Balancing national economic policy outcomes for sustainable development

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Economic Policy
• Social Science

Background:

• The 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) require balancing economic, social, and environmental progress.
• Designing effective national policies is complex due to multi-sector economies and conflicting objectives.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a national-scale framework for identifying efficient policy portfolios that support multiple SDGs.
• To aid policymakers in navigating complex policy spaces for balanced development outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Integration of economy-wide sustainability simulations with artificial intelligence (AI).
• Utilizing AI-driven multiobjective, multi-SDG policy search and machine learning algorithms.
• Application of the framework in a case study for Egypt.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated utility of the framework in identifying policy portfolios for Egypt.
• Showcased efficient mixes of poverty/inequality reduction, economic growth, and climate change mitigation.
• Highlighted the potential for integrated strategies to balance development impacts.

Conclusions:

• The developed framework enables policymakers to screen efficient policy portfolios for sustainable development.
• Integrated policy strategies are crucial for achieving SDGs while mitigating adverse impacts.
• The approach supports multi-sector, multi-actor policy deliberation for informed decision-making.