Critical Interpretation of SDGs Strategies at Regional Scale: Are There More Important Goals for Italy?

The significance of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) extends not only to the global context but also to the national and regional sphere. Universally adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015 as a collective call to action to eradicate poverty, safeguard the planet, and ensure prosperity for all, the SDGs offer a comprehensive roadmap for addressing the world’s most pressing challenges. Recognizing the interconnected nature of social, economic, and environmental issues, the SDGs underscore the necessity of a holistic and integrated approach to development. The implementation of the 2030 Agenda at various territorial levels involves the utilization of National Sustainable Development Strategies and Regional Sustainable Development Strategies. Voluntary reviews reveal the formidable challenge of reaching the lower levels of the territorial chain. The absence of specific goals in regional strategies and a lack of economic investments can lead to the erosion of the holistic vision embedded in the 2030 Agenda. In this synthetic framework, the objective of the paper is to develop a methodological approach to compare the Regional Strategy for Sustainable Development (RSSD) with Regional Competitiveness Index (RCI). The findings offer a stimulating basis for assessing the correlation in the Italian regions between RSSD and a set of sub-indices of RCI of basic, efficiency and innovation.