Relação entre a aderência aos objetivos de desenvolvimento sustentável e o porte dos municípios cearenses

Abstract

The issue of sustainable development is a significant agenda, mobilizing various leaders through the creation and adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are set to be achieved by the 2030 Agenda. At the local level, municipalities stand out as a critical subject of study for analyzing performance within the Cities Sustainable Development Index - BR (IDS-BR). This study focuses on a comparative analysis between municipalities in the state of Ceará, exploring the fulfillment of the SDGs in light of regional particularities. The research selects Ceará’s municipalities with the highest and lowest IDS-BR scores, an indicator evaluated against the 17 SDGs. The general objective of this research is to investigate the relationship between adherence to the SDGs and the size of Ceará’s municipalities. Specifically, the study aims to: (i) identify SDG adherence (both individual and overall) in the 50 municipalities with the highest and lowest IDS-BR scores; (ii) describe the size of the sampled municipalities, considering population and revenue; and (iii) identify potential similarities and differences in SDG adherence (both individual and overall) considering the size of the 50 municipalities with the highest and lowest IDS-BR scores. This descriptive study adopts a mixed-method approach, combining qualitative and quantitative data, and utilizes secondary data sources. To achieve the proposed objectives, descriptive statistics, mean difference tests, cluster analysis, and correlation analysis were conducted. The study identifies the level of SDG adherence, both generally and individually, in the municipalities with the highest and lowest IDS-BR scores. The characterization of the sample municipalities in terms of size, considering population and revenue, enabled correlation analysis between the variables of interest. Finally, the study identified differences and similarities in SDG adherence based on the municipalities’ size, with the additional application of the boxplot tool. The analyses conducted on the sample of Ceará’s municipalities conclude that depending on the size, municipalities face certain individual challenges regarding SDG adherence, while other challenges are common across the studied municipalities, underscoring the need for more public policies and targeted actions for the fulfillment of the 2030 Agenda.