3. Introduction

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are universal commitments to abolish poverty everywhere and to ensure a good quality of life for everyone, leaving no one behind while respecting the natural environment. Iceland is deeply committed to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and to promoting strong and sustainable economies that deliver well-being for people and the planet. These priorities are reflected in the newly established cooperation platform, Sustainable Iceland, which aims to accelerate actions to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and Iceland’s well-being priorities.

Iceland submitted its first Voluntary National Review (VNR) to the United Nations in 2019. It provided an overview of Iceland’s first steps in implementing the SDGs and the mechanisms, tools, and initiatives in place at that time along with success. This second VNR provides an overview of policy measures taken since 2019 to accelerate sustainable development. It introduces partnerships and consultation initiatives established in recent years and new and inclusive assessments of Iceland’s progress on the 17 SDGs.

The VNR is the result of an inclusive and participatory process in which different stakeholders were consulted and handed the pen. The VNR process started in October 2022, when preparations began. In the months that followed, new mechanisms were established, evaluations and projects launched, and stakeholders consulted on multiple occasions and platforms. A graphic illustration of the process can be found on page 12 in this report.

Chapter five explores the policy and environment for enabling sustainable development in Iceland, including institutional mechanisms and measures made to ensure that no one gets left behind. This includes the government’s emphasis on the well-being economy by looking beyond economic measures such as GDP when measuring the quality of life in Iceland.

Chapter seven features an assessment of Iceland’s progress on all 17 SDGs and 169 targets. For the first time, this overview includes both a government assessment made by specialists from all ministries and a civil society assessment.

Finally, the VNR report addresses new and emerging global challenges and how Iceland has recovered after COVID-19 with recovery measures that target the most vulnerable.