Sittings · Document
Implementation and delivery of the Sustainable Development Goals in view of the 2026 High-Level Political Forum
P10_TA(2026)0250
Implementation and delivery of the Sustainable Development Goals in view of the 2026 High-Level Political Forum
Committee on Development, Committee on the Environment, Climate and Food Safety
PE784.194
European Parliament resolution of 7 July 2026 on the implementation and delivery of the Sustainable Development Goals in view of the 2026 High-Level Political Forum (2025/2248(INI))
The European Parliament,
– having regard to Article 3(5) of the Treaty on European Union and Article 208(1) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU),
– having regard to the joint statement by the Council and the representatives of the governments of the Member States meeting within the Council, the European Parliament and the Commission of 7 June 2017 on the New European Consensus on Development – ‘Our world, our dignity, our future’,
– having regard to Decision (EU) 2022/591 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 6 April 2022 on a General Union Environment Action Programme to 2030,
– having regard to the EU’s first voluntary review of the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), presented to the UN on 19 July 2023,
– having regard to the Eurostat report entitled ‘Sustainable development in the European Union – monitoring report on progress towards the SDGs in an EU context – 2025 edition’, published on 4 June 2025,
– having regard to UN General Assembly Resolution 70/1 entitled ‘Transforming our World – the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development’ (2030 Agenda), adopted at the UN Sustainable Development Summit on 25 September 2015 in New York, which establishes the SDGs,
– having regard to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (UNCBD) and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, agreed in December 2022 at the 15th meeting of the Conference of Parties to the UNCBD,
– having regard to the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, adopted by UN member states at the Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction on 18 March 2015,
– having regard to the Commission communication of 12 May 2021 entitled ‘Pathway to a Healthy Planet for All – EU Action Plan: Towards Zero Pollution for Air, Water and Soil’ (COM(2021)0400) and the annexes thereto,
– having regard to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Paris Agreement adopted at the 21st Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC (COP21) in Paris on 12 December 2015,
– having regard to the UN Sustainable Development Goals Report 2025,
– having regard to the 2023 SDG Summit, which took place in September 2023, during the UN General Assembly high-level week,
– having regard to the Summit of the Future, which took place on 22 and 23 September 2024 in New York, to its outcome, the Pact for the Future, which pledges 56 actions to accelerate and finance sustainable development, and to the two annexes to the Pact for the Future, namely the Global Digital Compact and the Declaration on Future Generations,
– having regard to the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development, which took place in Seville, Spain, from 30 June to 3 July 2025,
– having regard to the COP29 Declaration on Water for Climate Action, adopted at the 29th Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC in Baku, Azerbaijan, on 20 November 2024 and endorsed by the EU,
– having regard to the World Health Organization’s One Health Initiative,
– having regard to the UN University Institute for Water, Environment and Health report of January 2026 entitled ‘Global Water Bankruptcy: Living Beyond our Hydrological Means in the Post-Crisis Era’,
– having regard to the Commission communication of 4 June 2025 entitled ‘European Water Resilience Strategy’ (COM(2025)0280),
– having regard to its resolutions of 5 October 2022 on access to water as a human right – the external dimension and of 7 May 2025 on the European Water Resilience Strategy,
– having regard to its resolutions of 15 June 2023 on the implementation and delivery of the Sustainable Development Goals and of 9 July 2025 on implementation and delivery of the Sustainable Development Goals in view of the 2025 High-Level Political Forum,
– having regard to UN General Assembly Resolutions 64/292 of 28 July 2010 on the human right to water and sanitation and 68/157 of 18 December 2013 on the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation, and to UN Human Rights Council Resolution 45/8 of 6 October 2020 entitled ‘The human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation’,
– having regard to Rule 55 of its Rules of Procedure,
– having regard to the joint deliberations of the Committee on Development and the Committee on the Environment, Climate and Food Safety under Rule 59 of the Rules of Procedure,
– having regard to the report of the Committee on Development and the Committee on the Environment, Climate and Food Safety (A10-0187/2026),
A. whereas the 2030 Agenda and the 17 SDGs it contains represent the only globally shared and politically agreed framework for evidence-based policies to address common challenges, reorient the global compass towards social, economic and environmental sustainability and ensure peace and prosperity for all people;
B. whereas the SDGs have improved millions of lives in the past decade, with over 100 million children and young people gaining access to education, hundreds of millions of people gaining access to safe drinking water, sanitation and electricity, and electricity access reaching 92 % of the global population;
C. whereas, although substantial progress has been made in some areas, only 35 % of SDG targets are on track or showing moderate progress, nearly half are moving too slowly or showing only marginal progress, and 18 % have regressed;
D. whereas the current geopolitical climate and multiple crises, including armed conflicts, economic pressure and international instability, the energy crisis, increasing water scarcity and greater incidence of droughts, the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution, growing inequalities democratic backsliding, growing anti-gender and anti-rights movements and shrinking space for civil society, severely affect progress towards achieving the SDGs;
E. whereas, looking beyond the SDG financing gap, growing inequalities within and between countries are the main structural obstacle to achieving the SDGs; whereas current global consumption levels are equivalent to 1,8 planets worth of resources per year, and current EU consumption levels to 3 planets worth of resources per year;
F. whereas the EU and its Member States should continue to play a key role in promoting sustainable development and UN-based multilateralism;
G. whereas the 2026 High-Level Political Forum will conduct in-depth reviews of SDGs 6, 7, 9, 11 and 17;
H. whereas access to safe and clean drinking water and sanitation is a human right, as recognised by UN General Assembly Resolution 64/292; whereas around 2,2 billion people, including 600 million children, still lack access to safely managed drinking water, 3,5 billion people, including 1,1 billion children, lack access to safely managed sanitation, and about 4 billion people experience severe water scarcity for at least one month a year; whereas nearly three quarters of the world’s population live in countries classified as water insecure or critically water insecure; whereas, in the EU, economic losses from water scarcity total up to EUR 9 billion annually, affecting 30 % of Europeans and 20 % of land each year;
I. whereas climate change poses a major threat to water resources and aquatic ecosystems; whereas, by 2030, global water demand will exceed available resources by 40 % and, at the current demand rate and according to recent estimates, the world will not achieve sustainable water management until at least 2049;
J. whereas women and girls bear primary responsibility for water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services and energy management at household level; whereas women and girls are disproportionately affected by water scarcity as a result of gender-specific health needs, social factors and the fact that they bear primary responsibility for water collection and management; whereas women and girls face increased health risks, a loss of educational opportunities and heightened exposure to gender-based violence, especially in conflict-affected areas and during humanitarian crises;
K. whereas investment in gender-responsive WASH and energy policies lowers the risk of gender-based violence, decreases child and maternal mortality, increases girls’ access to education and improves the quality of the education they receive, enhances women’s economic participation and livelihoods, accelerates the transition to sustainable energy and helps to create resilient communities;
L. whereas over 1 000 children under five die every day as a result of diseases linked to unsafe WASH, such as diarrhoea; whereas, for millions of people living with disabilities, the absence of appropriate WASH services presents significant barriers, with inaccessible infrastructure and stigma harming their health, safety and dignity; whereas the current rate of progress will need to be doubled if the targets for universal water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH service coverage in schools are to be met by 2030;
M. whereas water and energy infrastructure is protected under international humanitarian law; whereas access to water is essential for purposes including ecosystem management, agriculture and energy; whereas there is an increasing trend of using water as a means of warfare, whereby parties to a conflict unintentionally or deliberately destroy water systems, contaminate water resources and cut off power, severely affecting the civilian population; whereas restoring WASH services in conflict settings remains essential and can act as a bridge for peace; whereas the mining industry and industrial farming require careful management to protect both the availability and quality of water resources;
N. whereas Europe is a global leader in water technology, with EU Member States producing 40 % of all international patents in water-related technologies; whereas healthy ecosystems make it possible to improve water quality, while also increasing climate resilience;
O. whereas Article 208 TFEU stipulates that the primary objective of EU development cooperation is the reduction and, in the long term, the eradication of poverty;
P. whereas people with disabilities face a higher risk of poverty because of limited opportunities for employment and education, lower wages and higher costs of living; whereas the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities emphasises the importance of international development cooperation in removing architectural and communication barriers, including in cities, as a key element promoting their professional and social inclusion;
Q. whereas investing in children and young people is key for long-term socio-economic development, stability and poverty reduction; whereas children constitute a significant share of the population in developing countries and are particularly vulnerable to the effects of poverty, of conflict and of having limited access to basic infrastructure and services; whereas actions under the SDGs, including in areas such as access to water, energy and infrastructure, should take greater account of the real needs of children;
R. whereas roughly 1,18 billion people globally are considered energy poor, including the 685 million people who lack access to electricity; whereas energy poverty undermines service delivery, economic recovery and peacebuilding; whereas sustainable energy is a transformative opportunity to improve resilience, reduce conflict, support displaced populations and reduce reliance on volatile supplies;
S. whereas around 55 % of the world’s population resides in urban areas; whereas, if well managed, urban forests and trees can reduce the air temperature by up to 8 °C, cut air conditioning costs by up to 40 %, reduce storm water flows and improve air quality by filtering dust and pollutants; whereas cities may produce as much as around 70 % of global waste; whereas poor collection and management of waste causes air and water pollution, generates marine litter and contributes to climate change;
T. whereas inadequate financing is the main obstacle to achieving the SDGs; whereas there is still an annual SDG investment gap of USD 4 trillion; whereas the high debt levels of low- and middle-income countries are an obstacle to the investment required to achieve the SDGs; whereas more than 50 % of low-income countries are now in debt distress or facing high debt risks, jeopardising the achievement of the SDGs; whereas Global Gateway, as a strategy for sustainable investment, has the potential to play a key role in contributing to progress on the SDGs; whereas emphasis should also be placed on spending efficiency and fiscal responsibility;
U. whereas the EU has reaffirmed its unequivocal commitment to the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs outlined therein; whereas the EU acknowledges that it needs to make further progress on many SDGs; whereas EU-UN collaboration, including at country level, plays a key role in advancing SDG implementation, particularly with regard to fragile and complex settings; whereas it is estimated that the achievement of around 65 % of the targets depends on input from local and regional authorities;
V. whereas the EU and its Member States are the leading donors of official development assistance (ODA) globally; whereas, although the EU and its Member States have collectively committed to providing 0,7 % of gross national income (GNI) as ODA, they cut their ODA commitments from 0,53 % in 2023 to 0,47 % in 2024; whereas the EU has set the collective target of providing 0,2 % of GNI as ODA to least developed countries, but in 2023 such ODA amounted to 0,12 % of GNI; whereas least developed countries are disproportionately affected by this historic reduction in funding;
W. whereas the US administration has taken a series of deeply concerning and harmful decisions in the field of international development and humanitarian assistance, most notably the suspension of most funding for programmes under USAID; whereas these cuts are already disrupting access to essential health, food and protection services, and are expected to push millions of people into extreme poverty and exacerbate humanitarian crises; whereas, according to recent analyses, the funding cuts could contribute to millions of preventable deaths, including up to 14 million deaths by 2030, with particularly severe consequences for women, children and other vulnerable groups;
State of play
1. Reaffirms its strong and unwavering commitment to ensuring the full and prompt implementation and delivery of all the SDGs; believes that the EU should remain fully committed to integrating the SDGs across all EU policies and legislative initiatives and ensuring policy coherence for sustainable development, while recognising that the Member States play a key role in driving sustainable development at national, regional and local levels; calls for the EU to continue its leadership in pursuing the implementation of the SDGs in the EU and worldwide by providing political and financial support; reaffirms its strong commitment to the Pact for the Future; calls for the role and ability of multilateral institutions to be strengthened in order to improve SDG delivery;
2. Acknowledges the steps taken at EU level and worldwide, since 2015, to implement the SDGs; regrets the fact that, despite significant achievements over the past decade, the global community is severely off track as regards implementing the 2030 Agenda; recognises that the 17 SDGs are interconnected and that achieving the 2030 Agenda will require accelerated action across all SDGs; underlines that the scarring effects of escalating conflicts, geopolitical tensions, health and humanitarian emergencies and the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution constitute significant obstacles to the achievement of the SDGs; stresses, therefore, the urgent need for international cooperation and the systemic transformation of the implementation framework in order to achieve the SDGs, taking into account economic constraints and development differences between countries; regrets the fact that most Member States will not have the opportunity to present their Voluntary National Reviews of SDG implementation at the 2026 High-Level Political Forum; nevertheless encourages all Member States to conduct Voluntary National Reviews to inform their SDG implementation;
3. Is concerned that the current geopolitical and security situation, coupled with the urgent challenge of achieving climate neutrality, creates further difficulties for society and for the achievement of the SDGs; believes that stability, security, conflict prevention and economic and climate resilience, particularly in fragile contexts, will be required for the delivery of the SDGs, including with regard to human development and equality, and cannot be achieved in isolation from geopolitics, energy security and food and water security; emphasises the urgent need for increased efforts by all actors and highlights the indispensable role played by multilateralism, the defence and strengthening of a democratic and rules-based multilateral system under auspices of the UN, and sustained investment in addressing the problems underlying the SDGs;
4. Underlines that the EU’s commitment to the global and European implementation of the SDGs and 2030 Agenda remains crucial and should send a clear signal to partners around the world; recalls the EU’s commitment to respect planetary boundaries and to achieve climate neutrality by 2050 and, in this regard, calls for increased resource efficiency; calls for the EU and its Member States to reinforce their leadership role by building global alliances and to constructively strengthen their engagement with partner countries in order to deliver the SDGs and secure adequate and sustained funding for the SDGs’ achievement by filling the huge financing gap, including that left by the suspension of most USAID funding;
5. Highlights the fact that the current trend of democratic backsliding worldwide, marked by the erosion of the rule of law, weakened institutions, shrinking civic space and growing anti-gender and anti-rights movements, in particular with regard to women’s rights and LGBTQI+ rights, risks slowing down and reversing progress on the SDGs and undermines the achievement of the 2030 Agenda;
6. Stresses that accelerating SDG implementation requires a pragmatic and results-driven approach, prioritising science- and evidence-based, transformative, innovative and coordinated solutions that deliver measurable results, and necessitates greater coherence across the humanitarian-development-peace nexus; emphasises that effective SDG implementation depends on good governance, the rule of law, anti-corruption measures and sound public financial management; reaffirms the importance of a human-rights-based approach; calls for more efficient monitoring, accountability and results-based reporting on SDG implementation at EU and global level;
7. Highlights the important role played by the private sector, innovation and sustainable finance in closing the SDG financing gap and calls for strengthened public-private partnerships and public governance and improved business environments in partner countries; emphasises the importance of supporting local entrepreneurship, small and medium-sized enterprises, skills development and appropriate regulatory frameworks while upholding environmental and social standards;
8. Stresses the need to prioritise vulnerable groups, especially children, and particularly in fragile and conflict-affected contexts, and calls for strengthened, coordinated and long-term investment in quality education, healthcare and child protection systems, in accordance with the 2030 Agenda and the principle of leaving no one behind, recognising such investment as essential for human development, resilience and sustainable long-term stability;
SDG 6: Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
9. Notes that SDG 6 is one of the SDGs on which performance has been the poorest, with none of its targets being met or on track to being met, and with half of its targets experiencing either stagnation or regression; recalls that access to safe and clean drinking water and sanitation are fundamental rights related to the public interest and public and global goods, and are instrumental in improving global health coverage and access to education, achieving poverty reduction and food security and protecting ecosystems; stresses, furthermore, that it is crucial to strengthen water resilience in the face of increasing pressures from climate change, droughts, floods and pollution, in a context of increased water demand and competing uses; insists that access to water and water resilience are key for achieving several other SDGs; recalls the Right2Water European Citizens’ Initiative and the Parliament resolution thereon, and therefore calls for the adoption of the measures proposed therein in order to achieve SDG 6;
10. Highlights the fact that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has identified WASH services as one of the most effective adaptation measures for short-term climate shocks and a ‘low regrets’ adaptation measure, and underlines that progress on SDG 6 is closely linked to the strengthening of efficient and resilient WASH systems and sectors; recognises that WASH services are essential for women’s and girls’ dignity, health – including sexual and reproductive health and rights – and equality and calls on the Commission and the Member States to support gender-responsive WASH interventions, prioritising interventions to ensure women’s access to sexual and reproductive health services and support women’s full, equal and meaningful participation in WASH-related decision-making; stresses the need to ensure a disability-inclusive approach in WASH programming;
11. Recognises the central role of healthy ecosystems in achieving water security; stresses that restoring and protecting the water cycle is key to building resilience against floods, droughts and water scarcity; stresses the importance of protecting and restoring freshwater ecosystems, which are essential for water security, biodiversity, climate resilience, ocean health and the provision of ecosystem services; calls on the Member States, in this regard, to fully implement all EU water legislation;
12. Is alarmed at the irreversible losses of natural water capital, with many critical water systems already water-bankrupt, which impacts the reliable provision of water services; recalls that access to water underpins global stability and calls on the international community to use the upcoming UN Water Conference to place water-related issues higher on the international agenda; underlines that water policies must support the sustainable management of water bodies and integrate water efficiency practices, including water-smart solutions and innovative digital solutions, across all sectors; calls for stronger international action to prevent and mitigate water stress and overexploitation of water resources, restore degraded ecosystems and improve water governance;
13. Expresses deep concern that, according to the UN, around 3,5 billion people still lack safely managed sanitation services, while 1,7 billion lack even basic services; highlights the fact that water security, and particularly access to clean water and sanitation, have a significant impact on economic stability, climate resilience and peace; notes, in that regard, that water security is an integral part of peacebuilding processes; calls for the EU to strengthen its external investments in water and sanitation access and to enhance its leadership in cooperative management in water governance in fragile and conflict-affected contexts as a means to support stability, peacebuilding, resilience and climate adaptation; calls, furthermore, on parties to conflict not to target water and energy infrastructure, in line with their obligations under international law;
14. Calls for improved data and monitoring, particularly in informal settlements and water-scarce regions, and for targeted, climate-resilient investments to ensure long-term sustainability and resilience;
15. Stresses that water pollution should be addressed both at source and by ensuring access to efficient waste water treatment; highlights the need to improve the collection of data on freshwater quality and quantity and to enhance the monitoring of these; encourages public-private partnerships to scale up fresh water and waste water infrastructure, including water and sanitation projects; encourages the roll-out of early-warning systems and water-risk planning to prevent irreversible losses; highlights the importance of waste water treatment for the health of populations and communities; underlines, furthermore, that waste water serves as a vital source of data, offering key indicators for tracking the spread of pandemics; emphasises the crucial role of monitoring and data collection, which should be designed in a practicable and realistic way;
16. Recalls that solutions that are codesigned with the participation and knowledge of local communities are the most effective in achieving social and community resilience to water-related shocks; stresses the importance of supporting capacity-building for local communities, authorities and utilities, especially in fragile and developing contexts, including by promoting solutions that are adapted to and sustained in local contexts and leave no one behind; calls for targeted support for women, children and the most vulnerable communities as regards access to water and sanitation;
17. Calls for the phasing out of forever chemicals (PFAS) – starting with consumer goods – linked to harmful effects on human health and the environment, based on scientific evidence, allowing their use where there are no safe alternatives; underlines the need to scale up investments and accelerate research into and development of equivalent and safe alternatives;
18. Calls for the EU to take the lead in water diplomacy and in supporting transboundary water cooperation, notably through integrated water resources management, to harness its global potential for sustainable development, human rights, climate resilience, food security, biodiversity protection, conflict prevention, the building of a sustainable peace and gender equality, including by fully integrating climate-resilient water and sanitation instruments and infrastructure into the EU climate agenda; calls for the EU to integrate transboundary water management and water security into EU development cooperation and humanitarian action; calls, furthermore, for the EU to ensure that EU-supported transboundary water initiatives, including Global Gateway-funded infrastructure projects, address the needs of people, including those in poverty, and vulnerable and marginalised groups; calls for the inclusion of women, youth and indigenous communities in water governance; recommends that multilateral cooperation on water be strengthened, including through the ratification of the UN Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes and the UN Convention on the Law of the Non-Navigational Uses of International Watercourses;
19. Calls for the EU and its Member States to integrate the implementation of water policy objectives into other relevant policy areas, in order to ensure policy coherence across a range of areas, including agriculture, trade and environment policy, and also in its external policies, in line with the principle of policy coherence in the area of international development;
20. Welcomes the Commission’s first-ever water resilience strategy, which commits to supporting access to clean drinking water and sanitation for at least 70 million people; calls for the EU and its Member States to step up its efforts, in this regard, and close the gap towards achieving the SDG 6 targets by effectively and fully implementing this strategy;
21. Calls on the Member States to ensure better coordination of their water resilience programmes, with a focus on climate-resilient water and sanitation services and infrastructure; calls for the EU, through Team Europe Initiatives, to support capacity building, institutional strengthening and integrated water resource management approaches in partner countries, in order to improve the planning, governance and maintenance of water and sanitation services, including through partnerships with local authorities, public service providers and civil society; calls for a highly ambitious approach to strengthening global water governance and engagement, in this regard, in multilateral forums, such as the G7 summits, the G20 summits, the Baku Dialogue on Water for Climate Action and the UN Water Conference;
22. Expresses alarm at the lack of progress regarding the sustainable use of the oceans, seas and marine resources; calls for the EU and the Member States to build on the 2025 UN Ocean Conference commitments to urgently protect the ocean, and to step up their financial contribution to protecting and restoring marine ecosystems; expresses deep concern about the increasing levels of marine pollution; calls for stronger measures and accelerated implementation, as a matter of urgency, to put an end to marine pollution both at EU and international level; regrets that global negotiations on a first-ever intergovernmental plastics treaty have failed; calls for the adoption of an ambitious binding global treaty on plastic pollution at the resumption of the intergovernmental negotiations in 2026;
SDG 7: Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
23. Underlines that achieving universal access to clean and affordable energy is a key cross-cutting enabler for the entire 2030 Agenda; stresses that achieving SDG 7 will help advance many other SDGs, including those related to poverty eradication, living standards and socio-economic developments, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, gender equality, climate change, food security, public health, sustainable cities and communities, clean water and sanitation;
24. Calls for the EU to continue supporting the global transition towards a renewables-based energy system, which constitutes a key driver of economic development, resilience and long-term energy security; recalls, for the delivery of SDG 7, the central role of renewable energy;
25. Stresses that achieving SDG 7 requires a modernised, interconnected European grid; recognises the potential of the European Grids Package for enabling the cross-border flow of affordable energy;
26. Highlights the pivotal role of affordable, sustainable and secure energy in supporting sustainable economic growth, strengthening the EU’s industrial base and preserving quality jobs; emphasises the importance of strengthening the long-term resilience of Europe’s energy system by ensuring sustainable supply chains, fostering innovation and maintaining competitive, affordable and fair energy costs, thereby enabling a reliable and future-proof energy system for citizens and industry;
27. Emphasises the need to diversify energy sources, particularly by boosting renewable energy production, as well as the need to promote energy efficiency, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and accelerate sustainable and responsible investment in clean tech as key components of achieving SDG 7; calls, moreover, on the Commission and the Member States to stay ahead of the curve in the renewable energy roll-out, and to reduce dependencies on non-EU countries;
28. Welcomes the fact that SDG 7 is one of the goals with the most progress recorded, to date, largely due to the rapid expansion of renewable energy production; encourages the Commission to prioritise the deployment of cost-effective renewable, energy-efficient solutions, for households and industry, along with partner countries, by securing the necessary financing, in this regard, and in particular by helping to unlock private financing; calls, in particular, for the scaling up of renewable and independent power systems in fragile and conflict-affected contexts, using a conflict-sensitive approach, benefiting both displaced populations and host communities, and strengthening resilience and local economic and human development;
29. Stresses the importance of phasing out fossil fuels as soon as possible, in line with the objectives of the Paris Agreement and the UAE Consensus, and the phase-out of all fossil fuel and environmentally harmful subsidies in line with the EU’s 8th Environment Action Programme; welcomes, in this regard, the First Conference on Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels, which was held in Santa Marta, Colombia, from 24 to 29 April 2026;
30. Underlines the importance of promoting EU investment in decentralised, sustainable and renewable energy systems, including solar home systems, mini-grids, off-grid systems and community-owned initiatives, in order to strengthen efforts to close the energy access gap, particularly in partner countries and in fragile settings, recognising its critical impact on education, healthcare and protection, especially for women and children;
31. Stresses that the expansion of energy access can be accelerated by partnerships between public institutions and the private sector; underlines that energy interventions and projects should be informed by conflict-sensitive analysis, and responsive to local realities and needs, in order to maximise their transformative impact, particularly in underserved and fragile contexts; underlines the critical role played by civil society organisations in this regard, and the need for meaningful engagement with local stakeholders;
32. Calls on the Commission to strengthen EU investments, both under the Global Gateway initiative and the proposed Global Europe instrument, ensuring equal benefits to partner countries, notably in terms of the sharing of knowledge and the transfer of technology, the training and re-skilling of the local population, job creation, the decarbonisation of hard-to-abate industrial activities and access to cleaner mobility and energy;
33. Stresses the need to further develop global cooperation and sustainable value chains to ensure that critical raw materials (CRMs), which are required for global energy security, as well as the digital and green transition, are sourced following a rights-based approach; emphasises that this approach must take into account the needs of both demand and supply sides, in a way that mitigates adverse social, environmental and economic impacts, human rights implications, such as child labour, as well as impacts on local communities, and contribute to the industrial and socio-economic development of source countries, including their role in the entire CRM value chain, and ensure the meaningful engagement of local communities and civil society in the process; underlines, in this regard, the need to build upon the objectives and principles of the UN Secretary-General’s Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals, co-chaired by the EU, to promote the sustainable production of minerals and the development of local value chains;
34. Emphasises the importance of the full and effective participation of indigenous peoples and local communities throughout the CRM value chain, in line with the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples;
35. Acknowledges that without proper management, the increasing demand for CRMs risks reinforcing strategic dependencies, increasing geopolitical vulnerabilities and tensions and human rights violations, and contributing to environmental and social challenges; emphasises, therefore, the importance of strengthening a competitive and resilient circular economy, specifically by enhancing resource efficiency, boosting recycling capacities and fostering innovation in secondary raw materials, with a view to reducing the use of natural resources and dependencies on CRMs; to this end, calls for steps to be taken towards increased global cooperation for sustainable resource management;
36. Stresses the need to scale up measures to combat energy poverty, particularly in situations that are fragile and involve population displacement; highlights the fact that energy poverty affects living standards and undermines livelihoods and people’s health, impacts the delivery of essential services and requires dedicated measures for vulnerable groups, particularly women and children, including social energy tariffs and subsidies;
37. Stresses that energy poverty in fragile and displacement-affected contexts undermines livelihoods, essential service delivery, human development and social stability, particularly affecting vulnerable groups;
SDG 9: Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation
38. Commends the overall progress made on SDG 9, notably the significant advances in infrastructure development, inclusive and sustainable industrial growth and innovation; notes, however, that progress is uneven across countries and regions; believes that focused action is needed to bridge this divide and secure equal progress towards the implementation of SDG 9;
39. Stresses the strategic importance of secure, sustainable and resilient infrastructure, including digital, transport and energy and water infrastructure, to support economic development, enhance connectivity, climate mitigation and climate adaptation, and also improve human development, particularly in rural and peripheral areas; calls for a holistic approach to integrate climate resilience into every stage of the infrastructure life cycle;
40. Stresses the need to close the infrastructure and socio-economic inequality gaps, including those related to digital accessibility and energy poverty; insists that infrastructure and connectivity projects must contribute to local value creation and respect principles of universal accessibility to ensure that infrastructure projects do not create new barriers, and encourage the full inclusion of the most vulnerable groups; stresses the need to ensure gender-responsive approaches in digital investments to close the gender digital gap, as persistent barriers limit women’s and girls’ prospects of gaining from emerging technologies;
41. Stresses the need to promote sustainable solutions to reduce the environmental footprint of businesses in all sectors, such as the responsible consumption of resources, resource efficiency and increased actions towards achieving a circular economy; recalls the importance of the ‘polluter pays’ principle;
42. Highlights the fact that, while fostering competitiveness, innovation and investment, inclusive and sustainable industrialisation for the purposes of the 2030 Agenda and beyond must be aligned with the goals of climate neutrality, environmental and biodiversity protection, and a just transition that leaves no one behind; stresses, in this regard, the need for further investment to achieve SDG 9, notably through public-private partnerships and other de-risking instruments, including via the Global Gateway strategy, and other European development finance institutions; calls for increased public investment in green, digital and social infrastructure, including public transport, energy grids and digital connectivity, harnessing progress across regions, particularly in least developed countries; calls, furthermore, for the EU to further mobilise private capital in order to make investments attractive to private investors; stresses that, in order to be mutually beneficial, such investments should support local value addition, good governance, fiscal benefits and high environmental standards;
43. Highlights the role of innovation, research and technological development in enhancing productivity, competitiveness and sustainability, including for the research, development and deployment of sustainable technologies; calls for enhanced support for entrepreneurship, vocational education and training, and skills development, as key enablers of innovation, productivity and inclusive industrial growth, especially in low-income countries;
44. Calls for strengthened cooperation on technology transfer, research partnerships and innovation ecosystems between the EU and partner countries, fostering research cooperation and enabling the least developed and low-income countries to move up global value chains;
SDG 11: Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
45. Notes the risks associated with rapid urbanisation combined with climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss; underlines, in this regard, the need to integrate climate change adaptation and biodiversity into urban planning and to strengthen urban resilience measures, including by fostering energy-efficient and climate-resilient housing, expanding green areas for ecosystem restoration, strengthening disaster preparedness, prevention and response, and improving water management and flood protection; highlights, furthermore, the importance of ensuring efficient land-use and limiting the negative effects of urban sprawl, in order to protect ecosystems and achieve sustainable urban development;
46. Underlines that the achievement of SDG 11 requires a dedicated focus on tackling inequalities in urban areas; stresses, furthermore, that climate change, including in urban settings, disproportionately affects women and girls, particularly those in fragile or vulnerable contexts; calls on governments and local authorities to ensure that investments are distributed equitably, addressing marginalisation, particularly in areas that currently suffer from a systemic lack of accessible and affordable transport, public services, local and sustainable food chains and housing, while paying special attention to vulnerable and socio-economically disadvantaged groups;
47. Regrets that a large proportion of the urban population still lacks access to affordable, efficient and sustainable transport systems; notes that increasing the availability, accessibility and use of public transport, alongside soft mobility infrastructure, as well as other innovative and clean mobility solutions, is a crucial tool for reducing air pollution; stresses the importance of ensuring adequate infrastructure and services for people with reduced mobility, including people with disabilities;
48. Underlines the urgent need to further improve and implement waste collection and management systems, in line with the waste hierarchy principles, including, where appropriate, through the use of digital technology and AI, and by investing in reuse and recycling systems and the reduction of waste; emphasises the role of the upcoming Circular Economy Act in unlocking the value of the circular economy; calls for measures to facilitate a true EU market for secondary raw materials;
49. Recalls the urgent need to implement energy and climate solutions at the local and municipal level, including through nature-based solutions, to address the effects of climate change, including exposure to extreme heat;
50. Recalls the need to act on the modernisation, affordability and sustainability of housing by scaling up energy-efficient and climate-resilient housing models and construction strategies; emphasises the importance of increasing investments, in this regard, which may include private investments and public-private partnerships, and calls for the EU to support cities in leveraging capital through innovative financing instruments;
51. Recognises the right to a place to live in peace, security and dignity, as a fundamental human right, and notes that the housing affordability crisis affects up to three billion people worldwide; stresses the need to ensure, by 2030, access for all to decent, suitable, safe, accessible, sustainable, energy-efficient and affordable housing and basic services, including through promoting public housing policies; calls for the EU to support partner countries in developing social housing policies;
52. Encourages closer cooperation between cities, businesses, research institutions and civil society to foster innovation, share best practices and scale up successful urban solutions, including through partnerships between European and partner-country cities, EU platforms and knowledge-exchange initiatives;
SDG 17: strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development
53. Calls for the EU to continue advocating for multilateralism, for an international rules-based order and for support for the UN system to provide global leadership in implementing the 2030 Agenda, and fill voids left by others, by building new alliances and strengthening existing ones, and working with global partners to mobilise funding; stresses the need to reinforce international treaties and agreements, such as the Paris Agreement, the Convention on Biological Diversity and regional conservation initiatives;
54. Reiterates its full commitment to the enduring value of multilateralism and underlines that a modernised multilateral system for governing trade is essential; recalls the EU’s support for the mandate of the WTO and the ongoing negotiations regarding the UN Treaty on Business and Human Rights;
55. Expresses alarm about the annual investment gap of approximately USD 4 trillion worth of funding needed to achieve the SDGs, which is further exacerbated by declining ODA levels; urges the EU and the Member States to strive to ensure that sufficient financing is dedicated to fulfilling the commitment to spend 0,7 % of GNI on ODA and to provide 0,2 % of GNI as ODA to the least developed countries;
56. Strongly encourages the exploration of options to leverage private finance, including through the capital markets union; welcomes, in this regard, the UN Development Programme’s SDG Investor Platform, which allows private companies to identify ‘investment opportunity areas’ in order to contribute to sustainable development, and encourages further investment, including through public-private partnerships, to contribute to filling the SDG funding gap, respecting the criteria of the Development Assistance Committee of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development; further encourages the combating of illicit financial flows, tax avoidance and tax evasion;
57. Expresses deep concern about the prospects of a debt crisis for developing countries, particularly for low-income and least developed countries, and calls for debt relief and debt restructuring for affected countries, taking into account the UN Conference on Trade and Development principles on promoting responsible sovereign lending and borrowing and the OECD debt sustainability principles, as well as resource sovereignty, as a first step; stresses the need for the efficient and responsible use of available resources; recognises the importance of grant-based and highly concessional finance and non-debt-creating instruments for affected countries; underlines the limits of the global financial architecture and insufficient international support, in this regard; stresses that these countries urgently require more financial resources and fiscal space to facilitate far greater investment in the SDGs; notes, in this regard, the ongoing negotiations on creating and implementing a UN Framework Convention on International Tax Cooperation;
58. Emphasises that effective global partnerships should be based on mutual cooperation and deliver on the partners’ common objectives; stresses the importance of transparency, good governance and measurable impact in all development cooperation efforts;
59. Underlines the strategic importance and potential of the EU’s Global Gateway as a flagship instrument for strengthening sustainable partnerships and delivering high-quality infrastructure, while promoting international standards and long-term economic and social development in partner countries;
60. Encourages closer cooperation with partner countries, international financial institutions, regional development banks and local stakeholders to coordinate development efforts, avoid duplication and maximise impact in support of the 2030 Agenda, particularly in fragile, conflict- and displacement-affected settings; stresses that development cooperation programmes should include clear impact evaluation mechanisms and participatory monitoring involving local stakeholders;
Outlook
61. Reiterates that the SDGs are the only globally agreed-upon and comprehensive set of goals on the major challenges faced by both developed and developing countries, and are currently the best available tool for tackling their root causes; reaffirms that least developed countries and low-income countries, as the most vulnerable groups of countries, need enhanced global support in order to achieve the SDGs; calls for the EU to continue and strengthen its role in deliberations at the 2026 High-Level Political Forum, in order to pave the way for accelerated action, in view of the deadline for the 2030 Agenda and to promote a forward-looking agenda for global sustainable development that goes beyond 2030;
62. Calls for the EU and the Member States to develop implementation plans with concrete timelines for achieving the SDGs that set ambitious targets beyond 2030; calls, in this regard, on the Commission to lead by example and develop a comprehensive strategy accompanied by a structured SDG-implementation plan; welcomes the EU’s first voluntary review of SDG implementation in 2023, and believes that such reviews should become regular exercises;
63. Points out that the SDGs also present an economic opportunity to build true well-being, and a sustainable and inclusive economy fostering competitiveness, innovation and resilience, which enables people to live a decent life while fully respecting planetary boundaries, including biodiversity and the environment, using new technologies and creating new economic sectors and jobs; stresses that the transition to a sustainable and resilient economy should promote decent work, social protection and strong labour rights worldwide;
64. Emphasises the necessity of ensuring policy coherence for development, pursuant to Article 208 TFEU, aimed at integrating the economic, social and environmental aspects of sustainable development at all stages of the policymaking cycle, in order to foster synergies across policy areas, identifying and reconciling potential trade-offs, as well as addressing the international spillover effects of EU policies;
65. Emphasises that an independent and adequately funded civil society, as well as local authorities and communities, are core partners in advancing the 2030 Agenda; stresses the need to create, support and protect civic space, and to ensure that civil society organisations, including local non-governmental organisations, participate meaningfully in achieving the SDGs and receive adequate long-term and flexible funding, particularly in countries where civic space is shrinking;
66. Recalls that women and children, particularly girls, are disproportionately affected by economic crises, limited healthcare, climate change, gender-based violence and conflicts, and that persistent inequalities continue to limit their full participation in society; stresses the need for adequate and flexible funding, including for local and women’s rights organisations, many of which face severe financial constraints;
67. Emphasises that sustainable and inclusive economic growth within planetary boundaries, competitiveness and innovation, and a strong private sector are indispensable enablers of sustainable development and the well-being of societies, and stresses that digitalisation, AI and clean technologies have the potential to help achieve global sustainability goals, and should therefore play a role in the EU’s development vision; encourages the EU to use its influence to advance the 2030 Agenda, in order to deliver tangible improvements in living standards, poverty reduction and expanding opportunities for future generations, including through enhanced resilience and innovation;
68. Calls for the commitments made during the 2024 Summit of the Future, in the Pact for the Future, and at the 2025 4th International Conference on Financing for Development in Seville to be translated into concrete actions, and for investment to be scaled up to close the financing gap for sustainable development; stresses that any post-2030 global development framework must be ambitious, measurable and focused on the delivery of results;
69. Stresses the importance of multilateral agreements, particularly environmental agreements, as effective frameworks for promoting international cooperation and advancing the SDGs, and encourages the EU to further strengthen their implementation and impact;
70. Calls for the EU’s multiannual financial framework for the 2028-2034 period to be fully consistent with the 2030 Agenda, and to contribute to the achievement of the SDGs; stresses that the EU’s commitment to the SDGs should be supported by ambitious financial commitments in the 2028-2034 multiannual financial framework; calls for the EU and its Member States to provide additional financing for climate change mitigation and adaptation as well as loss and damage, in line with the ‘Baku to Belém Roadmap’, agreed at the 29th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 29);
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71. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council and the Commission, and to the governments and parliaments of the Member States.