Global outlook of the multiplier effect of research and development on environmental sustainability

In a time of severe environmental problems and growing public and private expenditure to promote a sustainable society, studies on the impact of Research and Development (R&D) on environmental sustainability hardly ever exist. This study looked at how R&D promotes the attainment of environmentally sustainable goals, globally. Data at the country level was compiled from the United Nations-Sustainable Development Goals (UN-SDG) database and the World Bank, then processed and analysed using spatial techniques such as spatial merge, autofill, autocorrelation, and geographic weighted regression. Expenditure on R&D and publications in scientific journals had a positive impact on SDGs 8 and 11 for all nations. R&D expenditure on SDG 8 was higher for Southern African countries. The impact of scientific and technical journal articles was greater for Middle East countries. Also, scientific and technical journal articles had greater effects on attainment of SDG 11 in Africa. Exports of high technology from South America and Europe were important for achieving SDG 15. However, the effect of patent and trademark applications had minimal effect on achieving environmentally sustainable goals. The study recommends boosting R&D expenditure by governments and international organisations, particularly in Africa because the multiplier impact extends beyond economic development to environmental sustainability which is necessary for the continent to abate the challenges of climate change.