Keywords
European Union countries
Ward’s method
Abstract
The aim of this article is to assess the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 7 by European Union countries in 2013 and 2022. This objective is achieved by grouping EU countries using one of the methods belonging to hierarchical agglomeration – the Ward method. The results of this study show that, in 2022, compared with 2013, the gap between the EU countries in terms of meeting Sustainable Development Goal 7 narrowed. Northern European countries are the best performers in the implementation of SDG7, and their situation continues to improve. In contrast, the southern and eastern European countries, despite the progress made, are still far behind in the implementation of this goal. Separated by the Ward method, the groups of countries with similar levels of SDG7 implementation have certain characteristics that are useful in monitoring the progress of individual countries and in implementing appropriate policies.
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