Common or Divergent? A Comparative Analysis of Sustainable Development Policies in the European Union and the United Kingdom

ROSSI CHRISTIAN

2026-01-01

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Abstract

Sustainable development policies in the United Kingdom (UK) and in the European Union (EU) have been part of selected policies that for almost fifty years have overlapped. This paper tries to trace their paths from the 1950s post-integration to recent post-Brexit policy developments. It examines major policy milestones in the European Union environmental and sustainability policies and pivotal UK instruments such as the 2005 Sustainable Development Strategy, the Climate Change Act 2008, and the Environment Act 2021. Through comparative evaluation, this article highlights similarities and differences in ambition, sustainability institutions, execution, and EU–UK cooperation on shared sustainability challenges.