This Green Deal progress report shows that significant achievement has been delivered so far but progress needs to accelerate in many areas.
As of mid-2024, 32 of the 154 targets are currently “on track” and 64 are identified as “acceleration needed” meaning that more progress is needed to meet the targets on time. Furthermore, 15 of the targets are found to be “not progressing” or “regressing”, and for 43 of the targets no data is currently available.
The timing of the binding policies, most of which have been recently agreed and are expected to deliver results in the coming years, is a significant factor influencing these assessments.
With only 32 of 154 targets on track, it appears that the EU faces major hurdles in biodiversity protection, climate action, and sustainable mobility. The lack of data for 43 targets is particularly concerning, highlighting the need for a stronger sustainability data infrastructure.
The report emphasizes: “Data and knowledge gaps remain on ecosystem condition and pressures: more knowledge of the value of natural capital and the cause effect relationships between socio-economic systems and ecosystems is needed to systematically integrate into policy and investment decisions.”
The findings support the need for tools that ensure corporate sustainability data is systematically integrated into policy and investment decisions.
The report explicitly calls for better understanding of natural capital value and the interplay between socio-economic systems and ecosystems—an essential foundation for effective decision-making.
With a strategic omnibus simplification approach being explored to streamline regulations where necessary. It appears the key is to balance efficiency with ambition, ensuring that data-driven policies and investments can drive real change in the EU’s sustainability transition.
