Reassessing Pathways to Sustainable Economic Development: An Analytical Investigation of Global SDG Progress
Keywords:
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Decoupling Trend, Econometric Analysis, India, Global Sustainability Index, Policy CoherenceAbstract
This study investigates the structural and policy determinants of global progress toward the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), focusing on the friction between industrial growth and ecological preservation. Utilizing a Mixed-Methods Comparative Design, the research employs a Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) to evaluate the "Sustainable Transformation Index" (STI) 2025 across 165 nations. It assesses the predictive power of three pillars—Economic, Societal, and Environmental—on overall national sustainability. The findings reveal a distinct "Decoupling Trend" among high-income, developed economies such as the United Kingdom, New Zealand, and Singapore, where economic growth is successfully being separated from environmental degradation. In contrast, emerging economies like India (ranked 23rd) and regional peers are identified in a "Coupling Phase," where robust economic gains (Score: 60.0) are achieved at the significant expense of social equity (23.4) and environmental governance (37.4). The study recommends that developing nations move beyond GDP-centric growth by adopting Green Fiscal Reforms and Universal Social Protection Floors. To achieve the 2030 Agenda, policy frameworks must transition from volume-based to quality-based growth, leveraging regional cooperation to dismantle systemic "pollution-poverty traps."
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