The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is approaching its third year in the march towards realizing the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. The High-level Political Forum session this year focused on the theme "Transformation towards sustainable and resilient societies". The European Economic and Social Committee was delighted to partner with several member states this year to co-host side events for knowledge exchange on important aspects that relate to the five environmental SDGs in focus at HLPF 2018.
The Commission announced it would take action in 2016 to define next steps for a sustainable European future and unveil a new approach, ensuring Europe's economic prosperity and social and environmental sustainability beyond the 2020 timeframe in order to implement the SDGs. This conference fed into this process.
Opened by the Commission’s First Vice-President Timmermans, it provided civil society and stakeholders with a forum to express their ideas on how EU internal and external polices can best contribute to an effective implementation of SDGs. Working groups on sustainable consumption and production, social justice and decent work, sustainable business and investment and on global partnership and peace generated interactive discussions. The event reflected the outcome of recent major conferences in Europe and feature a debate with Karl Falkenberg, special adviser of the Commission President on ways to strengthen sustainable development in the EU.
