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Assessing long-term sustainability trends in BRICS economies: A composite indicator approach

  • Martina De Anna
  • Tommaso Filì
  • Enrico Musso
  • Enrico Ivaldi
  • Tiziano Pavanini

This study examines the sustainability trajectories of the BRICS economies (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) focusing on the interplay between economic growth, social equity, and environmental sustainability from 2000 to 2022. Using a multidimensional framework, the analysis employs key indicators across three sustainability pillars: social (income inequality and access to basic services), economic (GDP growth and employment rates), and environmental (CO₂ emissions and ecological footprint). This temporal assessment reveals distinct patterns of progress and challenges among BRICS countries, with rapid economic expansion often accompanied by persistent social disparities and increasing environmental degradation. The findings highlight significant variations in how each nation balances these dimensions, reflecting diverse policy approaches and structural conditions. The study emphasizes the complex trade-offs involved in pursuing sustainable development and underscores the need for integrated strategies to align economic objectives with social and environmental responsibilities. These insights contribute to the broader dialogue on sustainability in emerging economies and provide a critical perspective on the BRICS bloc’s capacity to drive global sustainable development goals.

  • Keywords:
  • Sustainable development,
  • BRICS countries,
  • Emerging economies,
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Martina De Anna

University of Genoa, Italy

Tommaso Filì

University of Genoa, Italy - ORCID: 0009-0008-3614-6315

Enrico Musso

University of Genoa, Italy - ORCID: 0000-0003-1862-4746

Enrico Ivaldi

IULM University of Milan, Italy - ORCID: 0000-0001-6687-9378

Tiziano Pavanini

Politecnico di Milano, Italy - ORCID: 0000-0001-8709-3710

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  • Anno di pubblicazione: 2026
  • Pagine: 189-194

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  • Anno di pubblicazione: 2026

Informazioni sul capitolo

Titolo del capitolo

Assessing long-term sustainability trends in BRICS economies: A composite indicator approach

Autori

Martina De Anna, Tommaso Filì, Enrico Musso, Enrico Ivaldi, Tiziano Pavanini

Lingua

Inglese

DOI

10.36253/979-12-215-1062-1.34

Opera sottoposta a peer review

Anno di pubblicazione

2026

Copyright

© 2026 Author(s)

Licenza d'uso

CC BY 4.0

Licenza dei metadati

CC0 1.0

Informazioni bibliografiche

Titolo del libro

Data, Statistics and AI for Well-Being of People and Organisations

Curatori

Luigi Fabbris, Alberto Franci, Pietro Renzi

Opera sottoposta a peer review

Numero di pagine

420

Anno di pubblicazione

2026

Copyright

© 2026 Author(s)

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CC BY 4.0

Licenza dei metadati

CC0 1.0

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Firenze University Press

DOI

10.36253/979-12-215-1062-1

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979-12-215-1061-4

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979-12-215-1062-1

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979-12-215-1063-8

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Applied Statistics Series

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