More details
The following findings highlight key insights from the report:
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The Nordic countries are among the top European countries in terms of SDG implementation. Among European countries they rank at the positions 1, 2, 3, 5 and 10 in the European SDG Index and have high SDG Index scores that range from 73.4 to 81.1 percent of SDG implementation. The average Nordic SDG Index score (78 %) is higher than that of the European Union (72.8 %) and higher than those of all other European regions.
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The strong performance of the Nordic countries in terms of SDG implementation derives primarily from a century-long history of social reforms and strong governance of "the Nordic model", rather than efforts made since the 2030 Agenda was ratified in 2015, and the Nordic's progress towards SDG implementation has levelled off in the last couple of years.
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The Nordic countries have challenges with regard to SDG 2 (Zero hunger), SDG 12 (Responsible consumption and production), SDG 13 (Climate action), SDG 14 (Life below water), and SDG 15 (Life on land), primarily relating to lifestyle choices, sustainable consumption and production patterns, emissions of greenhouse gases and nitrogen, natural resource utilization in agriculture, forestry and fisheries, and protection of species and ecosystems.
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The Nordic countries also have challenges in terms of large international spillovers that negatively affect other countries' capacities to implement the SDGs.
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The SDG implementation profiles of the Nordic countries are quite similar, meaning that the Nordic countries share roughly the same challenges and opportunities. The countries with the most similar profiles are Finland, Denmark and Sweden.
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The Nordic countries perform well on the domestic Leave-No-One-Behind Index.
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Among European countries, there are indications of a negative correlation between indicators for international spillovers and domestic SDG implementation, and a positive correlation between indicators for Leave-No-One-Behind and the remaining SDG indicators.
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The results presented here are in line with the results of the midpoint evaluation of the Nordic Council of Ministers vision for 2030, aiming to make the Nordic region the most sustainable and integrated region in the world. The midpoint evaluation acknowledges that the goal of becoming a Green Nordic Region poses a big challenge. However, the SDG dashboard presented here shows an even lower degree of SDG implementation for SDG 12, SDG 13, SDG 14, and SDG 15 than the dashboard of the Nordic Council of Ministers' vision for 2030.
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Although all UN nations have signed the UN Pact for the Future, there are geopolitical tensions and increased global polarization that bring uncertainties for the future of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs. For the Nordic countries, the Nordic Council of Ministers recently adopted 14 sectorial programmes for Nordic co-operation 2025 – 2030 that promote sustainable development. However, the increasing focus on defence and national security owing to the volatile geopolitical situation and the war in Ukraine pose significant challenges to Agenda 2030 and SDG implementation in the Nordics and beyond.
Acknowledgements
We gratefully acknowledge the valuable contributions of our collaborating institutions across the Nordic region. Members of the SDSN Northern Europe Leadership Council have provided collective insights and expertise that have informed the development of this report. These contributing institutions include: the University of Copenhagen; Chalmers University of Technology; Karolinska Institutet; Nordregio; the Finnish Environment Institute; Copenhagen Business School; the University of Iceland; the Norwegian University of Science and Technology; Aalborg University; and the University of Helsinki. We extend our deep appreciation to the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), whose global leadership, data, and analytical framework underpin this report and guide our work. We also thank our host institutions, Chalmers University of Technology and the University of Gothenburg, for their financial support to the SDSN Northern Europe secretariat, and Wexsus, the platform from which our team operates, for providing the environment that enables our regional mission.