Social challenges

Social innovation involves the development of new ideas, services and models to better address social challenges. Since the creation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015, Social Innovation is focused on the development of projects framed within these Goals.

Is the EU making progress towards the SDGs? What is the outlook in the new framework programme?

Since their inception, the SDGs have been anchored in European policies and agreements. This has been demonstrated by the von der Leyen Commission, which prioritised sustainability through initiatives such as the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (SDGs) and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in September 2015. All SDGs define the Commission’s lines of work, policies and strategies.

Objectives of the social challenges

Sustainable development seeks to achieve continuous improvement in the quality of life and well-being of citizens, without compromising the well-being of future generations. Economic progress should be achieved without harming the natural environment and should promote social justice. For these reasons, sustainable development is a fundamental and overarching objective of the European Union (EU). One example of this is the Green Deal, which aims to ensure a clean, zero-emission economy with a protected natural habitat in Europe.

The 2030 Agenda is the roadmap towards a new development model in which citizens, the planet, prosperity and peace are at the centre. The policies that are deployed to achieve this must be universal and comprehensive, and all their elements must be interrelated, so that the policies are linked at national, regional and international levels. In this context, Social Innovation gains more relevance, since any European project and initiative must be aligned with the SDGs and the 2030 Agenda.