Comprehensive evaluation of sustainable development in ukrainian metallurgical enterprises

The article examines the sustainable development of metallurgical enterprises in Ukraine under crisis conditions, such as war and the COVID-19 pandemic. The article aims to develop a methodological approach based on integral assessment to evaluate the sustainable development of metallurgical enterprises, particularly in crisis situations. The research covers the period from 2010 to 2023 and is based on the analysis of data from 17 of the largest metallurgical enterprises in Ukraine. The research methodology includes using the principal component method, which allows for structuring key sustainable development indicators, determining their significance, and the integral assessment method for comprehensively evaluating enterprises’ sustainable development. The research results highlight the novelty of the approach to assessing the sustainable development of metallurgical enterprises under crisis conditions, such as war and the pandemic. The proposed integral assessment of sustainable development considers not only traditional economic, social, and environmental indicators but also the unique factors of crisis conditions, such as aid to hospitals, funding of anti-epidemic measures, military assistance, and the restoration of destroyed infrastructure, making the approach adaptable to modern challenges. It has been confirmed that enterprises increase their investments in social responsibility during crises using the proposed methodological approach, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and war. However, after stabilizing the situation, the intensity of social initiatives significantly decreases due to the shift in priorities towards restoring the economic efficiency of enterprises. The practical significance of the research lies in the universality of the proposed approach to assessing the effectiveness of sustainable development management. This approach can be adapted and applied to Ukrainian metallurgical enterprises and other countries and industries facing similar crises. Such universality opens opportunities for using the methodology in conditions of constant instability. Keywords: sustainable development, metallurgy, crisis, war, COVID-19.