Unraveling the Complex Interplay of Sustainability, Investments, and Economic Indicators

Abstract

The concept of sustainability, both in strong and weak forms, has been evaluated through methodologies like the Human Development Index and the Index of Sustainability Development. While the strong form emphasizes the irreplaceable nature of natural capital, the weak form has been often critiqued for its operational ambiguity, even amidst international conservation agreements. Meanwhile, the seventeen Sustainable Development Goals have been grouped into categories based on their influence being positive or negative. Multinational companies’ investments, both internal and external, play a vital role in balancing competitiveness and addressing externalities in various host communities. This research primarily focuses on understanding the intricate relationship between human development, concentration indices, sustainable development, investment, and gross domestic product (GDP). In this research, we use an econometric methodology based on maximum likelihood estimation to control for heteroskedasticity effects of the proposed models. The main results indicate that factors such as the level of industrial concentration, human development, and GDP have a significant impact on the sustainability indices of the countries of the research.