Comparative assessment of the regional strategies commitment to sustainable development goals

Abstract

Sustainable development of the region is possible only if there is a development strategy focused on the goals and principles of sustainability. The purpose of the study is to develop a methodology for assessing the adherence of regional strategies to the principles of sustainable development and to test it. The methodology includes an analysis of the occurrence of keywords (descriptors) related to the essence and goals of sustainable development, comparative analysis, the use of the Wilcoxon T–test to assess the statistical significance of differences. The materials for the study are three options for the development strategy of the Kemerovo Region – Kuzbass for 2008, 2018, 2020. The results of the study showed that the commitment to sustainable development is growing. The occurrence of the corresponding descriptors increased by 40–50% during the development of a new version of the strategy. The 2018 version put more emphasis on good health and well–being, quality education, clean water, and responsible consumption and production compared to the previous version. In the 2020 version, the frequency of occurrence of descriptors related to water, responsible consumption and production, and the fight against climate change increased. Changes in the overall occurrence of sustainable development descriptors and the relationship between individual goals are explained by two reasons. The first reason is changes in the objective socio–economic situation in the region, such as an aging population or increased dependence on one industry (coal industry). The second factor is the change in the methodology used for developing the strategy. The use of strategy theory and strategy methodology allows you to balance the relationship between different goals of sustainable development.