ESG & SDG

Environmental Social Governance

Sustainable Development Goals

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were set up in 2015 by the United Nations General Assembly and are intended to be achieved by 2030. At the core of the agenda is a list of 17 SDGs that address the global challenges such as ending poverty or hunger, promoting good health and well-being or quality of education. They as well put in the spot the need for standing up for human rights and protecting the environment.


Monitoring

The European Commission is committed to monitoring progress towards the SDGs in an EU context. Since the adoption of the first indicator (May 2017), Eurostat has led the further development of the indicator framework including annual monitoring exercises. The SDG monitoring report aims to present an objective assessment of whether the EU has progressed towards the SDGs.

Status

Each SDG in a country is given status that is the aggregation over all the indicators of the specific goal, put in relation to the EU average. It is a relative measure, which also depends to a certain extent on the natural conditions and historical developments of each country. It should be noted that a high status does not mean that a country is close to reaching a specific SDG but it signals that it is doing better than the EU on average.

Progress

The progress value of each SDG in a country is based on the average annual growth rates of all assessed indicators in the specific goal over the past five years. Hence, it is an absolute measure not influenced by the progress achieved by other countries.

 

Charts CEE Region

The CEE region is progressing well in most of the categories. It tackles well the issues of poverty or hunger but scores also high in such categories as sustainable cities and communities or decent work and economic growth. The region should put more focus on quality of education or gender inequality as in these categories it seems to lack behind the most.
 

Data as of: June 2024. 

SDG 1
No Poverty

Eradication of poverty in all its manifestations. It envisions shared prosperity, a basic standard of living and social protection benefits for people everywhere, including the poorest and most vulnerable. The goal seeks to ensure equal rights and access to economic and natural resources.

SDG 2
No Hunger

End hunger and malnutrition and ensure access to safe, nutritious and sufficient food. Realising this goal will largely depend on promoting sustainable production systems and increasing investment in rural infrastructure and agricultural research and development.

SDG 3
Good Health and Well Being

Ensure health and promote well-being for all at all ages by improving reproductive, maternal and child health, ending epidemics of major communicable diseases and reducing non-communicable and mental diseases. It also calls for reducing behavioural and environmental health-risk factors.

SDG 4
Quality Education

Promote lifelong learning opportunities for all and ensure access to equitable and quality education through all stages of life, as well as to increase the number of young people and adults who have the relevant skills for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship. The goal also envisages the elimination of gender and income disparities in access to education.

SDG 5
Gender Equality

Achieve gender equality by ending all forms of discrimination, violence and any harmful practices against women and girls in the public and private spheres. It also calls for the full participation of women and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of political and economic decision-making.

SDG 6
Clean Water and Sanitation

Ensure universal access to safe and affordable drinking water, sanitation and hygiene, and ending open defecation. It also aims to improve water quality and wateruse efficiency and to encourage sustainable abstractions and supply of freshwater.

SDG 7
Affordable and Clean Energy

Ensure universal access to modern energy services, improving energy efficiency and increasing the share of renewable energy. To accelerate the transition to an affordable, reliable and sustainable energy system that fulfils these demands, countries need to facilitate access to clean energy research and technology and to promote investment in resource- and energyefficient solutions and low-carbon energy infrastructure.

SDG 8
Decent Work and Economic Growth

Recognise the importance of sustained economic growth and high levels of economic productivity for the creation of wellpaid quality jobs, as well as resource efficiency in consumption and production. It calls for opportunities for full employment and decent work for all alongside the eradication of forced labour, human trafficking and child labour, and the promotion of labour rights and safe and secure working environments.

SDG 9
Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and recognise the importance of research and innovation for finding lasting solutions to social, economic and environmental challenges

SDG 10
Reduced Inequalities

Address inequalities within and among countries. It calls for nations to reduce inequalities in income and those based on age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status within a country. The goal also addresses inequalities among countries, including those related to representation, and calls for the facilitation of orderly and safe migration and mobility of people.

SDG 11
Sustainable Cities and Communities

Renew and plan cities and other human settlements in a way that offers opportunities for all, with access to basic services, energy, housing, transportation and green public spaces, while reducing resource use and environmental impact.

SDG 12
Responsible Consumption and Production

Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns, calling for a comprehensive set of actions from businesses, policy-makers, researchers and consumers to adapt to sustainable practices. It envisions sustainable production and consumption based on advanced technological capacity, resource efficiency and reduced global waste.

SDG 13
Climate Action

Implement the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change commitment to achieving a climate-neutral world by mid-century to limit global warming to well below 2°C —with an aim of 1.5°C — compared withbpre-industrial times. It also aims to strengthen countries’ resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related natural hazards and the resulting disasters, with a special focus on supporting leastdeveloped countries.

SDG 14

Life Below Water

Excluded in the CEE Region.

SDG 15
Life on Land

Protect, restore and promote the conservation and sustainable use of terrestrial, inland-water and mountain ecosystems. This includes efforts to sustainably manage forests and halt deforestation, combat desertification, restore degraded land and soil, halt biodiversity loss and protect threatened species.

SDG 16
Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

Promote peaceful and inclusive societies based on respect for human rights, protection of the most vulnerable, the rule of law and good governance at all levels. It also envisions transparent, effective and accountable institutions.

SDG 17
Partnership for the Goals

Revitalise the partnership for sustainable development. The goal highlights the importance of global macroeconomic stability and the need to mobilise financial resources for developing countries from international sources, as well as through strengthened domestic capacities for revenue collection. It also highlights the importance of trade for developing countries and equitable rules for governing international trade. SDG 17 furthermore emphasises the importance of access to science, technology and innovation, in particular internet-based information and communications technology.