New project brings together European regions to take a local approach to SDGs

In this section, you can access to the latest technical information related to the FUTURE project topic.

Twenty European regions from 12 European countries, from Portugal to Ukraine in the east, and from Finland to Malta in the south, will work together and learn from each other’s best practices how to bolster sustainability and economic development, from monitoring to devising local strategies and carrying them through.

A new project, 2030CATALYSTS: Implementation of the SDGs in the regions – from monitoring to action, developed by the JRC and the European Committee of the Regions, and supported by the European Parliament takes 20 different regions on board, to equip them with the necessary knowledge and tools to enhance their SDG policies. 2030CATALYSTS will be launched at a kick-off event on 27 March 2025 in Brussels.

What’s behind the 2030CATALYSTS project?

Sustainable development is a priority objective for the EU’s policies. However, the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) remains uneven across European territories, hindering social cohesion. Delivering the SDGs on the ground requires place-based strategies that take into account local needs and peculiarities.

With the help of the JRC, local and regional authorities will be engaged in a participative process, working hand in hand to draw on each other’s expertise and build collective knowledge. They will exchange best practices, and share datasets, reports and regional insights on their progress towards monitoring and achieving the SDGs.

The regions selected to participate in 2030CATALYSTS are:

Styria (Austria)
North Karelia and Åland Islands (Finland)
Île-de-France (France)
Western Greece and Crete (Greece)
Sicily, Lombardy and Friuli Venezia Giulia (Italy)
Vidzeme (Latvia)
Tramuntana (Malta)
Norte Region and Centro Region (Portugal)
South-West Oltenia and Centru Region (Romania)
Podravje (Slovenia)
Basque Country, Andalusia and Canary Islands (Spain)
Rivne Oblast (Ukraine)

The project will conclude in 2026. Participating regions are expected to refine their approach to SDG monitoring and implementation, making use of each regions’ specific strengths to address challenges. 2030CATALYSTS aims to inspire regional actors to become local leaders who can contribute to a more sustainable, resilient, inclusive global future.

Monitoring local progress towards the SDGs is essential to advance their implementation. In this respect, 2030CATALYSTS builds on the output of another JRC project. In the context of the REGIONS2030 project: Monitoring the SDGs in EU regions – filling the data gaps, 10 European regions co-developed the very first robust set of regional indicators, thus increasing their capacity to monitor and report their SDG progress.

Background

Sustainable development is a core principle of the Treaty on European Union, and a priority objective for the EU’s internal and external policies. An inclusive, localised approach is essential to translate the SDGs into effective place-based actions and tailored strategies, reducing social, economic and territorial disparities within the Union – a core objective of cohesion policy.

Localising the 17 Sustainable Development Goals involves defining, implementing and monitoring local strategies. This is essential to achieve the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The JRC plays a key role in the localisation of the SDGs, facilitating the work of regions through the provision of timely, granular, comparable data, as well as capacity building. JRC work is acknowledged in the European Parliament’s 2023 report on the implementation and delivery of the Sustainable Development Goals, as well as in the Council’s 2024 conclusions on the 2030 Agenda implementation.

‘2030CATALYSTS: Implementation of the SDGs in the regions – from monitoring to action’ is a JRC initiative, in collaboration with the European Committee of the Regions. It is a preparatory action funded by the European Parliament. It builds on the work carried out in the context of the ‘REGIONS2030 project: Monitoring the SDGs in EU regions – filling the data gaps’ – an European Parliament pilot project implemented by the JRC, the European Commission’s Directorate Regional for Regional and Urban Policy and EUROSTAT. European Parliament’s pilot project and preparatory actions are designed to test new policy initiatives or prepare the ground for the adoption of future programmes.

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