Urban Development and Sustainable Energy in EU Countries

Abstract

Cities are considered one of the most important elements in achieving the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) and are specifically addressed by SDG11, which identifies actions to ensure safe, resilient and sustainable urban living for residents. Sustainable energy is of key importance to the challenges facing the modern world, hence cities should be designed and built to use as little energy as possible, which translates into the implementation of SDG7 (Affordable and Clean Energy). The sustainable goals are interrelated, so it is crucial to study their interaction. This study formulated the following research objectives: to assess changes in the degree of SDG achievement in EU countries and to investigate interactions between SDGs, in particular between SDG11 and SDG7. Using the TOPSIS method for the years 2015 and 2021, it was found that there are more frequent synergies between the SDGs and SDG11. The top rankings in terms of SDG11 implementation were Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Austria, while the last positions were held by Romania, Bulgaria and Poland. In 2021, the relationship between the positions of countries in terms of SDG11 and SDG7 implementation rates, compared to 2015, increased significantly, indicating that action is being taken to implement green energy solutions.