A Structural Equation Modeling Approach to Sustainable Development: Quality of Governance, Quality of Life and Ecological Footprint

Abstract

Sustainable Development is a desired policy goal worldwide and an integrate approach of environmental challenges on social, economical and institutional contexts emerges as a crucial issue to attempt sustainable human well-being through time. This paper attempts to examine, in the world context, the effects of two abstract constructs of sustainable development, quality of life (QL) and quality of governance (QG), on an aggregate measure of land area required to support consumption of nation-state, Ecological Footprint (EF). Structural Equation Modeling procedures supported the hypotheses that i) QG latent dimension has a significant and positive influence on QL endogenous factor; ii) QL has a positive and undesirable impact on Ecological Footprint of nations and iii) QG has a negative and desirable impact on EF.