CHALLENGES IN ACHIEVING THE SDGs IN ROMANIA
Mirabela-Constanța MATEI, Leonard-Călin ABRUDAN, Maria-Madela ABRUDAN
University of Oradea, Faculty of Economic Sciences, Oradea, Romania
Abstract: This paper aims at identifying the main obstacles that Romania faces in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). For this, literature review and data collection and analysis were carried out. When it comes to achieving the SDGs, different European countries have made progress to varying degrees, and it can be difficult to compare progress directly because each country faces unique challenges and opportunities. However, Sweden, Denmark and Finland are amongs the countries that have made the most progress towards achieving the SDGs in Europe. These countries are generally considered to have strong social welfare systems, high levels of public engagement, and progressive policies on sustainability and human rights. However, it’s worth noting that even these top-performing countries still have areas where they need to make progress towards achieving the SDGs, particularly in areas such as reducing inequalities, combating climate change, and promoting responsible consumption and production. It’s difficult to estimate when Romania could catch up with these countries as it depends on a variety of factors, but it will require a sustained effort over several decades. Romania faces various obstacles in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Some of the key challenges are: (1) economic disparities (particularly between rural and urban areas), (2) environmental degradation (deforestation, water pollution, and air pollution), (3) corruption, (4) lack of social inclusion (particularly for marginalized groups such as the Roma population, people with disabilities, and LGBTQ+ individuals), (5) limited institutional capacity. Overall, addressing these challenges will require sustained political will, investment in infrastructure and services, and effective partnerships between government, civil society, and the private sector.
Keywords: Sustainable Development Goals, Romania, economic disparities, environmental degradation.
