IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v13y2021i6p3176-d516657.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Crossovers and Connectivity between Systems Engineering and the Sustainable Development Goals: A Scoping Study

Author

Listed:
  • Lan Yang

    (School of Engineering, College of Science and Engineering, National University of Ireland, Galway, H91 TK33 Galway, Ireland)

  • Kathryn Cormican

    (School of Engineering, College of Science and Engineering, National University of Ireland, Galway, H91 TK33 Galway, Ireland
    Lero—The Irish Software Research Centre, School of Engineering, National University of Ireland, Galway, H91 TK33 Galway, Ireland)

Abstract

The United Nation’s sustainable development goals (SDGs) are interconnected and indivisible and need to be addressed in a systematic and holistic way. However, a lack of stakeholder perspective, fragmented responses, and a dearth of integration across sectors have long been perceived as the SDGs’ main pitfalls. In recent years, scholars are calling to address these issues by adopting a systems engineering perspective, as this approach espouses a stakeholder-focused position, embraces a holistic and dynamic mindset, and provides a variety of technical and managerial toolkits, which can help to untangle the complexity and interactions inherent in global sustainability. Nevertheless, little has been done to map the existing literature, comprehensively review, and synthesize research evidence in this field. Therefore, this paper aims to conduct a scoping study that analyzes the extant evidence to uncover the contributions of systems engineering in advancing the SDGs. A three-phase methodology integrating natural language processing and systematic literature review is used to investigate this space. We conclude that systems engineering has been an active catalyst promoting the SDGs, and that systems engineering has the potential to support more transdisciplinary research to achieve long-term transformational and sustainable change across sectors and disciplines.

Suggested Citation

  • Lan Yang & Kathryn Cormican, 2021. "The Crossovers and Connectivity between Systems Engineering and the Sustainable Development Goals: A Scoping Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(6), pages 1-16, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:6:p:3176-:d:516657
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/6/3176/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/6/3176/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Saskia Keesstra & Gerben Mol & Jan De Leeuw & Joop Okx & Co Molenaar & Margot De Cleen & Saskia Visser, 2018. "Soil-Related Sustainable Development Goals: Four Concepts to Make Land Degradation Neutrality and Restoration Work," Land, MDPI, vol. 7(4), pages 1-20, November.
    2. Erika Palmer & Robert Burton & Cecilia Haskins, 2020. "A Systems Engineering Framework for Bioeconomic Transitions in a Sustainable Development Goal Context," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(16), pages 1-12, August.
    3. Michael Obersteiner & Felicjan Rydzak & Steffen Fritz & Ian McCallum, 2012. "Valuing the Potential Impacts of GEOSS: A Systems Dynamics Approach," Springer Books, in: Ramanan Laxminarayan & Molly K. Macauley (ed.), The Value of Information, edition 127, chapter 0, pages 67-90, Springer.
    4. Jeffrey D. Sachs & Guido Schmidt-Traub & Mariana Mazzucato & Dirk Messner & Nebojsa Nakicenovic & Johan Rockström, 2019. "Six Transformations to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals," Nature Sustainability, Nature, vol. 2(9), pages 805-814, September.
    5. Marguerite A. Renouf & Steven J. Kenway, 2017. "Evaluation Approaches for Advancing Urban Water Goals," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 21(4), pages 995-1009, August.
    6. Schot, Johan & Steinmueller, W. Edward, 2018. "Three frames for innovation policy: R&D, systems of innovation and transformative change," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 47(9), pages 1554-1567.
    7. Adeeb A. Kutty & Galal M. Abdella & Murat Kucukvar & Nuri C. Onat & Melih Bulu, 2020. "A system thinking approach for harmonizing smart and sustainable city initiatives with United Nations sustainable development goals," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 28(5), pages 1347-1365, September.
    8. Odirilwe Selomane & Belinda Reyers & Reinette Biggs & Maike Hamann, 2019. "Harnessing Insights from Social-Ecological Systems Research for Monitoring Sustainable Development," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(4), pages 1-36, February.
    9. Barbier, Edward B. & Burgess, Joanne C., 2017. "The sustainable development goals and the systems approach to sustainability," Economics - The Open-Access, Open-Assessment E-Journal (2007-2020), Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel), vol. 11, pages 1-23.
    10. Nasir Ahmad & Sybil Derrible, 2015. "Evolution of Public Supply Water Withdrawal in the USA: A Network Approach," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 19(2), pages 321-330, April.
    11. Rafaela Hillerbrand, 2018. "Why Affordable Clean Energy Is Not Enough. A Capability Perspective on the Sustainable Development Goals," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-14, July.
    12. Thomas Schaubroeck & Benedetto Rugani, 2017. "A Revision of What Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment Should Entail: Towards Modeling the Net Impact on Human Well†Being," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 21(6), pages 1464-1477, December.
    13. Romina Fucà & Serena Cubico & Giuseppe Favretto & João Leitão, 2019. "The “Local Town Market Area” in Enna, Sicily: Using the Psychology of Sustainability to Propose Sustainable and Developmental Policies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(2), pages 1-21, January.
    14. Yosef Jabareen, 2008. "A New Conceptual Framework for Sustainable Development," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 10(2), pages 179-192, April.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. S. Sinan Erzurumlu & Stephen Deets & David Nersessian & Vikki L. Rodgers, 2023. "Strategic engagement of business with Sustainable Development Goals: A systems thinking approach," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(7), pages 4954-4969, November.
    2. Cecilia Haskins, 2021. "Systems Engineering for Sustainable Development Goals," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(18), pages 1-3, September.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Emilia Conte, 2018. "The Era of Sustainability: Promises, Pitfalls and Prospects for Sustainable Buildings and the Built Environment," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(6), pages 1-16, June.
    2. Cameron Allen & Graciela Metternicht & Thomas Wiedmann, 2021. "Priorities for science to support national implementation of the sustainable development goals: A review of progress and gaps," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 29(4), pages 635-652, July.
    3. Maria Spiliotopoulou & Mark Roseland, 2020. "Urban Sustainability: From Theory Influences to Practical Agendas," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(18), pages 1-19, September.
    4. Hung-Jung Siao & Sue-Huai Gau & Jen-Hwa Kuo & Ming-Guo Li & Chang-Jung Sun, 2022. "Bibliometric Analysis of Environmental, Social, and Governance Management Research from 2002 to 2021," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(23), pages 1-19, December.
    5. Alexander Brand & Mark Furness & Niels Keijzer, 2021. "Promoting Policy Coherence within the 2030 Agenda Framework: Externalities, Trade-Offs and Politics," Politics and Governance, Cogitatio Press, vol. 9(1), pages 108-118.
    6. Erola Palau-Pinyana & Josep Llach & Llorenç Bagur-Femenías, 2024. "Mapping enablers for SDG implementation in the private sector: a systematic literature review and research agenda," Management Review Quarterly, Springer, vol. 74(3), pages 1559-1588, September.
    7. Yong S. Nyam & Julius H. Kotir & Andries J. Jordaan & Abiodun A. Ogundeji & Adetoso A. Adetoro & Israel R. Orimoloye, 2020. "Towards Understanding and Sustaining Natural Resource Systems through the Systems Perspective: A Systematic Evaluation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(23), pages 1-20, November.
    8. Leopoldo Gutierrez & Ivan Montiel & Jordi A. Surroca & Josep A. Tribo, 2022. "Rainbow Wash or Rainbow Revolution? Dynamic Stakeholder Engagement for SDG-Driven Responsible Innovation," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 180(4), pages 1113-1136, November.
    9. Romero Goyeneche, Oscar Yandy & Ramirez, Matias & Schot, Johan & Arroyave, Felber, 2022. "Mobilizing the transformative power of research for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 51(10).
    10. Anni Orola & Anna Härri & Jarkko Levänen & Ville Uusitalo & Stig Irving Olsen, 2022. "Assessing WELBY Social Life Cycle Assessment Approach through Cobalt Mining Case Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(18), pages 1-26, September.
    11. Chi Zhang & Zhongchang Sun & Qiang Xing & Jialong Sun & Tianyu Xia & Hao Yu, 2021. "Localizing Indicators of SDG11 for an Integrated Assessment of Urban Sustainability—A Case Study of Hainan Province," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(19), pages 1-14, October.
    12. Sonika Redhu & Pragati Jain, 2024. "Unveiling the nexus between water scarcity and socioeconomic development in the water-scarce countries," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 26(8), pages 19557-19577, August.
    13. Jose Luis Osorio-Tejada & Eva Llera-Sastresa & Sabina Scarpellini & Tito Morales-Pinzón, 2022. "Social Organizational Life Cycle Assessment of Transport Services: Case Studies in Colombia, Spain, and Malaysia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(16), pages 1-17, August.
    14. Hongyi Mao & Zongjun Wang & Lin Yi, 2021. "Does Entrepreneurial Orientation Lead to Successful Sustainable Innovation? The Evidence from Chinese Environmentally Friendly Companies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(18), pages 1-19, September.
    15. Pietro Moncada-Paternò-Castello, 2022. "Top R&D investors, structural change and the R&D growth performance of young and old firms," Eurasian Business Review, Springer;Eurasia Business and Economics Society, vol. 12(1), pages 1-33, March.
    16. Makena Coffman & Karen Umemoto, 2010. "The triple-bottom-line: framing of trade-offs in sustainability planning practice," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 12(5), pages 597-610, October.
    17. Yutong Tang & Fengyu Gao & Chen Wang & Merit M. Huang & Mabao Wu & Heng Li & Zhuo Li, 2023. "Vertical Greenery System (VGS) Renovation for Sustainable Arcade-Housing: Building Energy Efficiency Analysis Based on Digital Twin," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-16, January.
    18. Janssen, Matthijs J. & Abbasiharofteh, Milad, 2022. "Boundary spanning R&D collaboration: Key enabling technologies and missions as alleviators of proximity effects?," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 180(C).
    19. Kęstutis Biekša & Violeta Valiulė & Ligita Šimanskienė & Raffaele Silvestri, 2022. "Assessment of Sustainable Economic Development in the EU Countries with Reference to the SDGs and Environmental Footprint Indices," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(18), pages 1-18, September.
    20. Datu Buyung Agusdinata & Wenjuan Liu & Sinta Sulistyo & Philippe LeBillon & Je'anne Wegner, 2023. "Evaluating sustainability impacts of critical mineral extractions: Integration of life cycle sustainability assessment and SDGs frameworks," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 27(3), pages 746-759, June.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:6:p:3176-:d:516657. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.