Report: Czechia eighth in Europe in terms of sustainable development
The Czech Republic is keeping abreast with the most developed countries in the world in terms of sustainable development, suggests the 2019 Europe Sustainable Development Report, which identifies policy priorities for the European Union to achieve Sustainable Development Goals and implement the Paris Climate Agreement.
With 71.8 points, the Czech Republic ranked eighth among all EU member states, coming first among the Eastern and Central European countries, but also ahead of Great Britain, Belgium and the Netherlands.
Countries closest to achieving the sustainable development goals include Denmark, Sweden and Finland. To the contrary, Bulgaria, Romania and Cyprus rank last among the 28 countries assessed.
“The report shows that in terms of sustainable development, the Czech Republic keeps abreast with the most developed countries of the world,” says Vladislav Smrž, Deputy Minister for Section of Environmental Policy and International Relations at the Ministry of Environment.
According to the report, the Czech Republic is achieving sustainable development goals in terms of eradicating poverty. The country currently has the lowest at-risk-poverty rate as well as the lowest long-term unemployment rate in the EU.
Czechia is also moderately improving in the area of Clean Water and Sanitation, as well as in the amount of protected biodiversity areas.
Major challenges remain in the area of Climate Action, namely in energy-related CO2 emissions and contribution to the international commitment to climate related expenditures. The report concludes that while European countries lead globally on the Sustainable Development Goals, none are on track to achieve the Goals by 2030.
It suggests that the EU and its member states face the greatest challenges on goals related to climate, biodiversity, and circular economy, as well as in strengthening the convergence in living standards, across countries and regions.
The report also outlines a set of recommendations towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, such as accelerating progress towards climate change, sustainable consumption and production and sustainable agriculture and food systems.
