Examining sustainable development goals: Are developing countries advancing in sustainable energy and environmental sustainability?

Abstract

Abstract Research findings suggest that understanding the complex interplay between sustainable indicators requires comprehensive intelligence and modeling. However, the availability of unified database for these purposes remains a challenge. This study contributes new insights to the existing literature utilizing 32 indicators of sustainable development goals (SDGs) to compute six composite indicators. The study applies dynamic panel analysis (generalized method of moments) and the Probit model to investigate the study in ten selected developing countries, using data from 2012 to 2020. The results indicate that since the adoption of SDGs in 2015, low and middle-income countries have made progress in improving water and sanitation sustainability, leading to enhanced environmental quality. Additionally, middle-income countries have shown greater advancements in sustainable energy compared to low-income countries, contributing to overall environmental sustainability. However, middle-income countries lag behind in sustainable agriculture when compared to their low-income counterparts. These findings highlight the potential adverse effects of SDG policy strategies, particularly in middle-income countries, where agriculture-based energy sources such as biomass and biofuels negatively impact sustainable agriculture outcomes. Furthermore, the study reveals a negative impact of carbon footprint on sustainable agriculture in developing countries since the adoption of the SDGs. Based on these findings, the study puts forward policy recommendations, including the development of unified database to support research on SDGs.