Examining the Role of National and International Governance Structures in Driving Effective Sustainability Frameworks

Abstract

This paper examines the influence of national and international governance systems on the success of sustainability outcomes. It explores the relationship between governance quality, institutional coherence, and multi-level alignment with environmental, social, and economic sustainability between countries from 2010 to 2024. The research design is a multi-level comparative design based on mixed methods, with the inclusion of Sustainable Development Goals and international sustainability agreements. Government Effectiveness, Regulatory Quality, Rule of Law, and Policy Coordination are key Governance Indicators which are measured by using datasets of Worldwide Governance Indicators and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. The alignment of international governance is determined by the involvement in the treaty and adherence to the reporting. There is a use of descriptive trend analysis, two-variable correlations, and fixed-effects panel regressions alongside the qualitative institutional analysis and process tracing to determine causal mechanisms. The results indicate that there is a moderate positive change in the national governance, and the most significant changes were observed in Government Effectiveness and Regulatory Quality. One unit of Government Effectiveness is associated with a decline of per-capita greenhouse gas emissions by 6.4% (β = -0.064, p < 0.01) and an increase in the share of renewable energy by 4.9% (β = 0.049, p < 0.01). Policy Coordination and Regulatory Quality enhance the access to safely regulated drinking water by 3.1% (β = 0.031, p < 0.05), and Rule of Law adds to the 1.8% growth of adjusted net savings (β = 0.018, p < 0.05). The international governance alignment makes the emission lower by 14.2% against 4.7% in the low-alignment countries. The findings demonstrate the relevance of robust domestic administration and international compatibility in attaining sustainability.