This study provides a rigorous ranking of 27 European nations based on their ability to balance economic growth with environmental and social responsibility.
By analyzing 35 specific indicators across the five “economic” Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs 7, 8, 9, 11, and 12), the researchers utilized a multicriteria analysis to calculate an aggregate sustainability score for each country.
The results reveal a clear geographical trend, with Northern and Western European countries consistently outperforming the rest. Sweden and Denmark lead the pack, with Denmark and Austria being the only nations to exceed the European average across every single goal analyzed. A particularly striking finding is the relationship between wealth and sustainability. While there is generally a strong linear connection between a high GDP per capita and sustainability scores, Luxembourg and Ireland emerged as significant outliers. Despite their high economic wealth—driven largely by attractive taxation systems—they have struggled to align that financial success with actual sustainability targets.
The study concludes that the “drivers” of economic growth must be fundamentally redesigned if we are to move beyond wealth accumulation toward genuine, long-term sustainability.
Learn more about this study here: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.131730
Reference
D’Adamo, I., Gastaldi, M., & Morone, P. (2022). Economic sustainable development goals: Assessments and perspectives in Europe. Journal of Cleaner Production, 354