Structural modeling of the relationships of regional sustainable development goals

The article is devoted to the establishment of interrelationships between the sustainable development goals (SDGs) of a region on the basis of structural modelling. The aim of the research is to develop a tool for analysing and systematising complex interactions of regional SDGs as a basis for the formation of regional policy in the field of sustainable development. The relevance of the topic is conditioned by the fact that quantitative methods used for these purposes are objective, but labour-intensive and, relying only on measurable indicators, can distort the essence of SDGs. Qualitative methods are more nuanced but subjective. Consequently, a tool is needed that combines the strengths of these approaches and compensates for their weaknesses. In our opinion, this tool is structural modelling, an approach that is not yet widely used and therefore requires serious methodological development, which is an important part of this study. Methodological foundations of the study are the following: expert assessments were used to identify the presence and direction of SDG interrelationships; mathematical statistics methods were used to objectify expert opinions by identifying the most significant interrelationships; hierarchical and logical analysis was used to form the structure of interrelationships; matrix positioning method was used to identify the strength of influence and dependence between SDGs. The novelty of the research lies both in the synthesis of these methods and in the resulting structural model of the interrelationship of the regions' SDGs. The practical significance of the author's methodology lies in its ability to translate complex subjective and disparate qualitative views of SDG interactions into a measurable, visual and understandable format for decision-makers. The most significant conclusions obtained with the help of the final model of SDGs interaction, which also have scientific novelty, include the establishment of SDG 16, SDG 17 and SDG 4 as “inputs” of the system of interrelationships as determinants of sustainable development of the region, and SDG 11 as “output” as its result. This should be taken into account in the development of regional policy in the field of sustainable development.