Cluster Analysis and Discriminant Analysis in the Examination of the Relationship between Environmental Performance and Sustainable Development Goals Indexes
Chapter from the book: Bozgeyik, Y. (ed.) 2023. Academic Research and Evaluations in Social Sciences - IV.

Dilek Veysikarani
Çukurova University

Synopsis

Sustainability is a concept encompassing the sustainable use of natural resources, economic stability, and social justice, grounded in the principle of meeting the needs of future generations. Within the framework of these principles, sustainability has gained increasing global importance. Global issues such as climate change, depletion of natural resources, environmental pollution, and social inequality have made sustainability efforts even more urgent. In this context, the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set by the United Nations are considered a guide for sustainability efforts. Sustainability includes improving environmental performance. Sustainable use of natural resources, ecosystem conservation, and enhancing environmental quality are among the important objectives in this regard. Stable economic growth, efficient resource utilization, and equitable income distribution are also defining elements of sustainability. The social dimension emphasizes meeting fundamental needs such as equality, justice, education, and health. This study aims to explore how sustainability and environmental performance can be related. To achieve this goal, an analysis was conducted on a sample of 38 OECD countries. The "Environmental Performance Index" developed by Yale University and Columbia University was used as the criterion for environmental performance, while the United Nations' "Sustainable Development Goals Index" was employed as the indicators of sustainable development. The data for both variables were included in the analysis for the year 2022. The analysis results revealed that OECD countries were classified into seven different clusters. Findings from hierarchical and non-hierarchical clustering analysis based on k-means indicated that Turkey formed a distinct cluster, showing differences compared to other OECD countries. This suggests that Turkey is in a comparatively disadvantaged position concerning environmental performance and sustainability compared to other OECD countries. These results emphasize the need for Turkey to enhance its efforts in environmental sustainability and point out potential differences that may require international collaboration.

How to cite this book

Veysikarani, D. (2023). Cluster Analysis and Discriminant Analysis in the Examination of the Relationship between Environmental Performance and Sustainable Development Goals Indexes. In: Bozgeyik, Y. (ed.), Academic Research and Evaluations in Social Sciences - IV. Özgür Publications. DOI: https://doi.org/10.58830/ozgur.pub261.c1433

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Published

October 23, 2023

DOI