Land, Vol. 13, Pages 1974: The Road to 2030: Evaluating Europe’s Progress on Sustainable Ecosystem Protection and Restoration

Land, Vol. 13, Pages 1974: The Road to 2030: Evaluating Europe’s Progress on Sustainable Ecosystem Protection and Restoration

Land doi: 10.3390/land13121974

Authors: Daniela Firoiu George H. Ionescu Cerasela Pîrvu Ramona Pîrvu Cristian Mihai Cismaș Melinda Petronela Costin

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development emphasizes the interconnectedness of its economic, social, and environmental dimensions, recognizing their essential role in promoting human well-being. This study provides an in-depth analysis of EU Member States’ progress towards Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 15—Life on Land—as outlined in the 2030 Agenda. Using official data from Eurostat, this study applies the AAA (Holt–Winters) exponential smoothing algorithm to analyze trends in key indicators from 2011 to 2021 and project these trends to 2030. The results reveal notable progress in the first years since the adoption of the 2030 Agenda but also highlights drought and soil erosion as escalating risks, particularly in Mediterranean regions and areas of intensive agriculture (Spain, Cyprus, Greece). Water quality emerges as a critical concern, and, alongside the ongoing rise in soil sealing, presents an added threat to ecological stability, agricultural productivity, and overall well-being.