Positioning Vietnam's ecological dimension in the global context: A cross-national comparison of sustainability indicators

• A 22-indicator system was developed to assess ecological sustainability, emphasizing SDGs 2, 12, 13, and 15. • Vietnam’s ecological sustainability is moderate within Asia but remains substantially below that of developed countries. • Vietnam performs relatively well in forest expansion and ecological footprint, but lags behind in education and R&D investment. • Strengthening education, scientific capacity, and biodiversity conservation is crucial to achieving balanced and long-term sustainability outcomes. Vietnam and various other countries encounter serious environmental issues due to overpopulation, pollution, and destruction, among other measurable factors that can be quantified to assess sustainability. This highlights the need for operational indicators. This study positions Vietnam’s ecological dimension in the global context by evaluating its progress toward Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2, 12, 13, and 15 from 2012 to 2022. Using a 22-indicator system derived from international databases and applying principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA), the study compares Vietnam's results with those of other countries and regions. Results reveal that Vietnam’s position aligns closely with other Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries such as Thailand, Laos, and Malaysia, while remaining below developed economies like the European Union (EU), Canada, and Australia. Vietnam’s sustainability scores have improved moderately over time and remain comparable to ASEAN peers but lag behind developed economies, particularly in education and investment in science and technology. In contrast, indicators related to renewable energy, forest growth, and ecological footprint show relatively strong outcomes. The study concludes with policy implications emphasizing the need to strengthen education, research and development (R&D) investment, and ecological governance to enhance Vietnam’s long-term sustainability transition.