1.1.10 The EU Sustainable Development Strategy

One year after the launch of the Lisbon Strategy (2000) which focused on economic and social policies, under the Swedish presidency in 2001, the EU Sustainable Development Strategy agreed at the Gothenburg European Council adds “…a third, environmental dimension to the Lisbon Strategy and establishes a new approach of policy making” (Gothenburg European Council 2001, II 20., page 4).1 One year later, on the 15th and 16th of March of 2002, the European Council in Barcelona built on what was agreed at the European Council in Gothenburg in 2001, and added: “Sustainable Development Strategy means that the various policies should be consistent with the Union’s long-term objectives. Economic, social and environmental considerations must receive equal attention in policymaking and decision taking processes.”2

At the European Council in Barcelona on the 15th and 16th of March of 2002 an external and global dimension of the Sustainable Development Strategy was adopted. It was recognized the importance of working with partners outside the EU, including developing or maintaining relations with fast growing economies, which have a major impact on sustainable development. This approach is meant to complement the internal dimension adopted at Gothenburg one year earlier.

The sustainable development package with both internal and external/global dimensions were submitted, as the EU contribution for the preparation of the World Summit on Sustainable Development in August/September 2002. The Lisbon Strategy and the Sustainable Development Strategy are two different strategies which encompass different but complementary goals. “The two strategies complement each other in the EU’s pursuit of SD, rendering it appropriate to relate them also in research.”3

This Communication represents the Commission’s first step in reviewing the Sustainable Development Strategy in 2005. Based on the results of a public consultation in October 2005, it assesses the progress made since 2001 and provides guidance for the future review of the Sustainable Development Strategy. The European Council approved a renewed Sustainable Development Strategy in June 2006,4 which the main challenge is “to gradually change the current unsustainable consumption and production patterns and the non-integrated approach to policy-making.” Aiming to “identify and develop actions to enable the EU to achieve continuous improvement of quality of life both for current and for future generations, through the creation of sustainable communities able to manage and use resources efficiently and to tap the ecological and social innovation potential of the economy, ensuring prosperity, environmental protection and social cohesion.”5

The final report on the progress of the EU Sustainable Development Strategy from the 29th of February of 2008, shows that all the 27 member states produced their National Progress Report on Sustainable Development Strategy (NSDS) based on the seven key themes: 1. climate change and clean energy; 2. sustainable transport; 3. sustainable consumption and production; 4. conservation and management of natural resources; 5. public health; 6. social inclusion, demography and migration; and 7. global poverty. The individual reports from the member states show their efforts in developing a multi- dimensional strategy able to effectively integrate economic, environmental and social issues, applying governance methods and tools and involving the stakeholder in this process. This report concludes with stating that the EU Sustainable Development Strategy remains as the key European framework for promoting sustainable development but it was at the time (2008) early to evaluate progress.

Section 2 – The Global Voluntary Setting for Sustainability Reporting