Sustainable Development and Big Data Technology Application in an Emerging Economy

Purpose: The last two decades have witnessed increasing discussions about the potentialities of big data technologies (BDTs) towards meeting the global goals around the essential elements of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) sustainability. This paper aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the Big Data literature of the last decade to identify the main issues, challenges, and application areas in sustainability strategy management. Design/Methodology/Approach: Adopting an exploratory research design, the interdisciplinary research team reviewed and analysed 112 BDT publications and documents through a search string guided by the research questions. The publications include credible databases and reports like those of the World Economic Forum (WEF), the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), the International Energy Agency (IEA), and the IMD World Competitiveness Centre, among others. Findings—ESG factors and Big Data technologies will play a vital role in the future of sustainable economic management. Massive amounts of macroeconomic and ESG data are increasingly available, with huge potential for BDT technology deployment for sustainable development. Critical issues, challenges and enablers of appropriate BDT technology application are identified, along with a comprehensive understanding of the potential benefits of BDT in sustainability strategy settings. Research limitations—This study is formative research limited to published data. The regulatory aspects of BDTs are at the early stages and are excluded from the present project. However, the current research outputs will help generate valuable insights and hypotheses for future research—empirical survey and dynamic model development. Practical implications: The paper distils a range of Big Data common-application platforms and tools that will help to formulate a more precise investigation into how BDTs can reshape competitiveness amid emerging sustainability trends. Originality/value: This work expands the body of knowledge on the applicability of Big Data analytics that will support further investigation towards formulating actionable economic management models.