Nexus among Regulatory Framework, Economic Growth and Sustainable Development: Insights from Structural Equation Modeling Approach

Abstract

The concept of sustainable development holds immense importance for both current and future generations. This study investigates the manner in which economic growth acts as a mediator in the relationship between sustainable development and the regulatory framework. We have utilized the structural equation modeling technique to investigate the direct and indirect impacts of exogenous and endogenous variables. We executed this investigation using a sample of 24 countries that accounted for about 65% of global greenhouse gas emissions between 2000 and 2019. According to empirical results based on direct effects, the regulatory framework hinders sustainable development and economic growth. The empirical findings indicate that the regulatory framework has a noteworthy and favorable indirect influence on sustainable development, with economic growth serving as a mediating factor. Furthermore, because of the positive indirect effect, the regulatory framework's negative direct effect on sustainable development outweighs its total adverse effect. In the end, legislators should give utmost importance to creating a balanced regulatory framework that promotes economic expansion while incorporating concepts of environmental, social, and economic sustainability to ensure the well-being of present and future generations.