European countries on the road to sustainable development: successes and contradictions

Abstract

The article considers the main European trends concerning sustainable investment. The study is based on the analysis of official documents, reports, statistical data, as well as the opinions of experts in the field of sustainable development policy. Statistics show a growing interest in sustainable investment in the world as a whole, and Europe continues to take one of the leading positions in terms of financial injections into sustainable development. Although not all European countries are members of the European Union, the development of legislation in sustainable policy demonstrates the same trend, while retaining some pecularities, which are also highlighted in this article. At the same time, the growing disagreements and disproportions among EU countries on certain issues of sustainable development are emphasized. In particular, the classification of nuclear power as «green», the disproportion in the distribution of financial investment flows, the high costs of the «green transition» and their distribution between consumers and producers in the «rich» and less wealthy countries of Europe. The initially unified «intention» is supplemented by a large number of exceptions and concessions generated by lobbies of the corporations which are based in certain countries