From Extraction to Innovation: Rethinking Finance, Tourism, and Urban Growth for <scp>SDG</scp> ‐Aligned Sustainability in the <scp>G20</scp>

ABSTRACT Growing momentum toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has intensified pressure on governments to balance economic activity with environmental responsibility. However, many G20 economies continue to experience rising carbon production and widening ecological strain. This study examines how financial technology (FIN), urbanization (URB), tourism (TR), natural resource extraction (NR), and green finance (GFN) shape long‐term environmental sustainability across the G20. We apply the Method of Moments Quantile Regression (MMQR) and Fixed Effects models to analyze CO 2 emissions in nations with varied levels of emissions from 2000 to 2021. This allows us to capture the varying impacts of these factors. Across the sustainability spectrum, the results show a lot of variety. While urbanization has a negative correlation with emissions at all quantiles, indicating the advantages of efficient infrastructure, economic growth (EG) always leads to higher emissions, especially in countries with a high emission rate. NR has a major role in driving emissions, especially in resource‐intensive economies, since it has a positive effect on CO 2 emissions in both models. A negative impact on nations with fewer emissions and a less noticeable effect on countries with greater emissions indicate that tourism has a complicated relationship with emissions, according to the data. Despite their potential, green finance and fintech had little to no effect on emissions throughout the time frame considered. Sustainable urbanization, green growth techniques, and international policy coordination are all emphasized in the study. These results highlight the necessity for integrated policies that encourage economic growth while reducing environmental consequences, which is crucial for attaining SDGs 9, 12, and 13.