Digital governance as a tool for achieving the sustainable development goals

The article examines the ambivalent impact of digital governance on achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the context of shifting global development paradigms. Drawing on a critical review of contemporary literature, international reports, and a comparative analysis of national strategies, the author reconstructs the evolution of state digitalisation through three sequential stages: ‘digital replica’ 1.0, ‘networked interactivity’ 2.0, and ‘ecosystem complexity’ 3.0. The methodology combines an evolutionary-systems approach, complex adaptive systems theory, critical discourse analysis, and a case study of Estonia’s X-Road platform, enabling the identification of latent paradoxes related to algorithmic objectivity, digital exclusion, and controlled transparency. It is demonstrated that each stage of digital governance simultaneously introduces new managerial opportunities while deepening structural inequalities: algorithmic efficiency may undermine democratic accountability, and integrated platforms create systemic vulnerabilities with cascading effects. The insufficient integration of technological, institutional, and social factors limits the multiplicative potential of digitalisation for the SDGs, resulting in fragmented pilot initiatives and selective access to public services. Geopolitical factors and the weakening of multilateral institutions exacerbate the risk of covert sabotage of environmental and social commitments, often disguised by technocratic modernisation rhetoric. The originality of this work lies in the proposed nine-dimensional conceptual matrix that systematically describes transformations in ontological foundations, power structures, citizenship models, and causality logics across different digital governance modes. The practical relevance is reflected in recommendations for implementing algorithmic auditing, enhancing digital inclusivity, and rethinking international coordination mechanisms amidst technological competition. The findings underscore the necessity to shift from fragmented digital projects towards a holistic state approach that integrates ethical, legal, and cultural aspects of digitalisation. Prospective research avenues include developing indicative frameworks for assessing the sustainable impact of digital governance and exploring cross-sectoral feedback loops between algorithmic decisions and socio-economic outcomes