Metaverse and sustainability: an overview of research trends and future directions

Unofficial AI-generated summary based on the public title and abstract. Not an official translation.

🔬研究者:Researchers can use this paper's cluster analysis and future research agenda to identify gaps in metaverse sustainability studies.

🏢実務担当者:Corporate sustainability teams can explore metaverse applications for ESG reporting, such as digital twins for supply chain transparency.

🏛政策担当者:Policymakers should consider this paper's governance recommendations when regulating metaverse to ensure sustainability alignment.

This study aims to present a review and analysis of research on metaverse and Sustainability, also reflecting its connection to the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). A bibliometric and TCCM (Theory-Context-Characteristics-Methodology) mapping using the SPAR-4-SLR protocol of 72 journal articles indexed in Scopus published over 2004–2024 was conducted. The study presents an integrative review of research on the metaverse–sustainability nexus. By categorising current research into four leading clusters (Technology Integration for Sustainable Systems across Sectors; Sustainable Urban Development and Smart Cities; Digital Transformation in Education and Organisations; Future Research and Emerging Areas in Digital Innovation), reframing sustainability as a construct reliant on governance and institutions rather than technology, mapping studies against SDGs and environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) factors, and proposing a comprehensive agenda for future research, this study organises what has previously been a disparate field, both synthesising current literature and pointing to future directions for theory building and empirical research. Articles published in SCOPUS-indexed journals between January 2004 and September 2024 were only considered, which poses a key limitation for the study. The UN’s SDGs could be advanced through metaverse applications ranging from immersive learning experiences (Goal 4) to simulating climate risk exposure and creating digital twins of smart energy-efficient cities (Goals 9, 11 and 13). For businesses, extended reality, artificial intelligence and blockchain can improve ESG outcomes such as traceability, sustainable supply chains and waste reduction. But risks around data privacy, algorithmic bias, energy consumption and governance must be managed by policymakers. Furthermore, by embedding low-carbon technologies, transparent institutions and participatory governance into the metaverse from the outset, this study can avoid reducing digital inequities. This review provides an intellectual mapping of the field, along with a critical assessment of its alignment with sustainability and the SDGs using the TCCM Framework.

• semanticscholar https://doi.org/10.1108/jices-10-2025-0299first seen 2026-06-23 06:19:55