A Quantitative Analysis and Interdisciplinary Approach to the Sustainable Development Goals

The special issue "A Quantitative Analysis and Interdisciplinary Approach to the Sustainable Development Goals" examines the role of the SDGs as a global framework for addressing challenges such as climate change and inequality, emphasizing the need for a robust scientific approach based on quantitative and interdisciplinary methods. Given the complex and interconnected nature of the SDGs, purely qualitative approaches are insufficient: tools are needed that can capture relationships, synergies, and conflicts between economic, social, and environmental dimensions. Interdisciplinarity is central: only by integrating different disciplines can we understand the complexity of sustainability. The 35 articles in the Special Issue indeed cover a wide variety of topics, confirming the multidisciplinary nature of the field, while highlighting a lack of studies in the medical field. The use of technologies such as big data and artificial intelligence expands analytical possibilities but also introduces challenges related to energy consumption. Finally, the text highlights the need for a pragmatic and participatory approach, in which young people also play an active role. However, the 2030 deadline is rapidly approaching and requires the adoption of a long-term vision capable of looking beyond that date. People must be at the center of the agenda, with technologies that support them rather than replace them, according to a principle of solidarity and fraternity.