European Sustainable Development Week (ESDW) 2026 (18 September - 08 October)

Thursday, 08 October marked the last day of the European Sustainable Development Week 2026.

Over 5,200 events were held and registered across Europe. There were walks, reading and cooking events, lectures, workshops and so much more!
There is still some time to register your event and show everyone that you were part of the ESDW.

We warmly thank everyone who participated by organising their own event or joining activities hosted by others, and we look forward to seeing what you come up with next year. ESDW 2027 will take place next year from 18 September to 08 October. 

ESDN Conference 2026 (02 October 2026)

On 02 October in Dublin, the ESDN Conference 2026 set out to answer that question under the timely theme: "Environmental Security in Europe: Building the Foundations of Long-Term Resilience."

Hosted in cooperation with the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment, and recognised as an Associated Event of the Irish Presidency of the Council of the EU 2026, the day delivered far more than speeches — it delivered perspectives.

Our keynote speakers set the scene on two fronts: environment and security in an unstable world, and the beyond-2030 discussions that will be a defining theme for the ESDN heading into 2027.

But the heart of the day was the Exchange Spaces — 18 rotating topic tables where participants didn't just listen, they traded experiences: just transition, circular economy, citizen and stakeholder engagement, biodiversity, environment, and climate. From Ireland's Just Transition Commission to Spain's 2030 Agenda strategy, Wales' Future Generations Act to Romania's circular economy digital tools and many more. 

What's next?

→ Conference presentations will be available shortly here
→ An ESDN Policy Note synthesising the day's inputs, ideas and examples will be published in the coming weeks — keep your eyes peeled and check back on the website here

ESDN Youth Workshop 2026 (12-15 August Vienna)

In 2020 the European Sustainable Development Network established the ESDN Youth Network, which is funded by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety.

Its yearly on-site event, the ESDN Youth Workshop 2026, took place on 12–15 August 2026 in Vienna at the Austrian Ministry for Agriculture and Forestry, Climate and Environmental Protection, Regions and Water Management, brought together more than 40 UN Youth Delegates and National Representatives on Sustainable Development (SD) from around 30 European countries to discuss issues most relevant to them. 

The overarching theme was: “Resilience 2.0” as described in the 2025 Strategic Foresight Report - European Commission. Four of the eight areas of action were dealt with in more detail according to a ranking carried out by the ESDN Youth Network:

• Supporting sustainable and inclusive well-being

• Strengthening democracy as a common good

• Developing a coherent global vision for the EU           

• Strengthen long-term economic resilience

The Youth Network Members added one other topic “Enhancing Education”. Together, they will write 5 Policy Notes and present them at the upcoming ESDN Conference in Dublin. We hope to have final versions of all their Policy Notes by the end of September.

5^th ESDN Topic Exchange (22 June online)

The topic of this Topic Exchange was on the Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) from Switzerland, Italy, Norway, and Estonia. These four countries will be presenting at this year's High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) in New York in July.

ESDN Vienna Workshop (28-29 May)

The ESDN Workshop took place in Vienna on 28-29 May! The title of the workshop was “Building a Resilient Europe: Sustainable Development and Culture in focus”. It was organized by the ESDN in cooperation withs the Austrian Federal Ministry for Agriculture and Forestry, Climate and Environmental Protection, Regions and Water Management and the Austrian Federal Chancellery. 

Europe’s resilience in the face of global challenges depends on the synergy between sustainable development, democratic values, and collective security. This workshop delved into how cultural diversity, innovative sustainability practices, and robust democratic institutions can fortify Europe’s ability to navigate crises and foster long-term stability and security. By exploring the interplay between culture, environmental stewardship, social cohesion, and security, we aimed to identify actionable strategies that empower communities, strengthen governance, and build a more resilient and united Europe.

The agenda and discussion paper can be found here 

11^th ESDN Peer Learning Platform (22-23 April in Brussels)

In this Peer Learning Platform, we began to work on formulating a joint narrative on sustainable development going into the future. To facilitate our thoughts and planning about the future, we conducted a short workshop within the Platform on foresight and how we think about the future as it relates to sustainable development. It is our hope that we can take these skills and apply them over the next 12-18 months and work towards formulating a narrative for sustainable development in Europe heading towards, and beyond, 2030.

We had engaging keynotes and discussions as we collectively talked about sustainable development in Europe over the next years and beyond 2030. We had keynotes and an idea generating exercise with the JRC, as well as good practice examples from European countries updating their sustainable development strategies and action plans that are looking towards the future beyond 2030.

2^nd ESDN Young Civil Servants Workshop (18-19 March in Luxembourg)

The ESDN’s 2^nd Young Civil Servants Workshop took place in Luxembourg on the 18^th and 19^th of March 2026.  The title of the workshop was “Bringing Sustainable Development and the SDGs further in Public Administrations: Empowering Young Civil Servants”. This Workshop iwas organized in cooperation with the Luxembourgish Ministry for the Environment, Climate, and Biodiversity.

The ESDN recognizes that given the complex geopolitical challenges taking place, and the rapid approach of 2030, the need to push for increased attention on sustainable development, the 2030 Agenda, and the SDGs has never been greater. One way in which we can do that is to ensure that the next generation of civil servants meet with one another to exchange on good practices they are involved with within their public administration. With this Workshop, we brought together inspiring examples of governments continuing to take actions for sustainability and the SDGs and pair that with concrete examples of young civil servants affecting change and impact within their government. We had an intense two days of keynotes, panel discussions and exchange spaces, which brought together around 35 civil servants from 12 European countries.

The agenda, discussion paper, and presentations can be found here. An ESDN Policy Note will be made available in a few weeks and will be uploaded here.