Major Cross-Border Impacts Threaten Nordic Sustainability Progress

Gothenburg, Sweden (December 16, 2025) — The Nordic countries continue to lead Europe on the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), driven by long-standing social reforms and strong welfare systems. But progress has stagnated, and significant environmental challenges, combined with large negative international spillovers, threaten the region's sustainability trajectory. These are the key conclusions from the Nordic Sustainable Development Report 2025, the first comprehensive assessment of SDG performance across Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden.

While the Nordic region maintains the highest average SDG Index score in Europe, the report shows that progress on several environmental goals has stalled and that climate action, sustainable consumption and production, and the protection of ecosystems stand out as areas where all Nordic countries face major challenges.

The gap between strong domestic SDG performance and the region's environmental and social spillovers is particularly striking. Nordic consumption continues to drive greenhouse gas emissions, resource use, and social risks beyond the region's borders.

"The high ranking of the Nordic countries reflects a century of social reforms rather than accelerating progress in recent years. Our findings clearly show that the Nordics are in a state of stagnation, while the global spillover effects remain substantial", says Martin Eriksson, Network Manager at SDSN Northern Europe and lead author of the report.

One goal stands out: Responsible Consumption and Production (SDG 12), where the average Nordic score is only 47.8 percent. Significant challenges also remain for climate action (SDG 13) and biodiversity-related goals (SDG 14 and 15) for all Nordic countries.

"This report confirms what we also see in other international research. The environmental challenges facing the Nordic countries are greater than what is reported in the public debate. Several measurements indicate that the pressure on climate, oceans, and ecosystems is even more extensive than what the national statistics suggest. This makes this report's message all the more urgent", says Katherine Richardson, Co-chair of SDSN Northern Europe and Professor at the University of Copenhagen.

Holger Wallbaum, Co-chair of SDSN Northern Europe and Professor at Chalmers University of Technology, notes that the findings mirror a broader European trend." The Nordics started from a strong position, which explains their high rankings. But the actual pace of improvement has been slow for more than a decade. Addressing the environmental and lifestyle-related challenges is crucial if the region is to maintain its leading position."

The report draws on 111 indicators from the Europe Sustainable Development Report, assessing national SDG performance and international spillovers. The analysis also includes the Leave-No-One-Behind Index on inequalities, where Nordic countries maintain their leading position, with all five nations ranking at the top in Europe.

The Nordic Sustainable Development Report 2025 is available for download from the SDSN Northern Europe website and from the SDG Transformation Center.

Read the report here.

Contact

• Martin Eriksson, Network Manager, SDSN Northern Europemartin.eriksson@wexsus.se
• Katherine Richardson, Co-chair, SDSN Northern Europe, Professor at the University of Copenhagen
• Holger Wallbaum, Co-chair, SDSN Northern Europe, Professor at Chalmers University of Technology

About SDSN Northern Europe

SDSN Northern Europe is part of the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network (UN SDSN), a worldwide initiative operating under the auspices of the UN Secretary-General. The network mobilises the world's largest knowledge community to advance action on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Climate Agreement.

Launched in 2016, SDSN Northern Europe focuses on accelerating SDG progress within the Northern Europe region. It operates in alignment with the global SDSN's objectives while tailoring its work to the specific challenges and opportunities of Northern Europe.