Long-term trends in sustainable development across the G7: a multidimensional perspective

Abstract

This research investigates the sustainable development trajectories of the G7 countries, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The analysis focuses on the three fundamental pillars of sustainability: the social, economic, and environmental dimensions, over the period 2000–2022. The construction of an interdisciplinary framework, based on few indicators such as poverty rates and education levels in the field, GDP per capita and unemployment rates in the economic sphere and CO2 emissions and natural resource use in the environmental sector enables the research to make a comparative and temporal analysis of the sustainability performance of these advanced economies. Outcomes record uneven performance, with high economic standards, sustained social inequality, and persistent environmental problems. Studies also point to internal divergence in achieving sustainability goals, including signs of policy effectiveness and long-term commitment variation among G7 nations in balancing social inclusion, environmental protection, and eco-nomic development. These results fit the broader literature on sustainable development between developed countries and raise significant questions regarding the G7 model’s capacity to launch global sustainability changes. Another crucial aspect is the role of renewable energy and energy efficiency in promoting sustainability. These findings offer practical insights for policymakers by highlighting the importance of integrated and differentiated approaches to sustainability, particularly in managing long-term trade-offs across economic growth, social equity, and environmental resilience.