Committee of Ministers’ Recommendation CM/Rec(2021)9 on Landscape and responsibility of stakeholders for sustainable and harmonious development addresses Goal 7 by encouraging the integration of sustainable energy considerations into landscape policies and by explicitly referencing Goal 7; The appendix to the recommendation promotes integrating the landscape dimension into sustainable development policies, including energy policies: “make use of landscape policies in public policies that have a direct and indirect impact on the landscape. This applies in particular to spatial and urban planning, cultural, environmental, agricultural, social, education, health, energy and economic policies;”

The importance of the landscape with respect to energy is specifically noted: “the importance of the landscape with regard to health, food supply, town planning and energy, and the need to face the challenges resulting from climate change…”.

Under SDG 7 by promoting sustainable and responsible approaches to energy-related sectors and natural resource management the Department for the Implementation of Human Rights, Justice and Legal Co-operation Standards organised in June 2025 in Yerevan, Armenia a multi-stakeholder event on “Human Rights and Environmental Aspects in Mining: State Obligations and Business Opportunities” brought together public authorities, industry representatives, community stakeholders and international specialists to examine responsible mining as part of sustainable resource management.

The Parliamentary Assembly, through its Resolution 2611 (2025) on “Analysis and guidelines for a sustainable and socially fair energy transition” underlined that “clean, safe and affordable energy is essential for securing Europe’s continued prosperity” and that it is also “central in addressing the triple planetary crisis of pollution, climate change and biodiversity loss”. The Assembly highlighted the importance of stable access to clean energy for the enjoyment of fundamental social rights and for the protection of vulnerable persons, reminding member States that they have the obligation to remedy and prevent the situation of energy poverty as far as possible, while investing in more sustainable energy systems.

This page reflects recent and ongoing developments in the activities of the Council of Europe towards the Sustainable Development Goals. The Council’s historical activities in this area have been archived.