Sustainable Development Goals Index Research Articles

Green economic growth in BRIC and CIVETS countries: The effects of trade openness and sustainable development goals

This study aims to analyze the impact of trade openness and Sustainable Development Goals, Financial Development, and Technology on the economic growth of Brazil, Russia, India, China and Colombia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Egypt, Turkey, South Africa countries. The present analysis employs a balanced panel data set from 1996 to 2022. This study also uses various tests, such as the Johansen–Fisher cointegration and Granger causality test. The study's findings suggest that economic growth, trade openness, Sustainable Development Goals, financial development, inflation, technology, labor forces, and financial openness have a long-term relationship among them. In the long run, a positive relationship exists between economic growth, trade openness, and the sustainable development goals index in (BRIC) and (CIVETS) countries. Based on the heterogeneous panel non-causality tests, the findings demonstrate that trade openness and Sustainable Development Goals are a unidirectional causality between trade openness, Sustainable Development Goals, and economic growth.

Do Government Efforts and Commitments Affect the SDGs?

This study aims to examine the influence of three pillars of government efforts and commitment on the Sustainable Development Goals index. The three pillars are Transformation, Coordination and Multilateralism. Knowledge related to country policies should be improved to boost effectiveness to achieve better sustainable development goals. The research sample includes 74 countries around the world that have implemented Sustainable Development Goals practices so that they have a Sustainable Development Goals index achievement value and a Government Efforts and Commitment index value for the index performance period of 2023. The analysis method uses multiple regression in STATA. The results showed that only the Transformation variable had a significant effect on the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals index, but the Coordination and Multilateralism variables had no effect. This finding confirms that comprehensive changes in sectoral policies, accompanied by concrete long-term strategic actions from all parties, are the hallmarks of the government's efforts and commitment.

Unveiling Digital Transformation: A Catalyst for Enhancing Food Security and Achieving Sustainable Development Goals at the European Union Level.

The digital revolution is reshaping various aspects of society, including having a profound impact on food security and the advancement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This study investigates the relationship between digital transformation, quantified through the components of the Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI), and SDGs related to food (SDG1, SDG2, SDG3, and SDG10), along with the overall SDG Index score. The data used for investigation are sourced from reports issued by the European Commission concerning DESI, as well as the SDG reports for the period from 2017 to 2022. The paper elucidates how different components of digitalization, such as connectivity, digital skills, internet usage, and digital public services, influence the attainment of food security objectives and broader sustainable development targets using structural equation modeling and cluster analysis. The findings underscore the pivotal role of digital technologies in enhancing poverty alleviation, health and well-being, and, in particular, mitigating inequality. This study contributes to understanding the complex relationship between digital transformation and food security, offering insights for policymakers, practitioners, and stakeholders aiming to leverage technology for advancing SDGs and fostering a more equitable and sustainable future.

The illusion of the Holy Grail of decoupling: Are there countries with relatively high SDGI and moderately low ecological footprint?

The development of sustainability indicators at the national level emerged due to the limitations of using GDP as a measure of well-being, sustainability, and resilience. Over time, various indicators and rankings have been formulated, with a shift in focus from solely economic growth to a more encompassing perspective. The objective of this study was to create a new ranking, based on the integration of two methodologies, namely UN Sustainable Development Goals Index (SDGI), and the Global Footprint Network's Ecological Footprint (EF), in order to identify meaningful clusters of countries based on both measures. Hierarchical clustering was utilized to group countries, while the Nearest Neighbour method was employed to filter out outliers, and the Ward method determined the final clusters. Additionally, the Pearson's correlation coefficient was calculated to assess the relationship between the 17 SDGIs and the EF. The clustering outcomes revealed that a three-cluster solution can be considered satisfactory. The results obtained with the new method demonstrate that the environmental dimension of SDGI is a sufficient metric for environmental sustainability in terms of ranking countries.

Progress toward some of sustainable development goals in China's population-shrinking cities

A decrease in population is an emerging challenge in China's urbanization trajectory. This study utilizes data from the Sixth and Seventh Population Censuses to identify Chinese cities experiencing population decline, focusing on prefecture-level cities. It employs 30 indicators relevant to nine Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) concerning urban areas and populations to evaluate the progress of these shrinking cities in 2010 and 2020. A novel metric, "SDG population elasticity", is introduced to quantify the association between population reduction and SDG indexes. The study employs K-means++ clustering for 130 shrinking cities. The findings reveal that out of the 130 cities, 63 exhibit a downward trend in SDG index scores, predominantly in China's northeast and western regions. The Northeast region has negative SDG population elasticity, indicating a lag in sustainable development compared to that in other areas. Additionally, the research categorizes China's shrinking cities into four groups: cities with strong population elasticity feedback-significantly declining SDGs, cities with weak population elasticity feedback-slightly regressing SDGs, cities with high population loss-negative SDGs in decline, and cities with smart population decline-steady SDGs growth. These findings offer a foundation for crafting bespoke policies in shrinking cities to ensure a balanced approach to sustainable development and monitor advancement toward achieving the SDGs.

In Search of Sustainable Economy Indicators: A Comparative Analysis between the Sustainable Development Goals Index and the Green Growth Index

The absence of globally accepted indicators for measuring progress towards a Sustainable Economy (SE) presents a significant challenge in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a timely and comprehensive manner. Despite decades of attempts to develop alternative metrics and indicators for SE and Sustainable Development (SD), progress has been incremental and incomplete. This paper aims to comparatively assess the existing metrics for measuring progress towards SE based on their completeness and utility in various SE dimensions, attributes and characteristics. It aims to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of each identified metric and provide a detailed analysis of existing sustainability indices through a comprehensive literature review and analysis.. The importance and originality of our approach come from comparative analysis, mapping promising and relevant metrics identified through an extensive literature review against identified sustainability features. This paper employs the Sustainable Development Goals Index (SDGI) and the Green Growth Index (GGI) and applies them to Qatar and few selected countries. Qatar is showing noteworthy progress in both indices, albeit at varying rates, but it has more room for progress by learning from other countries. This study acknowledges its limitations, including data availability for a limited period and its application to only a selected set of countries. Finally, it recommends future research to broaden the scope of analysis over an extended timeframe and to a larger group of countries, enhancing the applicability and depth of the indices.

Sustainable Development and Competitiveness: Is There a Need for GCI Reconstruction?

Abstract Starting from competitiveness as the ability of an entity (company, sector, state) to successfully increase sales on the domestic and/or international market, and through a balance surplus to create growing revenues for its company and/or residents, i.e. the entire country, the concept of competitiveness should be transformed according to today’s business conditions. Competitiveness was initially related to cost, and sales grew due to lower product prices, and later due to productivity and better product quality. Today’s consumer is not only interested in price and quality, but also in environmental sustainability and social responsibility, and customers are looking for sustainable products. This paper investigates the relationship between the Global Competitiveness Index (GCI) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) index on a sample of 27 member states of the European Union in the period 2007-2017, with the main goal and purpose of determining the direction and strength of the relationship and creating a platform for the necessity of redesigning the GCI. The impact of climate change on the GCI was examined by the Sustainable Development Index. For this purpose, Difference GMM was used. The results show that SDG12 (waste generation) hurts competitiveness, while SDG14 (maritime, ocean conservation) has a positive impact on competitiveness. This study contributes to the ongoing discourse on the intersection of competitiveness and sustainability, providing a foundation for future discussions and potential reconstructions of indices that reflect the changing global environment.

Assessment of Türkiye's Digitalization Performance within the Framework of the UN Sustainable Development Index

The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between the accelerated digitalization process in Türkiye in the 2000s and the developments in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) index observed in the same period. The main question motivating the study is the nature of the effects of increasing digitalization on sustainable development. Quantitative data analytics methods were used in the study. Time series data on digitalization and SDG index for Türkiye were collected and descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were applied. The findings show that there has been a significant increase in digitalization indicators in Türkiye since the 2000s. In the same period, an increase was also observed in the SDG index. Although a positive relationship was found between the two variables, it was understood that more detailed analyses are needed to make a definitive judgment in terms of causality. The study is important in terms of raising awareness of the relationship between digitalization and sustainable development in Türkiye and guiding future research.

Unraveling interactions and priorities under sustainable development goals in less-developed mountainous areas: case study on the National Innovation Demonstration Zone for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, China.

Understanding the intricate relationships between progress and the United Nations' 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is vital for informed and adaptable sustainable development policy formulation. This study focused on the Lincang National Innovation Demonstration Zone for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (LC-NIDZASD) in China. By evaluating sustainability scores at the county level from 2011 to 2020, the trade-offs and synergies among SDGs were explored. Priority SDGs for development were identified, and targeted recommendations were established based on these findings. The key findings are as follows: (1) The SDG index scores of Lincang and its counties showed an increase from 2011 to 2020, with scores riding from 42.1 to 52.2. SDG6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) and SDG12 (Responsible Production and Consumption) had the highest scores, while SDG1 (No Poverty) and SDG4 (Quality Education) increased significantly. However, the COVID-19 pandemic led to a decrease in the scores of SDG1, SDG8 (Decent Jobs and Economic Growth), and SDG17 (Partnerships for the Goals) in 2020 decreased compared to 2019. Decreased scores in SDG13 (Climate Action) and SDG15 (Life on Land) may be attributable to climate change. (2) The relationship between "Objectives" and ''Governance" appears to be synergistic, while ''Essential Needs" mainly shows a trade-off relationship with ''Objectives" and ''Governance." (3) To promote achievements in the construction of LC-NIDZASD, priority should be given to SDG3 (Health and Well-Being), SDG8, SDG9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure), and SDG12; SDG4 should not be ignored. (4) Overall, Lincang has made significant progress in sustainable development. However, to further consolidate these achievements, adjustments should be made for SDG7 (Energy Consumption and Production Structure). Efforts should be made to strengthen climate governance measures and improve warning and forecasting capabilities to promote the synergistic development of SDG7 (Affordable and Clean Energy) and SDG13 with other SDGs. This study's dynamic monitoring of changes in the SDGs in Lincang provides valuable insights into the synergies and trade-offs among these goals. Appropriate prioritization across various SDGs can allow for timely adjustments in sustainable management policies, ultimately contributing to the successful operation of the LC-NIDZASD.

The Coupling and Coordination Degree of Digital Business and Digital Governance in the Context of Sustainable Development

The inexorable march of technological advancement, particularly within the digital domain, continues to exert a profound influence on global economies, societies, and governance frameworks. This paper delves into the intricate coordination between digital business and digital governance against the backdrop of sustainable development. By introducing an index system to gauge the levels of digital business and governance, this study assesses their coupling coordination using a coupling coordination model. Through this level of coordination, this paper assesses their respective contributions to the sustainable development objectives of EU countries through panel-corrected standard error (PCSE) estimates. The paper’s findings underscore several key conclusions: (1) Notable upswings are evident in the composite indices for digital business and digital governance growth. Among these, the index of digital business has demonstrated the most pronounced surge. Furthermore, digital business has experienced a distinct upward trajectory in recent years. (2) Although observable, the rise of the coupling degree is restrained, with an overall coupling degree that remains relatively low. The coupling progression has transitioned from a stage of low-degree coupling to that of primary coupling, with EU countries demonstrating fluctuating rising trends in their coupling degrees, marked by conspicuous regional disparities. (3) Over the examined period, the extent of coordination between digital business and digital governance substantially impacts the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) index. Focusing on the interplay and harmonization between digital business and governance offers a novel pathway toward attaining the objectives of the Sustainable Development Goals.

A Mid-Term Review of Nigeria’s Progress Towards Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations were adopted in September 2015 as a follow-up to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) which had ended with very little success in Nigeria. Though the 17 ambitious goals of the SDGs are expected to be achieved in 2030, evidence shows that Nigeria did not only carry the goals of MDGs into the SDGs era but also began the implementation of the SDGs late, after the first Voluntary National Review (VNR) in 2017. This study reviewed Nigeria’s progress towards sustainable development with consideration to the international treaty signed by UN member countries for achieving the SDGs in 2030. A descriptive historical research design was adopted for the study, while data were gathered from the official websites of government and inter-governmental organizations and national newspapers that were purposively selected and compared to ensure data quality. Two research questions were answered in a content review analysis. Findings revealed that Nigeria has a structure in place across levels of government to ensure the smooth implementation of the SDGs; compared to the SDGs baseline report of 2016, and the SDGs index rankings from 2019 to 2022, Nigeria’s progress towards achieving the SDGs in 2030 has been slow and poor; and that corruption among public officials, poor budgetary allocations to health and education, rising poverty and youth unemployment rates, and weak development policies and programs, are the major challenges affecting the progress of SDGs implementation in Nigeria. The study recommended the urgent need to review and strengthen government institutions and policies, introduce stringent laws against corruption, establish mechanisms for public transparency and accountability in governance, and promote reward good behaviours in public offices.

Digital Revolution, Sustainability, and Government Revenues: A Transversal Analysis of How Digital Transformation and Sustainable Practices Impact Sustainable Government Revenues

In recent decades, digital transformation and sustainability have become two crucial aspects of economic and social development in the European Union (EU), improving government tax collection and other government incomes. This paper investigates the interplay between digital transformation and sustainability and their impact on total general government revenue (TGGR) in the European Union (EU). The study uses quantitative research methods to analyze relationships among variables, including artificial neural networks and cluster analyses. The variables considered in this research are the Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI), the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) index, and TGGR. Our findings reveal intricate connections between digital transformation, sustainability, and TGGR across EU member states. The DESI score measures the level of digitalization within each country, while the SDG Index assesses sustainability performance. The study demonstrates that countries with higher DESI scores tend to experience increased TGGR, indicating that a more robust digital economy contributes positively to government revenue, among other elements. The research identifies clusters of EU member states with similar patterns of digital transformation, sustainability, and TGGR. These clusters highlight challenges and opportunities, guiding policymakers in tailoring strategies to boost digitalization and government revenue sustainably.

The Canonical Discriminant Model of the Environmental Security Threats

The existence of modern humanity directly depends on environmental security. Human society, biodiversity, ecosystems, and climate safety are interdependent. The anthropogenic influence that causes irreversible climate change threatens both the ecosystem’s existence and humans’ survival. To maintain a balance between human well-being and a safe environment, it is important to have a diverse knowledge of the interrelations between the technological impact on the natural environment and climate change and an understanding of action strategies to mitigate climate change and ensure sustainable development. Applying a scientific approach, data analytics, and data science tools can effectively support climate change mitigation and prevent a climate disaster. Based on the components of the climate change performance index (CCPI) 2023 for 59 countries and the EU, a canonical discriminant model was built to identify the significant factors that influence the assessment of the effectiveness of climate protection in a particular country or region and the assessment of climate risks. It can be used to assess the level of climate protection effectiveness of countries that have not defined the CCPI 2023. Based on empirical data, we have determined the real weights of the relevant CCPI components in relation to the effectiveness of actions aimed at reducing global warming. We have established that there are additional factors important for assessing climate protection, but the CCPI rating does not consider them. We conducted a comparative analysis of the CCPI index and the sustainable development goals (SDG) index. The study establishes that the differences in environmental protection among the world’s countries do not determine the assessment of the level of sustainable development of the world’s countries. The obtained results can provide information to support decision-making in developing effective strategies and urgent actions to ensure climate protection.

Studying The Effect of Tourism Revitalization Program : Sustainable Upgrading Slums Settlements of Malang, Indonesia

Consequent of urban poverty is lack of affordable housing in urban areas. It leads to the increasing slum settlements of urban inhabitants living in deprived urban areas. Typically, slum settlements were distress and discomfort aspect on social, economic and environmental. However, policy efforts slum revitalization in Indonesia is observed to have a economic effect on the residents, where revitalization slum area of Tridi subdistrict in Malang become site tourism. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate influence of revitalization slum program refer to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) index on development community, community behavior on environmental and ecosystem-based sustainability. This study uses a qualitative fault tree analysis (FTA) approach in sequence. Data were obtained through observation, surveys, and documentation. The results indicate a considerable built environment discomfort was due to lack of social spaces and poor design of the slum revitalization landscape. This study offers the concept of improvement strategy for slum shall not orientate to merely for beautification but also considering to improve the sustainability of the slum wellbeing.

УСТОЙЧИВО РАЗВИТИЕ НА БЪЛГАРИЯ

In 2015 Bulgaria expressed its support for adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sus-tainable Development. As the deadline for its implementation approaches, consider-ing the highest order of the objective of achieving sustainable development, the question of what is the current level of sustainable development of our country in absolute and relative terms – compared to other EU member states, what are the trends and prospects for the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 is becoming more relevant. The answer to this question is provided by the present study, which presents the most frequently used complex indicators for de-termining the level of sustainable development, as well as the position, value and change in indicators for the level of sustainable development of Bulgaria according to the seventeen Global Goals adopted by the UN. Among the main results of the publication, it stands out that for all three general indicators for sustainable devel-opment – the Human Development Index, the Social Progress Index and the Sus-tainable Development Goals Index, as well as regarding the status and changes for Bulgaria in terms of the realization of the individual Sustainable Development Goals (according to three different methodologies, within three different reports) Bulgaria is far from the average European level and in the last position among the EU mem-ber states. Our country is still far from fulfilling the Global Goals, the direction of change for most goals is positive, although not at a sufficiently good pace to reach them in 2030.

Does geopolitical risk hinder sustainable development goals? Evidence from a panel analysis

This paper is likely the first attempt to empirically investigate the direct effect of geopolitical risk on sustainable development goals (SDGs). We employ a newly developed SDG index along with its 17 sub-indices from the United Nations to capture various aspects of sustainable development. On a panel sample covering 41 countries from 2015 to 2021, we find that elevated geopolitical tensions can hinder the progress towards achieving sustainable development goals. This result is robust to various model specifications and estimation approaches. Further analyses show that the two dimensions affected are Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG8) and Climate Action (SDG13). Heterogeneity test finds that the negative effect of geopolitical risks is only present in countries highly dependent on natural resources. More importantly, improvements in institutional quality could partially offset the detrimental effect of geopolitical risks on sustainable development goals. Therefore, this study provides important implications for policymakers in devising measures to maintain the progress to achieve SDGs in the era of rising global uncertainties.

A critical analysis of selected global sustainability assessment frameworks: Toward integrated approaches to peace and sustainability

Achieving sustainable development requires peaceful conditions. However, current sustainability impact assessment tools tend to overlook aspects of positive peace, particularly in societies transitioning from conflict. Recent efforts attempt to address this gap, but the examination of how positive peace indicators integrate into major global sustainability assessment (GSA) frameworks remains underexplored. This study evaluates whether GSA frameworks consider positive peace or the elimination of structural violence and enabling societal conditions that sustain peace. We selected eight GSA frameworks for the analysis: Environmental Performance Index, Global Green Economy Index, Green Growth Index, Global Sustainable Competitiveness Index, Happy Planet Index, Planetary Adjusted Human Development Index, Sustainable Development Goals Index, and Sustainable Society Index. We first evaluated the eight GSA frameworks using the Bellagio Sustainability Assessment and Measurement Principles (BellagioSTAMP) covering guiding vision, essential considerations, adequate scope, framework and indicators, transparency, effective communication, broad participation, and continuity and capacity. Then we analyzed consolidated indicators from the frameworks to determine if they pay balanced attention to different sustainability dimensions and integrate positive peace. While evaluation using BellagioSTAMP is generally satisfactory, positive peace is inadequately addressed in some frameworks, despite peace being a prerequisite for sustainable development. The study results can inform the development of assessment frameworks that better integrate the components of peace and sustainability. The study also highlights the importance of positive peace in achieving sustainable development and the need to ensure assessment frameworks inform actions toward building peaceful communities.

Progress towards Sustainable Development Goals in the Belt and Road Initiative countries

Studies have shown that monitoring the progress towards Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) provides a basis for evaluation of efforts in sustainable development and formulation of policy recommendations. The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) may have profound implications for the sustainable development of the involved countries. However, the performance of these countries with respect to the social, economic, and environmental dimensions of SDGs is yet to be explored. In this paper, we addressed this gap by analysing the progress towards SDGs during 2000–2019 on both the BRI and national scales by accounting for the social, economic, and environmental SDGs. We found that the BRI SDG index (SDGI), calculated by summing up the results from the three dimensions, increased from 43.5 in 2000 to 60.2 in 2019. Meanwhile, more than 90% of the BRI nations were at least halfway towards reaching the best performance of SDGs as of 2019. Of the 65 BRI nations, European countries generally performed better, while Central and West Asian countries performed relatively poorly according to the SDGI. Overall, the BRI showed high, medium, and low scores in achieving the economic, social, and environmental SDGs, respectively. In addition, the three dimensions have shown significant synergistic relationships over the past 20 years, although the synergies are weakening. Our research described the progress of BRI towards the SDGs, revealing that more attention should be paid to the environmental dimension, particularly to SDG 15 (life on land), as it received the lowest score and had the steepest downward trend of all SDGs. Considering the spatial heterogeneity among the BRI nations, we proposed a geospatial division and management plan as a potential measure to achieve SDGs.

Effect of Sustainable Development and Institutional Quality on Growth

The issue of compatibility of sustainable development policies, institutional quality, and economic growth gains on importance as the world races towards achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This paper aims to examine the relationship between sustainable development, institutional quality, and economic growth between the years 2012 and 2021 in 116 countries. The quantile regression method has been employed in this study to capture various relationship nexuses in different quantiles of growth. The common 15th, 25th, 50th, 75th and 95th quantiles have been selected. The official Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Index is applied to proxy the holistic conceptualization and policy achievement of the United Nation’s SDGs. The findings show a negative relationship between sustainable development and economic growth, indicating that achieving sustainable development goals will harm the economic growth. Increasing negative coefficient values from lower to higher quantiles imply increasing opportunity cost of degrowth towards increasing sustainable development. Besides, institutional quality did not affect economic growth, either directly or indirectly. The study suggests the necessity to review the existing policies, institutional structures, and strategies to foster compatibility between sustainable development, institutional quality, and growth.

Examining Progress on Sustainable Development Goals Across Regions through an Intertemporal Lens

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are the set of global goals adopted by world countries under the common 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The UN 193 signatory countries pledged to a common development agenda to achieve economic prosperity, social uplift, environmental restoration, and better governance. Sustainable development is an essential goal that is intrinsically linked to the survival of the individual, society, environment, countries, nations, and the world. It promises peace, prosperity, people, and planet safety for all. The aim of SDGs is to ensure wellbeing for present and future generations through sustainable consumption of the given endowments. SDGs try to establish a balance between economic growth, environmental protection and social wellbeing. The key principle of sustainable development is the idea that all aspects of human society are interconnected and dependent on the health and vitality of the natural endowments. This research presents an intertemporal analysis of the SDGs index over a 20-year period. The study found that the SDGs index for underdeveloped countries has been rising slowly over time, while developed countries are already in a safe zone where sustainable development is ensured.