An Integrated Socio-Economic-Environmental Model Addressing Sustainable Development in Türkiye

Sustainable development is a multifaceted process that is not limited to the increase in production and income levels, but also includes social, environmental, and economic dimensions. The main purpose of this study is to examine the effects of social, environmental, and economic factors on development in Türkiye. In the study, the social dimension is represented by gender inequality, the environmental dimension is showcased by greenhouse gas emissions, and the economic dimension is presented by economic growth. In addition, household consumption expenditures, which are also evaluated within the social dimension, are included as a control variable in the study. For this purpose, the model established in the study employs annual data from the period 1990-2022, and the ARDL bounds test approach is used to examine the long-term relationship between the variables. The results obtained show that environmental degradation and gender inequality have negative effects on sustainable development in the long term, while consumption expenditures and economic growth positively affect economic development. This finding reveals that development cannot be reduced to economic indicators alone, and social and environmental factors also directly affect the quality of development.