Implementation of the Affordable and Clean Energy Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) in Visegrad Group (V4)

Abstract

The problems related to the process of industrialisation such as biodiversity depletion, climate change and a worsening of health and living conditions, especially but not only in developing countries, intensify. Therefore, there is an increasing need to search for integrated solutions to make development more sustainable. The United Nations has acknowledged the problem and approved the “2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”. On 1st January 2016, the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the Agenda officially came into force. These goals cover the three dimensions of sustainable development: economic growth, social inclusion and environmental protection(Salvia, Azul, Brandli, Wall, Filho, 2021). Energy is at the forefront of the development agenda. Recognizing energy's vital role in development and prosperity, the world has committed to Sustainable Development Goal 7 to Affordable and Clean Energy (Banerjee, Moreno, Primiani, Seong, Sinton, 2017). This presented study discusses problems related to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goal 7: Affordable and Clean Energy, based on the example of the Visegrad Group (V4) countries. The introduction addresses the general characteristics of the V4 and attempts to define the concept of sustainable development, with particular emphasis on its complex nature and importance for future generations. The purpose of the research is to assess the diversity within the Visegrad Group countries in terms of affordable and Clean Energy. The study conducted in the article shows in that between 2009 and 2020, the Visegrad Group countries differed significantly due to all aspects of sustainable energy adopted by the European Union for monitoring sustainable development in the area of Affordable and Clean Energy.