NEW PUBLICATION
SDG Stocktake Report 2026
Are businesses in Europe doing enough to advance the Sustainable Development Goals? Discover the latest insights from the European SDGs Stocktake, launched at the UN General Assembly in New York.
How are European businesses advancing the Sustainable Development Goals? The second edition of the "European SDGs Stocktake" report offers insights into progress, priorities, and areas where greater action is needed.
During Climate Week at the UN General Assembly, the UN Global Compact launched the second edition of the European Private Sector SDGs Stocktake Report. Based on data from 5,793 UN Global Compact participant companies across 21 European countries, including the Netherlands, the report reveals an average SDG contribution score of 58.2 out of 100. Although the report shows that businesses are making meaningful contributions to the SDGs, the findings also highlight a clear need for stronger environmental performance and improved impact measurement.
Key findings & insights
- Companies perform strongest on social SDGs, while environmental goals continue to lag. Anti-corruption is among the most embedded sustainability practices across Europe.
- Industrial companies lead on environmental action, demonstrating deeper integration of environmental practices into their operations.
- SDG contribution scores are relatively consistent across Europe, indicating a broadly aligned level of sustainability performance.
- Many companies have established policies and preventive measures, but translating commitments into concrete operational action remains a challenge.
- Impact measurement remains a key gap, with sustainability performance not yet systematically tracked across all areas.
- Multi-stakeholder and public-private partnerships remain underutilized, presenting a significant opportunity to accelerate progress.
Although the report shows that businesses are making meaningful contributions to the SDGs, the findings also highlight a clear need for stronger environmental performance and improved impact measurement.
What this means for businesses
- Strengthen impact measurement across all sustainability areas to better track progress and align efforts with the SDGs.
- Prioritize climate adaptation alongside mitigation to strengthen resilience and future-proof business models.
- Scale up collaboration through multi-stakeholder and public-private partnerships, leveraging collective action to drive sustainable development.
- Expand sustainability training for employees and suppliers to embed sustainability throughout the value chain and increase impact.