Ireland has come 11th out of 15 similar EU countries in a newly-published Sustainable Progress Index.
The report, by think-tank Social Justice Ireland, highlights Ireland's particularly poor performance on low pay, long-term unemployment, household debt, and greenhouse gas emissions.
SJI says the report's positive findings include a top-third ranking in quality education.
However it says the negative results suggest that the State needs to drastically change its waste-based consumption patterns and recognise that short-term economic growth policies are unsustainable.
"Measuring Progress", written by Professor Charles MA Clark, Dr Catherine Kavanagh and Niamh Lenihan, finds that Ireland's performance on the UN's Sustainable Development Goals is worst on the environment, gender equality, responsible consumption and production, climate action, affordable clean energy, reducing inequality, and international partnership on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Dr Seán Healy of SJI said the State's particularly bad performance on environment and inequalities emphasises the need for these SDGs to become an integrated part of policy formation across the board.
Prof Clarke, of St John's University in New York, said the SDG's are quickly becoming a part of the political reality facing policy makers.
"We need to understand that the rising tide only helps those with strong boats," Prof Clarke said.
"We need to use data like this to start working towards a more sustainable future."
Dr Kavanagh, of University College Cork, noted the broad agreement that we would be hit twice as hard economically and environmentally if we cut down forests for economic growth without replanting in a sustainable manner.
"We need to start looking at short term economic policies that damage families and promote inequality in the same way. They are simply unsustainable," she said.
