Four years after the adoption of the SDGs and the Paris Agreement on climate change, no Mediterranean country is yet on track to achieve all the SDGs, according to a report published by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) and SDSN Mediterranean Area (SDSN Med), hosted by Santa Chiara Lab – University of Siena. The publication proposes the creation of centers of excellence to monitor sustainable development and disseminate solutions and good practices in the region.

The report titled, ‘2019 Sustainable Development Report: Mediterranean Countries Edition,’ was launched on 16 October 2019 at the Third Sustainability Summit for South-East Europe and the Mediterranean. The Economist organized the Summit, which took place 16-17 October in Athens, Greece.

According to the report, the Mediterranean region shows excellent results on SDG 1 (no poverty), SDG 3 (good health and well-being) and SDG 4 (quality education), which show net improvements. By the text, policies implemented by the Mediterranean countries relating to these Goals indicate “an adequate level of attention” to these priority sectors. The publication also references good results with regard to energy policies and renewable energy sources (SDG 7) and action to mitigate climate change (SDG 13).

With particular reference to marine waters (SDG 14) and soil (SDG 15), the report notes that biodiversity loss is a main problem in the Mediterranean. Furthermore, gender (SDG 5) and social (SDG 10) inequalities persist even in European countries, the report says. The publication also points out “alarming” dietary habits of the population, with obesity rates constantly increasing even among the youngest, especially in the south-east coast, while unsustainable agricultural practices (SDG 2) with negative effects on the environment and on the soil remain common.

The text also notes that investments and actions to promote industrial innovation and infrastructure are still “limited and inadequate” (SDG 9), while responsible consumption and production trends are “lagging behind” (SDG 12). Gender (SDG 5) and social (SDG 10) inequalities persist, even in European countries. 

To address these challenges, the report provides several recommendations:

• Improve policies aimed at spreading more sustainable agricultural practices and awareness campaigns to promote healthier diets, e.g. the traditional Mediterranean diet;
• Promote actions to support and improve the integration of women at all levels of society;
• Increase public and private investment in research and innovation aimed at sustainable development; and
• Give priority to the conservation of biodiversity of rivers and seas threatened by human impact.

To facilitate the interaction between scientific approaches and policy, the report advances an operational proposal: the creation of six centers of excellence to monitor the SDGs and to spread solutions and good practices. Consequently, the Santa Chiara Lab of the University of Siena will be the reference hub for ‘Sustainable Food, Land, Water and Oceans’; the ATHENA Research and Innovation Center (SDSN-Greece) will be the reference hub for ‘Energy Decarbonisation and Sustainable Industry,’ and the Cyprus Institute (SDSN-Cyprus) will be the reference hub for ‘Sustainable Cities and Communities’. Other groups of experts will be identified to manage and promote actions related to ‘Health, Well-being and Demography,’ ‘Education, Gender and Inequality’ and ‘Harnessing the Digital Revolution for Sustainable Development.’

According to SDSN, the ‘2019 Sustainable Development Report: Mediterranean Countries Edition’ is “a concise and complementary” review of the fourth edition of the 2019 Sustainable Development Report produced by SDSN and Bertelsmann Stiftung, which was the first worldwide study assessing the position of each of the 193 UN Member States with regard to achieving the SDGs. [SDSN Press Release] [Publication: 2019 Sustainable Development Report: Mediterranean Countries Edition] [SDG Knowledge Hub Story on SDSN Report on Europe]  [SDG Knowledge Hub Story on SDSN Report on Arab Region]