Crete has achieved a low ranking in the list of Greek Regions’ performance against the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for 2030, according to an article in the Haniotika Nea of 12th November. The ranking is the result of research by the Greek Sustainable Development Goals Network (SDSN Greece), the Athens University for Economics and Business, the Athena Research Centre and the Regional Policy Observatory, with the support of Data Consultants. Their report, a digest of which can be seen here, is the first recording of progress in achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals at a regional level.

Thessaly scored highest among the 13 regions while Attica was last. Crete came in at number 11. According to the report: “The Region of Thessaly is the only Greek region that has already fulfilled the requirements for sustainability by 2030, at a rate of more than 50%. Some difficulties seem to be faced by the Regions of the Ionian Islands, Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, as well as Western Macedonia. On the other hand, the Regions of Attica, South Aegean and Crete should try harder to overcome significant challenges to achieve the SDGs by 2030, given that more than 60% of the Greek population resides in these regions (Eurostat, 2022).”

The ranking of the 13 regions is shown in the following table.

An interactive map showing how each region is performing against each of the 17 objectives can be found at https://arcg.is/SHHL0

What are SDGs?

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) or Global Goals are a collection of 17 interlinked global goals designed to be a “shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future”. They were set up in 2015 by a UN General Assembly vote, following an earlier proposal by the then Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, with the aim of achieving them fully by the year 2030.

 “The seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are our shared vision of humanity and a social contract between the world’s leaders and the people,” Ban Ki-moon said at the time of the vote. “They are a to-do list for people and planet, and a blueprint for success,” he added, with the aim of wiping out poverty, fighting inequality and tacking climate change over the next 15 years.

Regional performance

The 17 goals are shown in the diagram below. Progress is measured by four criteria: 1 – Major challenges remain; 2 – Significant challenges remain; 3 – Minor challenges remain; 4 – SDG achieved. According to the report the vast majority of Greek regions face major challenges in achieving the goals SDG1: No Poverty; SDG9: Innovation and Infrastructure; SDG10: Reduced Inequalities; and SDG11: Sustainable Cities and Communities.

On the other hand, most regions have achieved significant improvement in achieving the objectives SDG2: No hunger; SDG3: Good health; SDG5: Gender equality; SDG6: Clean water and sanitation; SDG8: Good jobs and economic growth; SDG13: Climate action; and SDG15: Life on land.

For two of the goals – SDG 12: Responsible consumption, and SDG 17: Partnerships for the goals – there is a complete lack of data and resources and the report does not take these into account.