Do the sustainable development goals matter? A multi-criteria performance assessment through COPRAS and gray relational analysis

Purpose This study aims to assess the sustainable development goals (SDG) performance of 13 OPEC countries by 2023, using a comprehensive framework of 14 indicators covering social, environmental and economic pillars. Design/methodology/approach The paper employs gray relational analysis (GRA) and COmplex PRoportional ASsessment (COPRAS), recognized multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) methods to reveal 13 OPEC countries' SDGs performances. Findings The results indicate that the countries with the best performance are the UAE and Saudi Arabia (ranking in the top tier in both models), while those with the lowest performance are Congo and Angola. A critical tension was identified between environmental cost and socioeconomic capacity, where high-income nations often face high environmental pressure. Research limitations/implications Comparing OPEC countries not only among themselves but also against OECD nations or non-oil-producing developing economies in similar income brackets would offer deeper insights into the specific impact of resource wealth on global sustainability performance. Practical implications High-capacity nations (UAE, Saudi Arabia) must prioritize strategic decoupling of economic growth from environmental degradation through renewable energy and carbon-capture innovations. Low-capacity nations (Nigeria, Congo, Angola) should focus on institutionalizing “SDG floors,” specifically targeting primary education and healthcare to mitigate extreme social deficits. Originality/value This study fills a significant gap in the literature by providing a holistic assessment of SDGs performance for OPEC countries, integrating the social, environmental and economic pillars. Unlike many existing studies that focus on single dimensions (such as energy or economy), this research explores the complex tension between “socio-economic capacity and environmental pressure” within hydrocarbon-dependent economies.