Sustainability, Vol. 11, Pages 7140: Evaluation of Sustainable Development Management in EU Countries (Sustainability)

The term sustainable development is used in many areas and spheres of life and is becoming a modern phenomenon determining the direction of progress of every society. Sustainable development implies continuous economic development with respect to environmental principles and focuses on overcoming conflicts between economy and ecology. The aim of this paper is to evaluate sustainable development management in EU countries through selected indicators characterizing sustainable development and its core dimensions. We present the results of an evaluation of the sustainable development of EU countries using cluster analysis. Countries that are similar in terms of sustainability are identified by cluster analysis. Four clusters were separated, the affiliation of each country to a particular cluster was determined, and the characteristics of each cluster were defined. The goal of sustainability management is to create an adequate approach to development of the economic and environmental performance, and therefore achieve sustainability. The achievements of most developed countries should be an incentive for those that are at a lower level of development. In addition, this research provides insight into some specific goals of sustainable development where some countries are lagging behind. This could be the basis for directing efforts in specific areas of sustainable development to improve their own position in such an important global issue.