Green globalization index reveals sustainability constraints on international integration

Sustainable development demands a balanced integration of economic, social, and environmental factors in globalization processes. Traditional globalization indices often overlook environmental sustainability, limiting their utility for assessing progress toward the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda. This study aims to bridge the measurement gap between globalization and sustainability by constructing the Green Globalization Index (GGI) to evaluate progress toward the UN 2030 Agenda. Utilizing an equal-weighted linear aggregation model with standardized indicators, the GGI spans five structurally equal dimensions—political, economic, social, cultural, and environmental—across 15 sub-indicators. The model was applied to a global sample panel of 118 countries from 2008 to 2019. Results reveal a modest 6.3% increase in the global average GGI, primarily driven by social advancements. Switzerland, Cyprus, and Ireland emerged as top overall performers, though high-income leaders systematically exhibit severe environmental deficits. Benchmarking against the KOF Index demonstrates that incorporating environmental constraints tempers perceived international integration rates, upgrading environmentally proactive nations (France, Canada) and downgrading trade-intensive ones (the Netherlands). To effectively harmonize international integration with global sustainability goals, we propose four targeted policy suggestions: (1) high-income, top-ranked states must implement consumption-based carbon taxes and aggressive renewable energy transitions to mitigate outsized ecological footprints; (2) middle-income nations should enforce green FDI conditionality to successfully leapfrog carbon-intensive growth pathways; (3) environmental frontrunners should leverage their performance to lead green finance and trade preference standard-setting; and (4) global climate governance bodies should integrate GGI consumption-based environmental metrics into international climate finance and Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) allocation frameworks to support low-income countries.