ABSTRACT Achieving the sustainable development goals (SDGs) remains a complex challenge even for advanced economies. In this context, G7 leaders have committed to attaining the SDGs by 2030 and achieving net‐zero emissions by 2050. This study examines how e‐government (EGDI), economic globalisation (EGI), economic complexity (ECI), natural resource management (NRM) and renewable energy consumption (REC) influence the Sustainable Development Goal Index (SDGI) in G7 countries over the period 2003–2020. Using the method of moments quantile regression (MMQR), supported by bootstrap quantile regression (BQR) and a set of preliminary diagnostic tests, the analysis captures heterogeneous effects across different quantiles of the SDGI. The results show that EGI, ECI and REC exert positive and statistically significant effects on SDGs achievement across most quantiles. In contrast, NRM exhibits a consistently negative and significant impact, revealing a counterintuitive sustainability penalty associated with resource reliance in G7 economies, consistent with a modified resource curse interpretation. Another notable and unexpected finding is that EGDI is negatively associated with SDGs performance across quantiles, although the effect remains statistically insignificant, This suggests that digital governance alone may not be sufficient to generate measurable sustainability gains in contexts characterized by relatively advanced institutional frameworks. These findings underscore the importance of moving beyond resource dependence, aligning ECI with low‐carbon sectors and strengthening renewable energy investment. We also highlight the need for sustainability‐oriented reforms in digital governance to ensure that technological advancement supports, rather than merely accompanies, progress towards the SDGs.
Khan et al. (2026) studied this question.