Outlook

We reiterate our call for a “European Deal for the Future” which should be green, social and international. The implementation of the SDGs in the EU over the period 2024-2029 must include four overarching priorities: (1) collectively, scale up investments in clean energy and digital technologies in the EU now and lay the foundations for an ambitious investment strategy well into the next decade via an ambitious Multiannual Financial Framework 2028-2035; (2) strengthen pro-social measures to address the EU’s stagnation on the “Leave no one behind” principle of the SDGs, the social consequences of inflation, rising budget pressures and rising geopolitical tensions; (3) address the negative health and environmental impacts from unsustainable consumption, by prioritising notably the just transition toward healthier and more sustainable diets, and finally (4) harness SDG/Green Deal Diplomacy with all regions, uphold the principles established in the UN Charter and support an ambitious reform of the GFA, including at the forthcoming FFD4 Conference in Sevilla, Spain in June 2025.

These objectives are to some extent reflected in the strategic documents presented by the new leadership of the EU, including the Commissioners’ mission letters and Council of the EU Strategic priorities. The stated intention to prepare and to adopt rapidly in 2025 an ambitious Clean Industrial Deal might also go in the right direction. In general, the EU should pursue its efforts to align its main process for macroeconomic coordination—the European Semester— with the SDGs, mobilize its flagship research programs like Horizon Europe and continue to report regularly its progress toward achieving the goals via Eurostat as important levers to ensure integrated action on environmental sustainability, technological innovation and social cohesion.

In a multipolar and increasingly divided world, we also reiterate our call to the new European Parliament, European Commission, and European Council to adopt in 2025 a Joint Political Statement reaffirming the EU’s Commitment for the universal SDGs and preparing for the next decades of global sustainable development. Ahead of the next 2027 SDG Summit at Heads-of-States level, the European Commission could coordinate the preparation of a second EU Voluntary Review and actively contribute to the adoption of an ambitious post-2030 global Agenda for sustainable development.

We also encourage the new leadership of the EU to set up a specific mechanism for structured engagement with civil society on the SDGs. This mechanism could perhaps be hosted and coordinated by the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), which successfully led civil society consultations in 2023 in the context of the first EU Voluntary Review. This mechanism could focus on SDG priorities in the EU but also make space for a dialogue with the Global South and major international partners. The SDSN, SDSN Europe and its 19 regional and national chapters—including its newest members in Bulgaria and Romania – remain very much committed to support the new leadership of the EU by providing solutions, data and a platform for exchange among scientists, experts and practitioners to accelerate SDG implementation by 2030 and beyond.