Perspectives of the South: Sustainable Development in Mediterranean Europe

M. Iacovidou (), A. Antonaras () and D. Sfountouri
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M. Iacovidou: University of Nicosia

Chapter 5 in The Expanding Horizons of Business and Management, Volume II, 2026, pp 105-131 from Palgrave Macmillan

Abstract: Abstract Southern EU member states face intertwined socio-economic and environmental barriers to sustainable development, including inequality, governance constraints, and acute climate and biodiversity risks. Drawing on data collected in summer 2024 through an email survey of CSR Europe National Partner Organisations and CSR associations (responses from six countries) plus desk research for non-respondents, this chapter maps progress toward the UN SDGs and examines how civil-society initiatives seek to close implementation gaps. It also assesses transposition of the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and the emergence of European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) support activities, documenting uneven legislative timelines, early readiness, and capacity limits for SMEs. Case examples from Greece, Portugal, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Spain, Malta, and Croatia illustrate how training, sector pacts, local SDG platforms, and ESG clusters strengthen awareness and reporting practice. The chapter concludes with recommendations for coordinated EU-national support, policy coherence, and multi-stakeholder partnerships to accelerate credible sustainability transitions.

Keywords: Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR); corporate strategies; Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD); economic disparities; environmental obstacles; environmental vulnerabilities; European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS); governance inefficiencies; National Partner Organisations (NPOs); Non-Financial Reporting Directive (NFRD); non-profit organizations (NPOs); Southern Mediterranean; Sustainability; sustainable development; United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
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DOI: 10.1007/978-3-032-26500-5_5

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