Assessing the performance of European Union regions in the “People” and “Prosperity” pillars of the SDGs

This paper addresses the gap in subnational assessments of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by benchmarking the performance of European Union NUTS-2 regions in the People and Prosperity pillars of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. We construct composite indices using a methodological...

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Detalhes bibliográficos
Autores: Arocena, Pablo, Pascual, Pedro, Vega Rapún, Margarita
Formato: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2026
País:España
Recursos:Universidad de Sevilla (US)
Repositorio:idUS. Depósito de Investigación de la Universidad de Sevilla
OAI Identifier:oai:dnet:idus________::becd43cd6fd9ce6ea45942d6b40fa260
Acesso em linha:https://hdl.handle.net/11441/186564
https://doi.org/10.1002/sd.71076
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palavra-chave:Benchmarking
Benefit-of-the-doubt
Beta regression
Data envelopment analysis
EU NUTS-2 regions
Quality of regional governance
Regional innovation
Sustainable development goals
Descrição
Resumo:This paper addresses the gap in subnational assessments of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by benchmarking the performance of European Union NUTS-2 regions in the People and Prosperity pillars of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. We construct composite indices using a methodological framework that combines the “benefit-of-the-doubt” approach with cross-efficiency Data Envelopment Analysis, enabling an assessment of both overall performance and the balance across SDG indicators. The resulting indices, which take values within the standard unit interval, are then regressed on a set of explanatory variables using beta regression models. The analysis uncovers substantial regional disparities and identifies positive associations between regional governance quality, innovation intensity, and balanced sustainable development outcomes. These findings provide valuable insights into the dynamics of regional sustainability within the European Union.