Measuring the environmental sustainability of 2030 Agenda implementation in EU countries: How do different assessment methods affect results?

Abstract

One of the most significant issues worldwide is the lack of environmental sustainability which is mainly due to negative consequences of human actions. When considering sustainability, social and economic development is founded on a healthy environment. Without it, it is not possible to use natural resources efficiently and increase the quality of life. Our paper focuses on environmental sustainability by analysing the environmental Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) given by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (2030 Agenda). The aim of this article is to compare assessment of the environmental sustainability of 2030 Agenda in the EU-27 countries through the three commonly used methods, using the two sets of indicators. We use SDG Index, Distance Measure, and Progress Measure, using the both world and European indicators. The results showed substantial differences between EU countries in achieving the environmental goals of 2030 Agenda. However, the country's results and rankings are shown to be very sensitive to the methodological approach and the indicators used. Evaluations revealed many discrepancies and inconsistencies that could lead to misguided conclusions regarding a country's political decision making.