Investing in energy, water and sanitation for Azerbaijan: the role of the Sustainable Development Goals

Purpose This study aims to investigate physical capital investments for Azerbaijan in the context of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 6 and 7. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on the conceptual frameworks of Soto et al. (2020) and Gaspar et al. (2019), this study adopts peer analysis in quantifying investment policy recommendations for Azerbaijan based on data from the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, United Nations Population Fund, the State Statistical Committee of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the US Energy Information Administration. Findings This study estimates that Azerbaijan invests approximately $1.47bn in their energy sector for 2020–2030 and that total spending on water and sanitation infrastructure increases by 1.91 percentage points of GDP by 2030. Originality/value Investment decision-making for physical capital based on the United Nations SDGs is an underresearched yet important topic. This study fills this void for Azerbaijan through peer country analysis.