Background: Increasing interest in sustainability has prompted the need for targeted research to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This study aims to identify key research areas (RAs) within sustainability knowledge networks.
Methods: We analyzed 535 papers published between 2015 and 2020 in the “Green and Sustainable Science and Technology” category of the Web of Science. Employing co-occurrence, cluster, and topological analyses, we established a network of 73 keywords and 103 links.
Results: Cluster analysis revealed three primary RAs: renewable energy (aligned with SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy), circular economy (aligned with SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production), and carbon emissions (aligned with SDG 13: Climate Action). Topological analysis, through a matrix based on weighted degree centrality and weighted closeness centrality, further identified influential topics within each RA.
Conclusions: The findings highlight the critical role of targeted goal setting in sustainability initiatives and provide actionable insights for policymakers to advance the SDGs effectively.