What changed between the plenary report and the adopted text

– having regard to the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women,

– having regard to the Gender Equality Index 2024 of the European Institute for Gender Equality,

– having regard to the Beijing Platform for Action and the outcomes of its review conferences,

– having regard to UN Human Rights Council resolution 48/13, adopted on 8 October 2021, and UN General Assembly resolution 76/300, adopted on 28 July 2022, on the human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment and to Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe resolution 2545 (2024), adopted on 18 April 2024, on mainstreaming the human right to a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment with the Reykjavik process,

– having regard to the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) resolution ‘5/10. The environmental dimension of a sustainable, resilient and inclusive post-COVID-19 recovery’, adopted on 2 March 2022,

– having regard to the UN Global Sustainable Development Report 2019, entitled ‘The Future is Now: Science for Achieving Sustainable Development’,

– having regard to the UN Secretary-General’s report entitled ‘Our Common Agenda’, presented to the UN General Assembly, and to the mandate that UN General Assembly Resolution 76/6 of 15 November 2021 gave the UN Secretary-General to follow up on his report,

– having regard to the UN Sustainable Development Report 2021, entitled ‘The Decade of Action for the Sustainable Development Goals’, and the UN Sustainable Development Report 2022, entitled ‘From Crisis to Sustainable Development: the SDGs as Roadmap to 2030 and Beyond’,

– having regard to the UN Sustainable Development Goals Report 2024,

– having regard to the 2018 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) special report on global warming of 1.5 ºC, its special report on climate change and land, its special report on the ocean and cryosphere in a changing climate and its sixth assessment report (AR6),

– having regard to the global assessment report of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) of 25 November 2019 on biodiversity and ecosystem services, and its latest nexus and transformative change assessment reports,

– having regard to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report of 18 February 2021 entitled ‘Making Peace with Nature: a scientific blueprint to tackle the climate, biodiversity and pollution emergencies’,

– having regard to the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs’ publication of January 2022 entitled ‘SDG Good Practices: A compilation of success stories and lessons learned in SDG implementation – Second Edition’,

– having regard to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) report of 10 November 2022 entitled ‘Global Outlook on Financing for Sustainable Development 2023: No Sustainability Without Equity’,

– having regard to the Human Development Report 2023/24 entitled ‘Breaking the Gridlock: Reimagining cooperation in a polarized world’,

– having regard to the report of the UN Inter-agency Task Force on Financing for Development of April 2024, entitled ‘Financing for Sustainable Development Report 2024: Financing for Development at a Crossroads’,

– having regard to the initiative by the UN Secretary-General ‘SDG Stimulus to Deliver Agenda 2030’ of February 2023,

– having regard to the Bridgetown Initiative launched on 23 September 2022,

– having regard to the One Health Initiative of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the One Health Joint Action Plan (2022-2026) of the WHO, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Organisation for Animal Health, and the UNEP,

– having regard to the WHO’s 2024 progress report on the Global Action Plan for Healthy Lives and Well-being for All,

– having regard to the Spotlight Initiative to eliminate violence against women and girls,

– having regard to the FAO’s Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication,

– having regard to the Summit for a New Global Financial Pact which took place in Paris in June 2023,

– having regard to the 2023 SDG Summit which took place in September 2023, during the United Nations 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, its outcome, the Pact for the Future, which pledges 56 actions to accelerate and finance sustainable development, and its two annexes, the Global Digital Compact and the Declaration on Future Generations,

– having regard to the Sustainable Development Solutions Network report of January 2025 entitled ‘Europe Sustainable Development Report 2025: SDG Priorities for the New EU Leadership’,

– having regard to the ‘SDG Acceleration Actions’ online database,

– having regard to the existing national and regional initiatives that encourage the fulfilment of the Sustainable Development Goals,

– 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 (A10-0125/2025),

A. whereas the 2030 Agenda and the 17 integrated SDGs, including their 169 targets and 247 indicators, represent the only globally shared and politically agreed framework for evidence-based policies to address common challenges and achieve sustainable development in its three dimensions – economic, social and environmental – in a balanced and integrated manner;

B. whereas UN member states have committed to achieving the SDGs by 2030; whereas only 17 % of SDG targets are on track, nearly half are showing minimal or moderate progress, and progress on over a third has stalled or even regressed below 2015 baseline levels; whereas the important steps already made in crucial fields highlight the need for urgent action to reverse this alarming trend and should act as an incentive to implement the SDGs in full;

C. whereas the implementation of the 2030 Agenda implies that economic development goes hand in hand with social justice, good governance and respect for human rights; whereas the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, the new geopolitical landscape, escalating conflicts, geopolitical tensions, the transgression of planetary boundaries, increasing dependencies on raw materials and critical minerals, the negative effects of climate change and biodiversity loss, and multiple crises in various areas are severely affecting progress towards the achievement of the SDGs;

D. whereas the number of additional people in extreme poverty in the world’s poorest countries is estimated to reach 175 million by 2030, including 89 million women and girls; whereas people with disabilities are more vulnerable to poverty due to reduced employment and education opportunities, lower wages and higher living costs; whereas further collective action is urgently needed to respond to poverty;

E. whereas the SDGs, being universal and indivisible, are applicable to all actors, including civil society and social partners, and to both the public and private sectors; whereas these actors should be systematically involved in devising and implementing policies related to the SDGs; whereas the commitment of the private sector to the SDGs offers the possibility of increasing the scale of development actions and their sustainability by creating jobs, stimulating economic growth and eliminating poverty;

F. whereas the EU has underlined its unequivocal commitment to the 2030 Agenda and its SDGs; whereas progress towards achieving SDG targets is uneven across European countries and many dimensions of sustainable development have not shown significant progress in the past decade, with increasing levels of poverty and an increasing level of inequality between and within countries being a threat to sustainable development; whereas the latest progress monitoring report of the 8th Environment Action Programme shows that for a majority of the indicators the EU is not on track to meet the targets; whereas the Commission has acknowledged that more progress is needed on many SDGs at EU level, and that accelerating the SDGs’ implementation is more urgent than ever, with a particular focus on vulnerable people;

G. whereas the Commission has not yet devised an overarching strategy for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda at EU level or a financing plan for the SDGs; whereas Commission has committed to taking a ‘whole-of-government’ approach to SDG implementation and its work programme should foster the realisation of the 2030 Agenda; whereas the EU should set a good example for ensuring the prosperity for present and future generations globally;

H. whereas the 2025 High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) will be convened from 14 to 23 July 2025 under the auspices of the Economic and Social Council; whereas the 2025 HLPF will focus on advancing sustainable, inclusive, science- and evidence-based solutions for the 2030 Agenda and its SDGs, aiming to leave no one behind; whereas it will conduct in-depth reviews of SDG 3 (Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages), SDG 5 (Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls), SDG 8 (Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all), SDG 14 (Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources); and SDG 17 (Revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development);

I. whereas health is an indispensable foundation for peoples’ well-being; whereas health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity; whereas the COVID-19 pandemic alone has eliminated a decade of progress in global levels of life expectancy; whereas non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, dementia and chronic respiratory disease, are the world’s leading causes of death; whereas road safety is also a cause for concern;

J. whereas air pollution constitutes a major factor for non-communicable diseases and is responsible for almost 7 million deaths globally, with more than nine out of ten deaths occurring in lower- and middle-income countries; whereas at EU level, air pollution remains the largest environmental health risk, despite the progress made, causing hundreds of thousands of premature deaths every year;

K. whereas gender equality is crucial for fair, inclusive and sustainable development; whereas, despite some steps forward, significant inequalities continue to persist; whereas reinforcing women’s rights, empowering women and girls, challenging biased social norms, eliminating harmful practices and tackling discrimination are necessary to promote SDG 5;

L. whereas protection of labour rights is declining and income inequality is rising; whereas the global jobs gap reached 402 million in 2024, while extreme forms of working poverty affect 240 million workers globally; whereas women and young people experience higher unemployment rates; whereas more than one in five young people are not in education, employment or training;

M. whereas the ocean covers more than 70 % of the surface of our planet and constitutes its largest ecosystem; whereas the ocean plays a critical role as a climate regulator, enables economic activity and provides livelihoods for more than 3 billion people; whereas the ocean constitutes the world’s greatest ally against climate change as it generates 50 % of the world’s oxygen, absorbs 25 % of all carbon dioxide emissions and captures 90 % of the excess heat generated by these emissions but its absorption capacity is decreasing; whereas 40 % of the ocean is heavily affected by pollution, depletion of fisheries, loss of coastal habitats and other human activities; whereas the UN Secretary-General declared an ‘ocean emergency’ during the 2022 UN Ocean Conference; whereas an inclusive ocean governance should, among others, be human-rights-based and socially equitable, and enhance gender equality;

N. whereas there is currently a USD 4 trillion annual investment gap to achieve the SDGs; whereas foreign direct investment flows to developing countries have decreased while gains in remittances and official development assistance (ODA) have been modest;

O. whereas the lack of financing is a major barrier in achieving gender equality outcomes; whereas gender equality is fundamental to delivering on the promises of sustainability, prosperity, social justice, peace and human progress; whereas meaningful and sustained financial commitments and strengthen budgeting processes are fundamental to support the implementation of legislation, policies and gender responsive services to advance gender equality across all SDG 5 targets;

P. whereas, after a decade of rapid debt accumulation, the debt levels of low-, middle- and high-income countries remain at unprecedentedly high levels, limiting their capacity to invest in achieving the SDGs and in efficiently tackling climate challenges; whereas about 60 % of low-income countries are at high risk of or are already experiencing debt distress; whereas the existing fiscal space in heavily indebted developing countries is further reduced by external shocks, such as natural disasters, different aspects of debt management, higher borrowing costs and the absence of a conducive international environment for domestic resource mobilisation;

Q. whereas illicit financial flows, tax base erosion, profit shifting and corruption have led to a global decline in revenues and represent another important obstacle to sustainable development; whereas further international tax cooperation and rules are needed to address these challenges;

R. whereas the EU and its Member States constitute the largest donor for developing countries, providing approximately 42 % of the total ODA; whereas the EU has set the target of collectively providing ODA equivalent to 0.7 % of its gross national income (GNI); whereas the collective ODA of the EU stood at 0.57 % of GNI in 2023 with only four Member States meeting the agreed target and several others making historic cuts to their ODA; whereas in order to reach the agreed target, the EU budget for ODA should amount to an estimated minimum of EUR 200 billion over the next multiannual financial framework; whereas the Global Gateway is a strategic instrument and has the potential to advance a range of interconnected SDGs, notably through international partnerships and investments in transport, energy, digital infrastructure, health and education;

S. whereas the EU’s political commitment to policy coherence for development was reaffirmed in the 2017 New European Consensus on Development, which identified policy coherence for development as a ‘crucial element of the EU strategy to achieve the SDGs and an important contribution to the broader objective of policy coherence for sustainable development (PCSD)’; whereas PCSD is an approach that integrates the economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainable development at all stages of domestic and international policymaking;

T. whereas the new US administration has taken a number of deeply worrisome and damaging decisions in the field of international development and humanitarian aid, most significantly the suspension of 83 % of funding for programmes of the US Agency for International Development (USAID); whereas it is estimated that USD 54 billion in foreign aid contracts are affected; whereas the suspension of USAID funding and global aid cuts by several Member States will have long-term implications for the world’s development agenda and the achievement of the SDGs;

State of play

1. Reaffirms its strong and unwavering commitment to ensuring the full and prompt implementation and delivery of all the SDGs, their targets and the 2030 Agenda as a whole, especially in the light of the deteriorating geopolitical, social, economic and environmental landscape; reaffirms its strong commitment to the Pact for the Future, which is a crucial step towards revitalising the UN and achieving the SDGs;

2. Regrets that the global community is severely off track with regard to realising the 2030 Agenda and achieving SDG targets; recognises the interconnectedness and interdependence of the 17 SDGs and acknowledges that the achievement of the 2030 Agenda and beyond will require broad and accelerated action across all SDGs; underlines that the scarring effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, escalating conflicts, geopolitical tensions, social, health and humanitarian emergencies and the accelerating negative effects of climate change constitute significant obstacles for the achievement of the SDG targets and that more efforts by all actors are needed to match real needs;

3. Recognises that the delay in achieving the SDGs is aggravated by the significant progress gap among different groups of countries, particularly in the poorest and most vulnerable countries and regions; highlights that the current unequal progress is being exacerbated by the suspension of USAID funding and by cuts to global aid budgets by EU Member States and other OECD countries; stresses the need to maintain a strong focus on development cooperation in order to place the world on course to achieve the SDGs;

4. Underlines that relevant policies for achieving the SDGs in low- and middle-income countries are to a large extent reduced by high debt levels and high debt service burdens; points also to the limitations of the global financial architecture and insufficient international support; stresses that these countries urgently require more financial resources and fiscal space to facilitate far greater investment in the SDGs; emphasises the need for global cooperation to reform the global financial architecture, especially in view of the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development held in Seville from 30 June to 3 July 2025;

5. Stresses the urgent need for international cooperation and decisive transformative action to place our societies and economies firmly on course to achieve the SDGs and address the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution; highlights that the SDGs should be achieved in a just way and with respect for planetary boundaries; emphasises that social sustainability, including reducing global inequalities, ensuring access to essential services and promoting social inclusion, should be mainstreamed across all SDG implementation efforts;

6. Welcomes, as a first step, the latest version of the Bridgetown Initiative in terms of climate action, which calls for the mobilisation of an additional USD 500 billion per year for climate change mitigation and adaptation in developing countries; recalls, however, that it still falls short of what is required; urges the EU and its Member States, accordingly, to work towards providing an additional USD 1.3 trillion per year for climate change mitigation and adaptation as well as loss and damage, through public concessional and non-debt creating instruments, in line with the Baku to Belem Roadmap agreed at COP 29;

7. Reiterates that international cooperation is a fundamental condition for the world to make progress on the SDGs by 2030 and beyond and that such cooperation should prioritise strengthening the resilience, stability and autonomy of partner countries, especially in Africa, by promoting opportunities for economic and human development and refocusing on key priorities such as nutrition, healthcare and education; highlights that, despite the difficulties posed by the current geopolitical situation, special attention should be given to regions and communities that are furthest off-track, to ensure that no one is left behind; warns that the consequences of inaction or further delay would primarily be borne by the most vulnerable but would also detrimentally affect the world as a whole;