In a few weeks, the international community will set new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for the period to 2030. A number of EU states are struggling according to a preliminary SDG “stress test”, EurActiv Germany reports.
Most industrialized nations are not ready for the post-2015 agenda. Countries like France, Germany, Greece and Hungary are far from reaching their overall targets. World leaders will meet later this month to finalize the new agenda. On Tuesday, the Bertelsmann Foundation published its findings from its “stress test”.
Accordingly, it is not just a question of industrialized nations doing more to fight poverty in developing countries. There is demand also in their own countries, especially regarding sustainable production and consumption patterns. Moreover, their economic systems often exacerbate the gap between rich and poor.
At the end of September, the UN General Assembly will adopt 17 primary targets, known as Sustainable Development Goals. They will replace the soon-to-be-outdated Millennium Development Goals. In addition to fighting hunger and eradicating poverty, the SDGs also address the issues of gender equality and sustainable economy.
The Bertelsmann study compared the 34 OECD countries, using 34 indicators within the sphere of the 17 SDGs to reach its findings. The five countries that are most likely to reach the UN targets include four of the Nordic countries; Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland, with Switzerland completing the list. The study praises Sweden in particular, for its efforts in reducing greenhouse gas levels, which are currently about a third lower than what they were in 2006, in comparison with GDP.
The United States, Greece, Chile, Hungary, Turkey and Mexico failed the stress test. The US ranked among the lowest in terms of social inequality, malnutrition and CO2 emissions.
“Our study is the first stress test of the industrialized nations, based on the new target criteria,” explained Aart De Geus, Chairman and CEO of the Bertelsmann Foundation. “Rich countries are no longer considered to be global leaders, especially when growing social inequality and poor resource conservation are analyzed,” according to De Geus.
Pluses and minuses for Germany
Germany was ranked 6th overall in the study. In 12 of the 34 examined indicators, Germany took one of the top spots. Good performance in the areas of economic growth, employment and research and development, coupled with a relatively low poverty threshold, comparatively good social security, a low murder rate and numerous nature reserves, mean that Germany demonstrated some good results.
However, according to the study, there are also a number of shortcomings. Germany has a high waste production rate, with an average of 614 kg of waste per person per year, well above the OECD average of 483 kg and far exceeding Japan’s average of 354kg per person.
It also performed poorly in terms of sustainable agriculture. With a surplus of 94 kg of nitrogen and phosphorus per hectare of total agricultural land, soil, air and water pollution is a significant threat.