• Lithuania does not have a National Sustainable Development Strategy/Action plan since 2021. Howeber, the Government of Lithuania adopted a National Progress Plan - A new model of strategic governance has been established in the country, with the introduction of an overarching national strategic document – the National Progress Plan (NPP) for 2021-2030 – which is seen as a real basis for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda in Lithuania.
• NPP outlined the key changes planned for Lithuania over the next decade to ensure progress in social, economic, environmental and security areas. This document is seen as a prerequisite for the successful implementation of the new strategic management framework, replacing all existing strategies and programmes that were not covered by financial resources until 2020. It is this document that has become the real basis for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda in Lithuania. Each of the NPP's strategic goals contributes to at least two of the SDGs, and the implementation of the strategic objectives must ensure coherence between social, economic and environmental dimensions. To achieve this, the NPP sets out three horizontal principles – sustainable development (SD), innovation/creativity and equal opportunities for all. They aim to shape the values that are important for the progress of society in a consistent and comprehensive way and to promote the desired changes in attitudes and behaviour. These principles apply to all the strategic goals and their progress targets as well as must be taken into account when preparing and implementing national development programmes and specific progress measures. In order to achieve the goals of the strategic objectives, ministries in Lithuania prepare development programmes according to their specific areas of government, which formulate specific measures to advance public policy. Implementation of progress measures under the national development programmes also contribute to the implementation and progress of specific SDGs. The implementation of NPP targets contributes to the progress of SDGs in different ways, but it has highlighted, that none of the NPP targets can adversely affect the horizontal principle SD of the country.

2021-2030 National Progress Plan, 2020 (2021-2030 m. Nacionalinis pažangos planas, 2020 m.)

• Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Lithuania (Sustainable Development)
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Vystomasis bendradarbiavimas)
• All other ministries (horizontally responsible for Sustainable Development Goal implementation)

Paulius Serapinas, paulius.serapinas@am.lt, Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Lithuania, Department of Strategic Change and Finance, Division of Sustainable Development and Green Transformation (dvzt@am.lt)

• Previously, the National Commission on Sustainable Development coordinated the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, but it is no longer active. Currently, the Ministry of Environment is the main coordinating institution, while all ministries are horizontally responsible for SDG implementation within their sectors. The State Data Agency collects SDG indicators, assigned to different ministries and their subordinate institutions. Inter-ministerial work mostly takes place through the National Progress Plan, which integrates sustainable development as a horizontal principle. Each ministry appoints a coordinator who annually reports how the SDGs are aligned with its development programmes and progress measures. When reporting on progress, ministries also indicate their contribution to SDG implementation. For the preparation of Voluntary National Reviews, an inter-institutional commission is convened to ensure collaboration and data accuracy, most recently in 2023.
• Coordination with the subnational level is carried out mainly through municipalities and the Association of Local Authorities in Lithuania. Municipalities are responsible for implementing many SDG-related measures, such as waste management, energy efficiency, or sustainable urban planning. Regional development councils, financed largely by EU funds, also serve as platforms linking national and local authorities. The Ministry of Environment provides guidance, while municipalities align their local development programmes with national strategies.
• Lithuania addresses spillover effects primarily through its commitments under the EU framework, the Paris Agreement, and Agenda 2030. Positive spillovers are seen in areas such as renewable energy, regional energy security, and climate cooperation within the Baltic and Nordic region. Potential negative spillovers, such as carbon leakage or cross-border pollution, are mitigated by compliance with EU environmental standards and joint regional projects. Consideration of future generations is embedded in long-term strategies, including “Lithuania 2050,” which integrates sustainability, resilience, and climate neutrality goals.
• Lithuania engages stakeholders through public consultations, working groups, and advisory bodies. For strategic documents, ministries consult with NGOs, the private sector, academia, and social partners. The Ministry of Environment organizes forums and thematic consultations on climate and sustainability issues, while research institutions provide expertise for policy development. Civil society organizations are regularly invited to contribute to the preparation of national reports, including Voluntary National Reviews, ensuring participatory and inclusive policy-making.

2021-2030 National Progress Plan, 2020 (2021-2030 m. Nacionalinis pažangos planas, 2020 m.)

• The progress toward sustainable development in Lithuania is monitored by the State Data Agency which coordinates the National Sustainable Development Goals Portal (nuoroda). The State Data Agency asks each ministry and their subordinate institution to provide the data regarding the 17 SDGs and their targets (rodikliai), which are called National targets (translated into Lithuanian and adapted to the national targets in order to minimize the administrative burden. The data is collected in the “data lake” from the coordinators of each institution that are responsible for at least one measure. Then the data is checked and published on the National Sustainable Development Goals Portal publicly.
• The integration of the SDGs into monitoring is not clearly seen in Lithuania. Neverthless, the 2021-2030 National Progress Plan has its own strategic goals, targets and measures (applicable only to Lithuania). The set of targets are included in the Annex of the NPP and each year ministries are responsible to report on the progress. However, the NPP strategic goals are connected to the SDGs. Each of the NPP's strategic goals contributes to at least two of the SDGs. Unfortunatelly, the NPP measures and SDG measures are not the same, yet still coherent because NPP and SDG goals are connected.

• Sustainable Development Goals Portal (Darnaus vystymosi tikslų portalas)
• 2020-2030 National Progress Plan, 2021 (2021-2030 m. Nacionalinis pažangos planas, 2020 m.)

• Lithuania has two reporting mechanisms regarding the progress toward SD: VNRs and 2021–2030 National Progress Plan Sustainable Development Horizontal Principle Implementation Report. In 2018, Lithuania prepared and submitted its first VNR on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda in Lithuania, detailing the country's contribution to the goal since the adoption of the 2030 Agenda in 2015. In 2023, Lithuania presented the second VNR on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for the period 2018-2023. Lithuania further plans to present the third VNR in 2028. Secondly, since 2022, Ministry of Environment prepares a2021–2030 National Progress Plan Sustainable Development Horizontal Principle Implementation Report, which includes the information from all 14 ministries and their actions towards SDGs in their development programmes and specific progress measures (Example:
• Ministry of Environment is coordinating the VNR process, but includes all the ministries and the Government of Lithuania in the procces, as well as the State Data Agency for final calculation of the progress of the SDGs. Secondly, Ministry of Environment coordinates the preparation of the  2021–2030 National Progress Plan Sustainable Development Horizontal Principle Implementation Report, but asks for imformation from each ministry. Then, finished report is sent to the Ministry of Finance, since the development programmes and specific progress measures are connected to the annual budget of each ministry.

• Regarding of the process of the 2021–2030 National Progress Plan Sustainable Development Horizontal Principle Implementation Report is written in the 2021-2030 National Progress Plan, 2020 (2021-2030 m. Nacionalinis pažangos planas, 2020 m.)
• Horizontal principle „Sustainable Development“ reports.
• Horizontal Principle description.
• Guidelines for the Alignment of the Ministry of Environment and Its Subordinate Institutions’ Action Plans with the UN Sustainable Development Goals
• 2018 VNR
• 2023 VNR.