The 4^th Summit of Heads of State and Government, held in Reykjavík on 16-17 May 2023, adopted the Reykjavík Declaration including the Appendix V on "The Council of Europe and the environment", and underlined “the urgency of additional efforts to protect the environment, as well as to counter the impact of the triple planetary crisis of pollution, climate change and loss of biodiversity on human rights, democracy and the rule of law”, while committing the Council of Europe to strengthening its work “on the human rights aspects of the environment and initiate the Reykjavík process of focusing and strengthening the work of the Council of Europe in this field”.

The Reykjavík process gathered steam in 2023 throughout the organisation, culminating in the creation of a Department on the Reykjavík process and the Environment in the Directorate General on Human Rights and Rule of Law on 1 January 2024, as well as an Inter-Secretariat Task Force on the Environment.

An intergovernmental committee, the Ad hoc Multidisciplinary Group on Environment (GME), was established on 17 May 2024 to prepare a Council of Europe Strategy on the Environment and its accompanying Action Plan. On 14 May in Luxembourg, the Committee of Ministers adopted the Council of Europe Strategy for the Environment (2025–2030). The Strategy reflects the Council of Europe’s commitment to a forward-looking, holistic approach that aligns human rights, democracy, and the rule of law with environmental protection. Recognising that a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment is essential to the full enjoyment of human rights by present and future generations, it pursues five key objectives:

1. Integrating human rights considerations into environment-related strategies, instruments, legislation, policies, and actions, and vice versa.
2. Strengthening democratic governance in environmental matters.
3. Supporting and protecting environmental human rights defenders, environmental defenders, and whistleblowers.
4. Preventing and prosecuting environment-related crimes.
5. Protecting wildlife, ecosystems, habitats, and landscapes.

The Strategy promotes the mainstreaming of sustainable development and environmental objectives across the Council of Europe’s work and operations. Its Action Plan sets out ongoing and planned activities to ensure effective implementation and, in line with the Council of Europe’s commitment to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, identifies the most relevant Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for each strategic objective.

The Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats (Bern Convention) promotes harmonised national policies and guidance for the conservation and the sustainable management of wild species and their habitats, including below water. It facilitates regional cooperation on conservation issues in Europe, through the wide-ranging participation of national, regional and local authorities, stakeholders, NGOs and civil society.

The Bern Convention is considered to be a privileged regional platform at European level for supporting the implementation of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), which also strongly contributes to the achievement of Goal 14.

The Bern Convention has its own monitoring and standard-setting systems, including a complaint system, and is also recognised for its role in aligning nature conservation standards at pan-European level. It continues to monitor several key nesting beaches of sea turtles, facilitate dialogue among stakeholders involved in case-files related to this matter, and promote the Guidance tool on the conservation of sea turtle nesting sites in the Mediterranean adopted by the Standing Committee of the Convention. It also contributes on the conservation and sustainable use of the oceans, seas and marine resources through its Emerald Network of Areas of Special Conservation Interest, covering also marine areas.

The Parliamentary Assembly, via its Committee on Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development, has highlighted the role of healthy seas and oceans as allies in mitigating the triple planetary crisis and the need to work on climate resilience, to repair harm and to preserve the maritime heritage for future generations as part of the Reykjavik Process. Resolution 2546 (2024) and Recommendation 2273 (2024) “Towards Council of Europe strategies for healthy seas and oceans to counter the climate crisis” urged member States to support the implementation of major international treaties governing the protection of marine life, to embrace the UN High Seas Treaty, to promote the codification of the term “ecocide” at national, European and international levels, and to take into account the need to ensure comprehensive, efficient and effective protection of oceans and seas through strategic documents (such as the Strategy on the environment and its related action plan) and relevant co-operation and technical assistance activities, including with neighbouring countries.

The Council of Europe Landscape Convention’s (ETS No. 176) scope expressly covers “coastal and maritime landscapes” and promotes their protection, management, and planning. This approach aligns with Goal 14 even though all aspects of marine conservation are not directly addressed by the Convention. By integrating maritime landscapes into its framework, the Landscape Convention provides mechanisms and policy support that can contribute to safeguarding marine and coastal environments. Environmental stewardship, sustainable use, and integrated planning for the maritime landscapes can help to reduce land-based pollution, protect coastal biodiversity, and contribute to ecosystem resilience.

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.