According to a recent press release by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) Cyprus, the country is facing challenges in achieving its sustainable development goals (SDGs) and meeting the targets set by the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.

The press release, distributed to the media on Monday, expressed concerns about Cyprus' performance in the 2023 Sustainable Development Report (SDR), which was published on June 21.

In the global ranking of 166 countries, Cyprus secured the 59th position, placing it last among European Union member states. The country's overall score of 72.5 represents a decline from the 74.2 score recorded in 2022 when Cyprus held the 43rd spot among 163 nations.

The SDSN Cyprus highlighted several problematic indicators that contributed to the country's low ranking. These included excessive nitrogen usage in agriculture (SDG 2), new HIV infections (SDG 3), inadequate women's representation in parliament (SDG 5), compensatory water imports (SDG 6), insufficient use of renewable energy sources (SDG 7), involvement in modern slavery through imports (SDG 8), low investment in research and development as a percentage of GDP (SDG 9), persistently high inequality (SDG 10), public dissatisfaction with public transportation (SDG 11), increasing e-waste production and plastic waste exports (SDG 12), rising CO2 emissions (SDG 13), overfishing (SDG 14), limited protection of terrestrial and marine ecosystems (SDGs 14 and 15), corruption perceptions and the percentage of prisoners without conviction (SDG 16), and insufficient Overseas Development Assistance and criticism as a tax haven (SDG 17).

While acknowledging the methodology concerns raised by the SDSN Cyprus, the press release emphasized that efforts are underway to comprehensively address these challenges. It particularly emphasized the importance of focusing on Climate Action (SDG 13), Responsible Consumption and Production (SDG 12), and Life Below Water (SDG 14) to drive positive change.

The press release recognized the unique circumstances faced by Cyprus, such as the division of the island, which may have contributed to certain poor performance indicators. For example, the division may explain the limited area allocated for wildlife protection, while the island's geography and climate change impacts could account for the scarcity of water resources.

The SDSN Cyprus firmly believes that, as a nation and society, Cyprus has the potential to improve and overcome most, if not all, of these challenges. It encourages stakeholders to pay close attention to the identified areas and prioritize actions for sustainable development.

In terms of progress, the SDSN report highlights positive developments in Health (SDG 3) and Education (SDG 4), which have shown improvement. Additionally, the goal of eradicating poverty (SDG 1) is deemed to have been achieved to a considerable extent.

It is worth mentioning that Cyprus is actively working towards progress in sustainable development. The country recently launched the Voluntary National Review for Cyprus' Goals in 2021 and expects to produce its first comprehensive Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) plan in 2023, supported by the Ministry of Development and UNITAR.

The SDSN's latest Sustainable Development Report for 2023 continues to assess Cyprus' progress in achieving the SDGs and meeting the commitments of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. The findings underscore the need for concerted efforts and strategic actions to ensure Cyprus moves towards a more sustainable and resilient future.