Exploring Sustainable Development and the SDGs 3, 4, and 8 Using the Carbon Intensity of Human Well-Being and Longitudinal Multilevel Modeling

Multilevel modeling statistics for longitudinal examination to explore the connections, relatedness, and interdependency of SDG3 “Good Health and Well-being”, SDG4 “Quality Education”, and economic growth SDGs 8 “Decent Work and Economic Growth” at a country level over the period 2000–2020. This is a novel approach that incorporates “nested” or “hierarchically nested” observations. Health and well-being, as measured in this study by the carbon intensity of human well-being (CIWB), was positively linked to economic growth and is a production function of sustainability. Results indicate that countries investing in the promotion of health and well-being outcomes will increase their economic growth over the long term. In contrast to previous studies, the relationship between education and economic growth was insignificant with the caveat of the indicators chosen. Using the advanced statistical methods adopted here could offer policymakers new insights and tools to focus their efforts to accelerate the progress of sustainable development and achieve the SDG targets by 2030.