Challenges On the Path Toward Sustainability in Europe

Social Responsibility and Circular Economy Perspectives

Vesna Zabkar, Tjaša Redek, Vesna Zabkar, Tjaša Redek, Vesna Žabkar, Tjaša Redek

• Publisher: Emerald Publishing Limited
• Year: 2020
• ISBN:
  9781800439740
• Topic: Economics
• Subtopic: Sustainable Development
• Index: Economics

Challenges On the Path Toward Sustainability in Europe provides readers with guidance on sustainable actions at firm, consumer and institutional level. It studies the wide ranging challenges of implementing the sustainable development goals in Europe, while also addressing the challenges for key stakeholders in the economy.
Vesna Zabkar and Tjaša Redek offer a theoretical and empirical approach to addressing sustainable development, providing rich data analysis at cross-country level, as well as practical examples from the European context. Its scientific outlook is based on extensive theoretical and empirical data analysis, however refraining from an extensively technical approach.
Challenges On the Path Toward Sustainability in Europe is of direct relevance to both academics and practitioners seeking to expand their practical knowledge the subject as well as a richer theoretical background for analysing this field at the intersection of environmental and resource economics.

PART I

WHERE DOES EUROPE STAND?

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS IN THE EU AND THE CHALLENGES IN THEIR IMPLEMENTATION

Tjaša Redek, Polona Domadenik and Matjaž Koman

Abstract

The chapter describes the milestones at the global and European level on the path toward sustainable development. The first steps toward a different growth agenda were made in 1970s when the “Limits to growth” highlighted the divergence with the increasing needs of the growing population, the limited supply of resources, the planet can provide and the growing pollution. In 1980s the Brundtland report defined sustainable development as a three-dimensional one: economic, social and environmental, stressing not only the interplay between the goals, but also the global interdependence and the need for joint action to achieve the goals. Several ambitious strategies were prepared, most notably the Kyoto protocol, the Millenium Development Goals and Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), which are shaping global policies at the moment. The European Union has always been at the forefront of the efforts toward sustainability with its ambitious goals, which includes not only achieving SDGs, but also moving further, for example, toward a circular development approach.

Keywords: Sustainable development; sustainable development goals; European Union; policy framework; circular economy

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS IN THE EU AND THE CHALLENGES IN THEIR IMPLEMENTATION

Sustainable development is today already a relatively old concept, with its origins dating back to the Meadow’s report (1972), which clearly articulated the dangers of the limits to growth. In the early 1970s, the United Nations Conference on Human Environment, also known as the Stockholm conference, was held. The conference is perceived as a beginning of the international environmental politics (United Nations, 2019f). The next milestone on the path to sustainability was the 1983 (published in 1987) Brundtland report (World Commission on Environment & Development, 1987), which stressed that “Humanity has the ability to make development sustainable to ensure that it meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” Today, the concept of sustainable development is known primarily as a three-dimensional concept, although according to Purvis, Mao, and Robinson (2019) the origin of the three pillars of sustainability does not have a single point of origin. Sustainable development was initially defined in the literature as a three-dimensional concept: economic, social and ecological, that is, the triple bottom line. The concept was later extended, and the 3P approach (profit, planet and people) was extended into a 5P model, which also adds partnership and peace (United Nations System Staff College, 2019). Slowly, the sustainable development goals (SDGs) were also introduced into policy measures. Most notably, in the area of green development and growth, where the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (United Nations Climate Change, 2019c) played a key role. The convention is a global agreement that entered into force in 1994 and has today been ratified already by 197 states, almost globally (United Nations Climate Change, 2019c). The objective of the convention was very ambitious at the time, focusing on the ecological dimension: stabilizing the greenhouse gas (GHG) concentration at a level that would prevent dangerous, human induced climate change. In 1997, another important milestone was reached: the Kyoto protocol was adopted and in 2005 it also entered into force (United Nations Climate Change, 2019a).

Gradually, the idea of sustainable development beyond its environmental dimension was operationalized with the United Nations SDGs. As the United Nations state, the SDGs:

... recognize that ending poverty must go hand-in-hand with strategies that build economic growth and address a range of social needs including education, health, social protection, and job opportunities, while tackling climate change and environmental protection. (United Nations, 2019a)

Consequently, the desire to develop in a sustainable manner is based on a balanced and inclusive approach.

European Union (EU) surpassed the ambitions of the Kyoto protocol with the European Climate Change Program and has been continuously taking initiative to become and remain a leader in the global fight against climate change (European Commission, 2016b). However, the ambition of sustainable development significantly surpasses its ecological or “planet” dimension, since it also focuses on economic and social aspects. EU follows the United Nations sustainability agenda closely and prepares a number of initiatives to promote sustainable development and reach the 17 SDGs (European Commission, 2019b):

The EU and the United Nations are determined to protect the planet from degradation, so that it can support the needs of the present and future generations. We will pursue this goal through sustainable consumption and production, sustainably managing its natural resources, ensuring just transition and economic viability, and taking urgent action on climate change.

The purpose of this chapter is to present the past development of the sustainability policies in the EU and primarily highlight the current situation with the focus on its components as well. Selected national approaches are highlighted as examples of good practices. Special attention will also be given to the environmental dimension of the sustainability with a focus on circular economy, which is currently most developed in the EU.

In continuing, we first describe the progress toward the sustainable development and highlight the development of core strategies at the global level. Then, the situation in the European context is discussed, where the strategies and some policies are highlighted. At the end, selected problems are highlighted, focusing on successful policies’ implementation.

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AT THE GLOBAL LEVEL

The sustainable development agenda at the global level, promoted and led by the United Nations, builds on the Millennium Development Goals (MDG). The fight against the reduction of extreme poverty and doing so within was expected to achieve significant progress until 2015 (United Nations, 2019c). The MDGs were started with the UN Millennium Campaign in 2002, where the main focus was on the “eradication of extreme poverty, hunger, disease, lack of adequate shelter and exclusion” (Ban Ki-moon in United Nations, 2019c). Primarily, the MDG also set an ambitious agenda as well as set up an international partnership for a more balanced development.

The today’s SDGs are a result of continuous work spread over several decades (main events summarized in Table 1). While the idea of sustainable development is closely linked also to the environmental component, Table 1 summarizes primarily the most important step-stones toward the development of what SDGs are today (leaving aside the Kyoto and related agreements, even though these are important for SDGs as well and are part of them, as described later on).

The Sustainable Development Agenda started to develop approximately at the time of the Kyoto agreement, which was adopted in 1997, and later amended in Doha and Paris with several other meetings (United Nations Climate Change, 2019b). The Sustainable Development Agenda began to emerge in 1992 where 178 countries adopted the so-called Agenda 21, which focused on improving the quality of lives globally by focusing on the role of developing and developed countries. The primary goals were combating poverty, changing consumption patterns, sustainable demographic development, improving and promoting health, quality of housing and settlement development. Environmental issues represented a huge component of the Agenda 21, focusing on the conservation and management of resources for development. Importantly, Agenda 21 also identified major groups and role of stakeholders, as well as means of implementation, which was very important for the achievement of the desired results (UNECD, 1992). The MDGs are the eight ambitious goals that 191 countries agreed on and were planned to be achieved by 2015 (WHO, 2019).

Table 1: The Timeline of Key Events Toward the SDGs.

The MDGs had an ambitious set of eight broad goals and have facilitated a remarkable progress in many aspects. In continuing, the main goals and achievements from 2000 to 2015 are summarized (United Nations, 2015a):

1. Extreme poverty and hunger were significantly lowered. In 1990, 47% of people in developing countries lived on less that 1.25$/day, while in 2015, only 14% did, leading to a decline in the number of those living in extreme poverty from 1.92 billion to 0.86 billion.

2. Education improved. The primary school net enrollment rate increased from 83% in 2000 to 91% in 2015. Even in the poorest regions, like sub-Saharan Africa, significant progress was made, the enrollment in primary education increased from 60% to 80%. These numbers speak in favor of achieving the second goal: universal primary education.

3. Gender equality and empowerment of women has been improved both in education as well as in decision-making. In South Asia, in 1990 only 74 girls were enrolled in primary education per 100 boys, in 2015, the ratio was 103 girls per 100 boys. Women represent a significant share (41%) of paid workers outside agriculture and in 90% of countries; the number of women in parliament has increased.

4. Child mortality has been reduced. In 1990, 12.7 million of children under the age of five died, while in 2015 this number fell to 6 million, meaning that per 1,000 live births instead of 90 only 43 children died. Fastest progress was made after 2000 and vaccination (especially measles) prevented a significant number of deaths (measles only would take over 15 million lives).

5. Maternal health was improved. Maternal mortality declined from 330 deaths per 100 thousand births to 210, in Southern Asia by 64% and in Sub-Saharan Africa by 49% between 1990 and 2013. The share o...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title
• The Challenges on the path Toward Sustainability in the EU
• PART I – WHERE DOES EUROPE STAND?
• Sustainable Development Goals in the EU and the Challenges in their Implementation
• How Far is the European Union from Sustainable Development Goals?
• PART II – THE CORPORATE AND CONSUMER PERSPECTIVE
• Strategic CSR: Mapping the State-of-the-art
• Toward Better Understanding of the Corporate Sustainability Concept
• Why does a firm go bankrupt?
• Innovation for a greener and more Profitable Future: A Conceptual Approach
• Environmental-sustainability Aspect in the Outsourcing of business-logistics Services
• Sustainable Market Exchange from the Consumer Perspective
• Part III – THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC AND REGULATORY CONTEXT OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
• National Transfer Accounts Indicators of Economic Dependency in the EU Countries
• Promoting Well-being through Intergenerational Transfers and Gender Equality in 25 EU Countries
• The Importance of Human Capital for Sustainability
• Reinforcement of Social Sustainability through Education and Public Intangible Capital
• Over-regulation, Degradation of the Rule of Law and Implementation of Sustainable Practices
• Toward a Sustainable Future: Challenges Ahead
• Index