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Open research questions in Sustainable Development and Environmental Policy

91 unresolved questions extracted from the limitations and future-work sections of 1,562 Sustainable Development and Environmental Policy papers in our library. Each links back to the study that raised it.

What the literature leaves open

  • The gap in prior work is the lack of a sufficient strategy to stop climate change and other environmental problems. The paper identifies the need for population reduction as a necessary step to avoid severe environmental degradation.

    Population Reduction is Our Best Hope · 2026 · DOI

  • However, the study underscores that merely increasing R&D funding is insufficient to address environmental challenges.

    Harnessing growth for ecological sustainability through exploring the drivers of load capacity factor in G7 nations · 2025 · DOI

  • The findings reveal dominant trends, thematic evolutions, and research gaps in the literature, highlighting the necessity of interdisciplinary approaches to align educational policies with degrowth principles.

    Sustainable education and degrowth: international trends · 2025 · DOI

  • Education, gender equality, and innovation-related research remain underexplored, emphasizing the need for broader academic focus.

    Exploring systems analysis and interdisciplinary research approaches for sustainable development in Africa · 2025 · DOI

  • Despite extensive contributions, a universally accepted definition remains elusive, indicating the need for further conceptual work.

    Redefining ‘sustainability’: A systematic approach for defining and assessing ‘sustainability’ and ‘social sustainability’ · 2024 · DOI

  • These definitions vary widely, encompassing values such as well‐being, good governance, equality, trust, diversity, and accessibility.

    Redefining ‘sustainability’: A systematic approach for defining and assessing ‘sustainability’ and ‘social sustainability’ · 2024 · DOI

  • Abstract Measuring a country’s sustainable development by its gross domestic product (GDP) is insufficient to capture the loss of capital that determines future human welfare.

    Sustainable matrix beyond GDP: investment for inclusive growth · 2024 · DOI

  • The dichotomy between escalating societal demands and the diminishing regenerative capacity of the biosphere. The need to achieve ecological balance, humanize the relationship between humans and nature, and respect nature and its laws.

    SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND SOCIAL EQUITY · 2026 · DOI

  • The lack of understanding of the link between social equity and sustainable development. The need to explore the historical evolution of equity from antiquity to modern philosophical thought.

    SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND SOCIAL EQUITY · 2026 · DOI

  • Future research should investigate the implementation of sustainability strategies in other industries. Future research should examine the impact of sustainability practices on business performance. Future research should develop more integrated approaches to sustainability.

    Sostenibilidad en la industria de la moda y el retail: enfoques estratégicos y tendencias · 2026 · DOI

  • There is a lack of research on the implementation of sustainability strategies in large companies. There is a need for more integrated approaches to sustainability. The study highlights the gap in sustainability practices in the fashion industry.

    Sostenibilidad en la industria de la moda y el retail: enfoques estratégicos y tendencias · 2026 · DOI

  • Future research should focus on developing more accurate and reliable methods for reporting SDG indicators in conflict-affected areas. Further studies should investigate the impact of conflict on SDG progress and the effectiveness of humanitarian responses.

    Analyzing gaps between development indicators and on the ground realities in Myanmar based on the 2025 sustainable development report · 2026 · DOI

  • There is a gap between SDG indicator reporting and lived realities in conflict-affected areas. The study identifies a need for more nuanced and context-specific approaches to measuring SDG progress.

    Analyzing gaps between development indicators and on the ground realities in Myanmar based on the 2025 sustainable development report · 2026 · DOI

  • Recommendations for future research include encouraging regional sustainable companies and goods, promoting legislative changes, and more government backing for renewable energy projects.

    THE ROLE OF GREEN ECONOMY IN MITIGATING CLIMATE CHANGE IN PAKISTAN: A STUDY UNDER SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS · 2026 · DOI

  • The study seemed to close the gap in examining how green growth affected CO2 emissions in Pakistan. The study addressed the gap in integrating ICT interaction with green growth and green innovation.

    THE ROLE OF GREEN ECONOMY IN MITIGATING CLIMATE CHANGE IN PAKISTAN: A STUDY UNDER SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS · 2026 · DOI

  • The study identifies a gap in understanding the influence of sociocultural factors on the attainment of the SDGs. The research aims to address this gap by exploring the impact of religious, linguistic, and cultural factors on achieving the SDGs.

    Recognition of the Influence of Sociocultural Factors on the Level of Sustainable Development of Countries · 2026 · DOI

  • The study identifies a gap in the literature by introducing a comprehensive sustainable development framework combining sustainability issues of the economy and ESG levels. The study aims to provide policy suggestions for achieving sustainable development, which is a gap in prior research.

    Do Macroeconomic, Financial and Technological Drivers Improve Sustainable Development in G10 Countries? · 2026 · DOI

  • This study has several limitations that should be acknowledged. First, the analysis relies on publicly available sustainability and integrated reports, which may contain biases due to differences in reporting practices, interpretation of EU Taxonomy cri- teria, and potential strategic disclosure behavior. Second, the expert-based evaluation applied in the Green Frog framework introduces a degree of subjectivity, despite the use of structured criteria. Third, the comparability of EU Taxonomy KPIs across companies is inherently limited by differences in business models, particularly be- tween fossil-based producers and network-oriented operators. Fourth, the analysis focuses on a limited sample of Hungarian energy companies, which, although repre- sentative in national context, may restrict the generalizability of the findings to other regions or sectors. Finally, the regulatory framework itself is evolving, meaning that the results reflect a transitional state of sustainability reporting rather than a fully mature system.

    Sustainability Assessment Framework for Hungarian Energy Companies in the Context of European Taxonomy Regulation · 2026 · DOI

  • Integrating sustainable development into market activities. Improving strategic orientation and investment in sustainable development. Addressing the gap between Polish SMEs and EU leaders in sustainable development.

    An Assessment of the Maturity of Poland’s SME Sector for Sustainable Development in Comparison With Other European Union Member States · 2026 · DOI

  • There is a limited number of studies enabling a comparative assessment of SME sector maturity from an international perspective. Existing research often focuses on qualitative analyses or case studies. The study aims to fill this gap by assessing the maturity of Poland's SME sector for sustainable development.

    An Assessment of the Maturity of Poland’s SME Sector for Sustainable Development in Comparison With Other European Union Member States · 2026 · DOI

  • The study identifies a gap in the existing literature regarding the role of governance quality in the relationship between public spending and sustainable development. The study aims to address this gap by examining the moderating role of governance quality.

    Unlocking the Potential of Public Spending on Sustainable Development: The Moderating Role of Governance Quality · 2026 · DOI

  • The need for a comprehensive process to evaluate sustainable project efficiency. The importance of considering ESG risks in project evaluation.

    Methods of economic evaluation of projects with consideration of ESG risks · 2026 · DOI

  • The paper identifies a lack of statistical data on the application of green technologies in the tourism sector in Azerbaijan. The paper notes that there is a need for the development of a normative-legal framework and the creation of a green investment fund for the transition to sustainable tourism.

    AZƏRBAYCANDA DAYANIQLI TURİZM VƏ YAŞIL TEXNOLOGİYALARIN TƏTBİQİ: İNKİŞAF PERSPEKTİVLƏRİ VƏ ÇAĞIRIŞLAR · 2026 · DOI

  • The paper identifies the challenge of adopting a narrow focus on financial results and resource efficiency. The study highlights the need to consider social and environmental dimensions in addition to financial performance.

    Integrated reporting: a modern approach to assessing economic, social, and environmental performance · 2026 · DOI

  • The paper identifies a gap in the practical usage of integrated reporting as a tool for quantitative evaluation of economic, social, and environmental effectiveness. Prior work has focused on the theoretical and descriptive aspects of integrated reporting.

    Integrated reporting: a modern approach to assessing economic, social, and environmental performance · 2026 · DOI

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91 open questions have been extracted from the limitations and future-work passages of 1,562 Sustainable Development and Environmental Policy papers in our library. Each one below links back to the study that raised it, so you can read the original claim in context.

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