UNYP Faculty Publish New Research on the EU’s Use of “Sustainable Development”

Dr. Radka MacGregor Pelikánová and Dr. Veronika Zavřelová have published a new article as part of UNYP’s ongoing mini-series exploring the concept of sustainable development.

In the European Union, particularly under the leadership of Ursula von der Leyen, sustainable development has become an ever-present term — almost a directive. Yet despite its prominence, the phrase remains elusive, carrying multiple and sometimes contradictory meanings. Current EU policies often employ the term in a very specific way, shaping its interpretation to fit political and strategic aims.

Through a historical and conceptual review of EU policy documents and official statements, the authors present a holistic, thematic, and critical analysis. Their research reveals that sustainable development functions as a semantic puzzle: a call for broad, multisectoral, and often conflicting changes that must be implemented by all stakeholders, framed within a utilitarian context.