Sustainability in Three Dimensions: Mapping the Metaverse’s Blueprint on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through a Bibliometric Journey

This study explored the role of the metaverse in advancing Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Addressing global challenges such as quality education, health, climate action, and social equity, the study aimed to evaluate how Metaverse applications may enhance or accelerate these SDG goals. This study employed a systematic and bibliometric literature review to examine 63 documents from the Scopus database, which were chosen from an initial pool of 21,095. The study used VOSviewer software to map bibliometric trends and research density across countries, the research level, keywords, types, and roles of the metaverse for SDGs, and the impact of the metaverse on SDGs. The results highlighted Metaverse’s versatility in promoting SDGs. For instance, virtual classrooms support SDG 4 (quality education), enabling global access to education, while virtual workspaces support SDG 13 (climate action), reducing travel-related emissions. However, barriers remain, including technological access disparities, lack of regulation, and potential environmental impact from data centers. The metaverse promises SDG advancement but requires global collaboration and policy development to bridge digital divides and mitigate ecological impact. We need future research to enhance our understanding of practical Metaverse applications and improve governance frameworks.