Sustainable development is a key priority for the Liechtenstein government. For many years, Liechtenstein has been taking targeted action to promote sustainable economic growth, the careful use of natural resources, the conservation of nature and the landscape, a peaceful, just and inclusive society, and to ensure the rule of law.

At international level, Liechtenstein displays a consistent commitment to promoting sustainable development, whether through protecting and advancing human rights, strengthening the rule of law, fighting impunity for the most serious violations of human rights and international law, and through its commitment to environmental protection. Multilateralism is of prime importance to Liechtenstein, particularly when it comes to problems that can only be resolved through international cooperation. That is why Liechtenstein was actively involved in the negotiation process leading up to the adoption of the 2030 Agenda and called for it to be of a comprehensive nature. Liechtenstein also advocated an effective review mechanism for the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Voluntary reporting to the High-Level Political Forum is an important instrument of this review.

The private sector and civil society also take sustainability very seriously, as shown by a survey that was carried out within the scope of this report. There is a general desire for close involvement in implementation of the SDGs.

This report on the SDGs shows that, in general, Liechtenstein is already implementing them effectively. In addition, it has taken significant action in many areas to continue improving sustainability, and it is even playing a pioneering role with certain projects:

• By consistently promoting solar energy, Liechtenstein has been the “solar world champion” since 2015 with the highest per-capita installed photovoltaic capacity;
• Every municipality in Liechtenstein is strongly committed to increasing energy efficiency and has been awarded the title “Energy City”; Liechtenstein is the world’s first “Energy Country”;
• With its “Waterfootprint Liechtenstein” campaign, Liechtenstein is aiming to become the first country to provide as many vulnerable people with access to clean drinking water as Liechtenstein has citizens;
• Through the “Liechtenstein Initiative”, the financial sector and government are making joint efforts to end modern slavery and human trafficking;
• Working with the private sector, the Energy and Climate Pioneers and Energy and Climate Workshop projects are teaching young people about sustainability and empowering them to play an active part in shaping a sustainable future.

The report identifies areas where Liechtenstein has made strong progress in implementing the SDGs, in particular: SDGs 1 (poverty), 2 (hunger), 3 (health), 4 (education), 6 (water), 8 (work) and 16 (peaceful societies).

Some areas have been identified as requiring more work in the area of implementation, though statistical indicators show a positive trend:

• De facto gender equality, especially in politics and professional life, has not yet been achieved (SDG 5);
• There is a high dependence on fossil fuels (SDG 7);
• Consumption and production are too resource-intensive (SDG 12);
• Greenhouse gas emissions are falling, but are still too high in terms of the climate objectives set out in the Paris Agreement (SDG 13).

Finally, certain areas have been identified where development is negative:

• Mobility in Liechtenstein is heavily reliant on individual motorised transport (SDGs 9 and 11);
• Biodiversity in Liechtenstein is endangered (SDG 15).

Existing data was used to evaluate the development of individual SDGs in Liechtenstein. The trends were assessed based on the national indicator system on sustainable development, plus some additional indicators. A total of 60 indicators were assigned to the individual SDGs. Overall, Liechtenstein’s national indicator system covers few of the UN’s SDG indicators. In future, it will be necessary to examine how the national indicators can be aligned more closely with the SDGs.

Within the framework of international solidarity, Liechtenstein makes a substantial contribution to the implementation of SDGs in developing countries. It supports projects relating to almost all the SDGs, with a focus on education, advancing the rule of law and migration.

The commitment of the private sector in Liechtenstein deserves special mention. Charitable foundations alone spend some CHF 200 million annually on philanthropic projects. A further CHF 2 million is raised by numerous civil society organisations for humanitarian aid and development projects overseas. The government plans to continue expanding the cooperation between the public and private sector.