberger-Fofana, Martin Hojsík, György Hölvényi, Adam Jarubas, Rasa Juknevičienė, Karin Karlsbro, Ewa Kopacz, Joanna Kopcińska, Javi López, Karsten Lucke, César Luena, Erik Marquardt, Marina Mesure, Dolors Montserrat, Alessandra Moretti, Ljudmila Novak, Janina Ochojska, Nikos Papandreou, Jutta Paulus, Francesca Peppucci, Jessica Polfjärd, Michèle Rivasi, María Soraya Rodríguez Ramos, Sándor Rónai, Christian Sagartz, Silvia Sardone, Günther Sidl, Tomas Tobé, Edina Tóth, Achille Variati, Petar Vitanov, Alexandr Vondra, Mick Wallace, Pernille Weiss, Emma Wiesner, Michal Wiezik, Bernhard Zimniok |
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Substitutes present for the final vote |
João Albuquerque, Milan Brglez, Asger Christensen, Gianantonio Da Re, Margarita de la Pisa Carrión, Rosa Estaràs Ferragut, Nicolás González Casares, Radan Kanev, Stelios Kympouropoulos, Marisa Matias, Max Orville, Demetris Papadakis, Rovana Plumb, Robert Roos, Sarah Wiener |
|||
Substitutes under Rule 209(7) present for the final vote |
Karolin Braunsberger-Reinhold, Ciarán Cuffe, Jakop G. Dalunde, Claude Gruffat, Markus Pieper, Rob Rooken |
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FINAL VOTE BY ROLL CALL IN COMMITTEE RESPONSIBLE
65 |
+ |
NI |
Antoni Comín i Oliveres, Edina Tóth |
PPE |
Bartosz Arłukowicz, Rosa Estaràs Ferragut, Adam Jarubas, Rasa Juknevičienė, Radan Kanev, Ewa Kopacz, Stelios Kympouropoulos, Esther de Lange, Dolors Montserrat, Ljudmila Novak, Janina Ochojska, Francesca Peppucci, Jessica Polfjärd, Christian Sagartz, Tomas Tobé, Pernille Weiss |
Renew |
Barry Andrews, Stéphane Bijoux, Asger Christensen, Charles Goerens, Martin Hojsík, Karin Karlsbro, Max Orville, María Soraya Rodríguez Ramos, Emma Wiesner, Michal Wiezik |
S&D |
João Albuquerque, Eric Andrieu, Maria Arena, Mercedes Bresso, Milan Brglez, Udo Bullmann, Delara Burkhardt, Mohammed Chahim, Heléne Fritzon, Mónica Silvana González, Nicolás González Casares, Javi López, Karsten Lucke, César Luena, Alessandra Moretti, Demetris Papadakis, Nikos Papandreou, Rovana Plumb, Sándor Rónai, Günther Sidl, Achille Variati, Petar Vitanov |
The Left |
Malin Björk, Marisa Matias, Marina Mesure, Mick Wallace |
Verts/ALE |
Margrete Auken, Michael Bloss, Ciarán Cuffe, Jakop G. Dalunde, Malte Gallée, Claude Gruffat, Pierrette Herzberger-Fofana, Erik Marquardt, Jutta Paulus, Michèle Rivasi, Sarah Wiener |
11 |
- |
ECR |
Teuvo Hakkarainen, Joanna Kopcińska, Margarita de la Pisa Carrión, Rob Rooken, Robert Roos, Alexandr Vondra |
ID |
Bernhard Zimniok |
PPE |
Traian Băsescu, Hildegard Bentele, Karolin Braunsberger-Reinhold, Markus Pieper |
5 |
0 |
ID |
Dominique Bilde, Gianantonio Da Re, Elisabetta De Blasis, Silvia Sardone |
PPE |
György Hölvényi |
Key to symbols:
+ : in favour
- : against
0 : abstention
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- [2] OJ L 114, 12.4.2022, p. 22.
- [3] OJ C 400, 26.11.2019, p. 9.
- [4] OJ C 316, 22.9.2017, p. 99.
- [5] OJ C 132, 14.4.2023, p. 54.
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- [7] OJ C 23, 21.1.2021, p. 130.
- [8] OJ C 232, 16.6.2021, p. 28.
- [9] OJ C 67, 8.2.2022, p. 25.
- [10] OJ C 347, 9.9.2022, p. 181.
- [11] OJ C 32, 27.1.2023, p. 28.
- [12] OJ C 47, 7.2.2023, p. 171.
- [13] OJ C 167, 11.5.2023, p. 57.
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- [15] Texts adopted, P9_TA(2023)0071.
- [16] OJ L 209, 14.6.2021, p. 1.
- [17] OJ L 209, 14.6.2021, p. 1.
- [18] European Commission, 2022: Eurobarometer: EU SMEs working towards sustainability .
- [19] UN Sustainable Development Report 2022, ‘From Crisis to Sustainable Development: the SDGs as Roadmap to 2030 and Beyond’.
- [20] SDG 6: Clean water and sanitation; SDG 7: Affordable and clean energy; SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure; SDG 11: Sustainable cities and communities; SDG 17: Partnerships for the goals.
- [21] Directive 2000/60/EC of 23 October 2000 establishing a framework for Community action in the field of water policy (OJ L 327, 22.12.2000, p. 1).
- [22] Proposal for a Regulation on the making available on the Union market as well as export from the Union of certain commodities and products associated with deforestation and forest degradation and repealing Regulation (EU) No 995/2010 (COM(2021)706).
- [23] Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Global Outlook on Financing for Sustainable Development 2023: No Sustainability Without Equity, OECD Publishing, Paris, 2022. .
- [24] Regulation (EU) 2020/852 of 18 June 2020 on the establishment of a framework to facilitate sustainable investment, and amending Regulation (EU) 2019/2088 (OJ L 198, 22.6.2020, p. 13).
- [25] OJ C 390, 18.11.2019, p. 46.