Sustainable goals, unsustainable debt? An empirical analysis of the sustainable development goals and government financial sustainability

Purpose This paper aims to examine the relationship between the implementation of the sustainable development goals (SDGs) and governments' financial sustainability. It analyzes whether progress toward the 2030 Agenda is associated with increasing public debt, thereby highlighting the potential fiscal implications of sustainability-oriented policies. Design/methodology/approach The study uses a balanced panel of 145 countries covering the period 2016–2023. A dynamic model is estimated using the