Conference of the EESC Civil Society Organisations' Group in the framework of the Danish Presidency of the Council of the European Union, Copenhagen, Danish Society of Engineers (IDA), 2 July 2025
A new report on Europe’s progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) highlights a significant slowdown, raising concerns about the EU’s ability to meet the 2030 targets. The Europe Sustainable Development Report 2025 (ESDR), published by the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), finds that the pace of SDG progress between 2020 and 2023 was more than twice as slow as in the previous period.
Greater use of digitalisation in the construction and housing industry and the involvement of social economy actors in housing provision can bring opportunities to address current challenges in the area of housing affordability and sustainability in Europe. Since housing is not just a need but a human right, a pan-European response to the various challenges is needed, according to a conference organised by the Civil Society Organisations’ Group of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) on 21 November, at which a new EESC study on the subject was presented.
The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) is actively participating in COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, from November 11–22, 2024. Representing the voices of civil society, the EESC is committed to ensuring that marginalized and vulnerable groups are included in global climate solutions.
Across a wide range of issues, including employment, pension systems, climate change, health and care services, and political participation, both younger and older generations feel inadequately represented in the current policy responses. This is contributing to growing political disillusionment and jeopardising the cohesion of European societies.
World leaders met at UN Headquarters in New York for the Summit of the Future on 22-23 September where the much-awaited Pact for the Future was adopted. Ahead of the summit, an EESC delegation actively participated in the Summit's Action Days reiterating several key messages in the five major areas of the Summit of the Future, building on adopted opinions and several months of cross-cutting preparatory work.
In a bid to lead in climate action, the European Commission has recommended a target to reduce net greenhouse gas emissions by 90% by 2040. The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) supported this move during its May plenary by adopting an opinion on EU climate target for 2040. The opinion outlines steps to achieve climate neutrality by 2050, aligning with scientific consensus to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
The pivotal role of civil society in driving forward the implementation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) took centre stage during the plenary session of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC). The discussion made it crystal clear that the UN and EU need to work together to advance the SDGs.
Making the European economy more resilient and dynamic through growth while at the same time prioritising environmental protection are not mutually incompatible but essential to future-proofing the continent's society. That is the main message from a European Economic and Social Committee conference "Sustainability and prosperity at the heart of the European project", held on 30 November on the fringes of an extraordinary Bureau meeting, where the EESC met with the upcoming Belgian presidency of the Council of the EU.
