Sustainable Development as a Strategic Factor in Ecuador’s Economic Growth: A Socioeconomic and Environmental Analysis

El Desarrollo Sostenible como Factor Estratégico en el Crecimiento Económico del Ecuador: Un Análisis Socioeconómico y Ambiental

This study analyses sustainable development as a strategic factor for interpreting Ecuador's economic growth during the 2015–2024 period. The research was conducted using a quantitative approach and a non-experimental, longitudinal design, utilizing secondary data from official national and international sources. Through a literature review and descriptive analysis, key economic, social, and environmental indicators were evaluated, including Gross Domestic Product (GDP), poverty rate, Gini coefficient, Human Development Index (HDI), and carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions. The results reveal that although the Ecuadorian economy experienced phases of recovery and expansion—particularly following the COVID-19 crisis—these improvements did not translate into sustained progress in the social and environmental dimensions. The persistence of poverty, inequality, and polluting emissions reflects structural vulnerabilities linked to a reliance on extractive sectors, limited production diversification, and susceptibility to external shocks. The study concludes that sustainable development serves as an indispensable analytical framework for assessing the quality of growth by integrating variables that extend beyond GDP. Finally, the paper underlines the urgency of strengthening policies for energy transition, production matrix diversification, and social investment to steer the country towards a more balanced and inclusive economic model.

Economic Diversification as a Catalyst for Sustainable Development in Nigeria: A Conceptual Review

Economic diversification has increasingly emerged as a strategic policy option for achieving sustainable development in resource-dependent economies such as Nigeria. Despite the country's abundant human and natural resources, its overdependence on crude oil exports has contributed to macroeconomic instability, weak industrial development, high import dependence, unemployment, and vulnerability to external economic shocks. Recent developments, including the COVID-19 pandemic, persistent inflationary pressures, digital economic transformation, green industrialization, and the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), have further underscored the need for structural economic transformation. Against this backdrop, this study conceptually examines economic diversification as a catalyst for sustainable development in Nigeria. Specifically, the study seeks to examine the concept of economic diversification in Nigeria and evaluate the relationship between production and consumption within the Nigerian economy. The study adopts a qualitative research approach based on a comprehensive review of secondary data obtained from scholarly journal articles, textbooks, government publications, policy documents, reports of international organizations, and other relevant literature. The review is anchored on the Theory of Comparative Advantage, which provides a theoretical explanation for productive specialization, industrial competitiveness, and efficient resource utilization. The study argues that sustainable development in Nigeria depends on shifting from a consumption-driven economy to a production-oriented economy through industrial growth, production expansion, employment creation, export competitiveness, digital innovation, green industrialization, and value-added production. It further highlights the strategic relevance of aligning Nigeria's diversification agenda with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), post-COVID economic restructuring initiatives, and the opportunities presented by the AfCFTA. The study concludes that economic diversification is not merely a revenue-generation strategy but a comprehensive framework for strengthening economic resilience, improving productivity, promoting inclusive growth, and ensuring long-term economic sustainability. It recommends sustained investment in productive sectors, policy consistency, technological innovation, infrastructure development, and institutional reforms to accelerate Nigeria's transition toward a diversified and sustainable economy.

Beyond Economic Growth: Reassessing Economic Development as a Driver of Sustainable Development Goal Achievement

The purpose of this study is to reassess the role of economic development as a driver of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) achievement by comparing GDP-centric metrics with multidimensional frameworks that incorporate human development, institutional quality, and environmental sustainability. Using a balanced panel dataset of 139 countries over the period 2010–2024, this study estimates hierarchical fixed effects models to quantify the explanatory power of traditional versus expanded development indicators. Three progressive models were estimated: a GDP-centric baseline, a human development expanded model, and a fully specified "Beyond GDP" multidimensional model. System GMM estimation and alternative dependent variables were employed as robustness checks. Results show that while GDP per capita is a significant predictor in baseline models (β = 4.82, p < 0.001), its effect diminishes substantially and becomes statistically insignificant (β = 0.92, p = 0.18) once human development (HDI), governance (WGI_Avg), and renewable energy share are controlled for. The fully specified multidimensional model explains 83% of the variation in SDG Index scores—a 25-percentage-point improvement over the GDP-only baseline (Adjusted R² = 0.58). Robustness checks using System GMM and alternative dependent variables confirm these findings. The study relies on internationally standardized datasets with some indicators inconsistently reported in low-income countries. The panel design controls for time-invariant country effects but cannot fully capture context-specific dynamics. The 2010–2024 window excludes earlier decades limiting insights into long-term structural transformations. The findings provide empirical validation for the UN's "Beyond GDP" initiative and offer actionable insights for policymakers seeking to accelerate 2030 Agenda implementation. Governments should adopt multidimensional dashboards for national planning, prioritize institutional quality and anti-corruption reforms, and accelerate green energy transitions with pro-poor design. This study provides robust empirical evidence that economic growth alone is neither necessary nor sufficient for SDG achievement; rather, multidimensional capabilities, particularly human capital, institutional integrity, and green transitions, are the true drivers of sustainable progress. The hierarchical modelling approach demonstrates that multidimensional frameworks do not merely "add noise" but fundamentally improve explanatory power and policy relevance. References Aevoae, G. M., Dicu, R. M., Mardiros, D. N., & Scorțescu, F. I. (2026). 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Unravelling the Determinants of Economic and Environmental Sustainability in China: New Insights from Aggregated and Disaggregated Data

Governance and Efficiency in the Transformation From Economic to Social Development in African Countries

The research adopts the two‐stage Dynamic Network Directional Distance Function (DN‐DDF) model to objectively measure performance in economic development, social development and overall efficiency. In addition, the Malmquist total factor productivity (TFP) index is incorporated to analyse productivity changes during the period from 2018 to 2022. A strategic matrix analysis is further applied, combining countries' overall efficiency and TFP performance to classify 31 African countries into distinct development typologies, based on which concrete policy recommendations are proposed. The findings reveal significant regional disparities in the efficiency of economic‐to‐social development transformation, with outcomes heavily dependent on resource allocation and institutional quality. While some countries exhibit stable economic growth, factors such as severe corruption, weak governance mechanisms and insufficient social investment hinder the effective enhancement of human capital and social welfare. The study also incorporates the Ibrahim Index of African Governance (IIAG) and the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) as key variables to evaluate governance quality. Results demonstrate that both indicators provide substantial explanatory power for differences in social development efficiency, underscoring the pivotal mediating role of institutional factors in the process of transforming resources into development outcomes.

Post-growth in municipal economic development: Illusion or reality?

Introduction. Sustainable development discourse is getting more and more focused on the theory of post-growth, which presupposes the transformation of an economic system to achieve economic and social goals with no specific growth and no new non-renewable resources in a better environmental context. However, a significant number of geopolitical, economic, epidemiological, and environmental shocks occurred at the beginning of this century call into question the possibility of economic growth in municipalities as the basis for improving the quality of life. The hypothesis of the research is that the post-growth is both the model for sustainable development and an unbiased type of evolutional development of economic systems. Purpose. The article refers to the municipalities in Sverdlovsk oblast for the periods of 2010, 2015, 2020–2023 to identify the post-growth features in a municipal economy. Materials and methods. To identify the signs of post-growth, the authors propose applying the assessment of gross municipal product growth rates (0–1% in the long term) and the dynamics of indicators of production factors (land, labour, capital) in the territory under local government. Results. The paper shows that post-growth is not only the model for sustainable development which is rooted in the diversified approach to the economic growth and structural reorganization of economy with the focus on the most vital industries, but also an economic evolutionary stage, when further growth is impractical due to the level of achieved development or impossible due to resource constraints associated with the depletion of traditional production factors in the territory. Sverdlovsk oblast revealed the sings of post-growth in four municipalities: Tavda and Rezh municipalities, Kamensk-Uralsk city district, Pervouralsk municipality. Compared to 2010, gross municipal product in 2016–2023 is shown to decrease in 44 municipalities in the context of population decline in 62 municipalities, less revenue from the land tax in 13 territories, ratio between investment and wear less than 100 % in 28 territories, which proves the limited budget and investment possibilities in a significant number of territories. Conclusions. The results of the study highlight the need to reintegrate organizational, management, and financial factors into the development of municipal economies.