The adoption of sustainable development goals by large Portuguese companies

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria João Santos ◽  
Cristina Silva Bastos
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Sustainable Development Goals ◽  
Corporate Sustainability ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Business Management ◽  
Theoretical Framework ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
2030 Agenda ◽  
Development Goals

Purpose Two years on from the launch of the United Nations 2030 agenda, this study aims to approach just how and why large Portuguese companies are incorporating the sustainable development goals (SDGs) into their strategies. This sets out a theoretical framework for priority levels of management and the key rationales and motivations towards the adoption of the SDGs by companies within the scope of identifying logical and mutual connections. Design/methodology/approach The proposed theoretical framework applied an empirical, qualitative study approach, deploying content analysis of the semi-structured interviews carried out. Findings The results convey how the responding companies are using the different management models identified for integrating the SDGs, with the strategic and operational facets of greatest relevance. There are various key reasons put forward in justification of this involvement, in particular highlighting the understanding of the 2030 agenda as an ethical and social contract followed by concerns over managing stakeholders. The results demonstrate that these main motivations influence the management level at which the SGDs undergo integration, yet they do not determine the type of integration. Research limitations/implications The analysis of a limited number of companies and the fact that the semi-structured interviews were made with a single representative, which correspondingly reflects how the responses received convey the understandings, visions, values and responsibilities of these interlocutors. Originality/value This provides one of the first studies contributing towards understanding how and why businesses are aligning with the SDGs. At the conceptual level, this proposes a theoretical framework for analysing the underlying logics and the levels of integration into business management and how both can be interconnected. In practical terms, this clarifies how business management strategies may leverage the integration of the 2030 agenda as a mechanism for implementing corporate sustainability.

UN's Sustainable Development Goals need diverse allies

2018 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Sustainable Development Goals ◽  
Public Financing ◽  
Member States ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Displaced Populations ◽  
2030 Agenda ◽  
The World ◽  
Climate Action ◽  
Development Goals

Subject Outlook for Sustainable Development Goals. Significance In September 2015, the ‘2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development’ was adopted by 193 UN member states, outlining 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with separate 169 targets. Three years on, no country is on track to achieve all SDGs by 2030. Impacts The World Bank’s ‘cascade approach’ of advancing SDGs through a mix of private solutions and public financing has yet to bear fruit. Bringing displaced populations into the SDG framework is a growing challenge. Climate action will remain one of the most politically divisive SDGs.

scholarly journals Leave no one behind: including the health of prisoners in international development frameworks is essential for achieving sustainable development goals

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wanapa Naravage ◽  
Marc van der Putten ◽  
Anja Krumeich ◽  
Luca Falqui ◽  
Rodger Doran
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
International Development ◽  
Sustainable Development Goals ◽  
Health Coverage ◽  
Content Type ◽  
2030 Agenda ◽  
Prison Health ◽  
Prison Health Care ◽  
Development Goals

PurposeThe pledge of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is “to leave no one behind.” However, there are significant groups of people who are at risk of being left behind. The health and social issues facing prisoners are well known, but past initiatives to address them through international development initiatives have failed to gain widespread support. The purpose of this paper is to advocate for inclusion of prison health care in current international development frameworks such as Universal Health Coverage and the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.Design/methodology/approachThis is a commentary paper.FindingsThe governments of most countries have accepted both the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Universal Health Coverage as frameworks for future national development planning. Including prison health care in these frameworks will provide a powerful platform for those advocating for better prison health services and will allow governments wary of offending public opinion to make significant changes to the way prisons are managed. Providing better prison health care services will not only lead to better long-term population health outcomes overall but will also contribute to achieving the 2030 Agenda aspiration to “leave no-one behind.”Originality/valueThis paper provides a discussion of current international development guidance and identifies that prison health care is not sufficiently recognized as an essential contributor to achieving the sustainable development goals.

scholarly journals A study of the Web visibility of the SDGs and the 2030 Agenda on university websites

2022 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mari Vallez ◽  
Carlos Lopezosa ◽  
Rafael Pedraza-Jiménez
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Sustainable Development Goals ◽  
Global Perspective ◽  
Web Searches ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Management Platform ◽  
2030 Agenda ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
The Web ◽  
Web Visibility

Purpose Universities play an important role in the promotion and implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This study aims to examine the visibility of information about the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on the websites of Spanish and major international universities, by means of a quantitative and qualitative analysis with an online visibility management platform that makes use of big data technology. Design/methodology/approach The Web visibility of the universities studied in relation to the terms “SDG”, “Sustainable Development Goals” and “2030 Agenda” was determined using the SEMrush tool. Information was obtained on the number of web pages accessed and the queries formulated (query expansion). The content indexed by Google for these universities was compiled, and finally, the search engine optimization (SEO) factors applicable to the websites with the highest Web visibility were identified. Findings The universities analysed are content creators but do not have very high Web visibility in Web searches for information on the SDGs. Of the 98 universities analysed, only four feature prominently in search results. Originality/value Although research exists on the application of SEO to different areas, there have not, to date, been any studies examining the Web visibility of universities in relation to Web searches for information on the 2030 Agenda. The main contributions of this study are the global perspective it provides on the Web visibility of content produced by universities about the SDGs and the recommendations it offers for improving that visibility.

Knowledge management, the missing piece in the 2030 agenda and SDGs puzzle

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (5) ◽  
pp. 901-916 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Eric Barrantes Briceño ◽  
Fernando César Almada Santos
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Sustainable Development Goals ◽  
Scientific Literature ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
Knowledge Use ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
2030 Agenda ◽  
Development Goals

Purpose This paper aims to analyze some knowledge management (KM) frameworks that sustainable development goals (SDGs) can apply to such a challenging implementation. Design/methodology/approach To accomplish this, a systematic scientific literature review was carried out about the KM concept. Searching, analyzing and collecting different KM frameworks were crossed and compared to achieve a standard KM framework list, based on the most important and relevant information collected. Findings The study outlines how and which KM frameworks may be applied in an effort to reach the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and SDGs, so it can overcome the barriers and pitfalls related to the knowledge management use. Research limitations/implications The paper shows some SDG areas that deserve future attention and deep implementation with KM frameworks. Originality/value With the enormous potential and vision of the sustainable development goals (SDGs), there is a barrier in its progress and development: the knowledge use, in both the local knowledge aspects and general knowledge management. This paper creates a Knowledge Management Excellence Model (KMEM) linked to SDGs, which will help and promote its use to educate and involve all those interested in meeting these goals.

Implementing the sustainable development goals at University level

2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 473-497 ◽  
Author(s):  
Silvia Albareda-Tiana ◽  
Salvador Vidal-Raméntol ◽  
Mónica Fernández-Morilla
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Teaching Practices ◽  
Sustainable Development Goals ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
University Curriculum ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
The University

Purpose The purpose of this case study is to explore the principles and practices of sustainable development (SD) in the university curriculum. Design/methodology/approach To explore the principles linked with the sustainable development goals (SDGs) and the learning and teaching practices in sustainability at the International University of Catalonia (Universitat Internacional de Catalunya, UIC, in Catalan), an empirical study was carried out by using a mixed methodology for data collection. Indicators related to SDGs found in the University curriculum (quantitative analysis) were measured using Excel, combined with in-depth semi-structured interviews to the deans of different faculties (qualitative study), which were analysed using Atlas.ti. Findings Several visions, difficulties and challenges were identified in this mixed-method study around the concept of sustainability, which allowed the authors to describe and portray a specific starting position in relation to the SDGs at the UIC. Research limitations/implications The presence of dimensions linked to the SDGs in the University curriculum were analysed by means of a quantitative study. However, global competences related to education for sustainable development were not studied. Practical implications Special emphasis was given to the challenges and opportunities for training future graduates and the whole University community in SD. Originality/value This paper shows a methodological exploration of the principles related to the SDGs and the learning and teaching practices in sustainability in higher education.

Tourism and the sustainable development goals in the Abaco cays: pre-hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 321-336
Author(s):  
Raymond Maxwell Francis ◽  
Vikneswaran Nair
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Critical Discourse Analysis ◽  
Sustainable Development Goals ◽  
Practical Implication ◽  
Geographical Area ◽  
National Level ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
The Bahamas ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Development Goals

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore how tourism investment, business and operations were aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the Abaco Cays pre-Hurricane Dorian 2019 in The Bahamas. Design/methodology/approach This paper takes an exploratory qualitative approach using the Abaco Cays, The Bahamas as the geographical study area. Semi-structured interviews were conducted face-to-face for data collection and transcribed using NVivo 12 plus. Critical discourse analysis was used to interpret interviewees’ spoken words in the broader social context of the Abaco Cays. Findings Results illustrate the extent of tourism alignment with the SDGs in communities, dependent on tourism for growth. Findings from tourism investment, business and operations data analysis provide insights on tourism and the SDGs from a local perspective. Research limitations/implications This research demonstrates how tourism aligns with the SDGs in one geographical area of The Bahamas. It also highlights discourses influencing tourism and the SDGs towards achieving the 2030 Agenda. Practical implications A practical implication of this paper is adopting a bottom-up approach for a comprehensive understanding of tourism alignment with the SDGs in the Abaco Cays. Originality/value This paper provides implementation guidelines for communities in the Abaco Cays, to align local sustainable tourism plans with the SDGs. It also provides a multidisciplinary approach for greater coherence of tourism with the SDGs from the community to the national level in the Bahamas.

A framework for implementing and reporting United Nations sustainable development goals in Spanish higher education institutions

2022 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pilar L. González-Torre ◽  
Eugenia Suárez-Serrano
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Sustainable Development Goals ◽  
Research Work ◽  
Holistic Model ◽  
Content Type ◽  
2030 Agenda ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
Sustainability Reports ◽  
Spanish Universities ◽  
The University

Purpose This study aims to explore a holistic framework for implementing and reporting sustainable development goals (SDGs) in universities. The aim is to define elements of the content as well as the context, which will allow us to understand and compare sustainable development processes at the university level. Using the 2030 Agenda context, this research describes a university profile which is accountable to its stakeholders, thus aligning its sustainability report with the SDGs. Design/methodology/approach This research has considered the entire Spanish university system and relies on data collection from sustainability reports published by 50 public universities and 34 private universities. Through an analysis of the contents of public reports, the aim is to build an index like the social responsibility dissemination index, but specific to the 2030 Agenda in the university context. Findings The holistic model, based on a dissemination index, showed diverse methods of implementing and reporting contributions to the SDGs, with varying degrees of depth, priority, reach, suitability and visibility. The proposed index was also used as a classification variable to group Spanish universities into two conglomerates, one that leads the contribution to the 2030 Agenda and another that follows the previous ones. Research limitations/implications This research work could be extended to include any European university educational systems. Case studies could add qualitative value to the implementation of the SDGs. Originality/value As a pilot study, the developed index can be used to analyse the sustainability reports of Spanish universities to determine the use of reporting to render accounts to stakeholders.

Restructuring Educational Systems and Promoting Social Justice for Young People Involved in Drug Trafficking in Brazil

2019 ◽  
Vol 227 (2) ◽  
pp. 139-143 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alex Sandro Gomes Pessoa ◽  
Linda Liebenberg ◽  
Dorothy Bottrell ◽  
Silvia Helena Koller
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Social Justice ◽  
Young People ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Drug Trafficking ◽  
Sustainable Development Goals ◽  
Educational Systems ◽  
Economic Changes ◽  
2030 Agenda ◽  
Development Goals

Abstract. Economic changes in the context of globalization have left adolescents from Latin American contexts with few opportunities to make satisfactory transitions into adulthood. Recent studies indicate that there is a protracted period between the end of schooling and entering into formal working activities. While in this “limbo,” illicit activities, such as drug trafficking may emerge as an alternative for young people to ensure their social participation. This article aims to deepen the understanding of Brazilian youth’s involvement in drug trafficking and its intersection with their schooling, work, and aspirations, connecting with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 4 and 16 as proposed in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development adopted by the United Nations in 2015 .

scholarly journals Defining and Quantifying National-Level Targets, Indicators and Benchmarks for Management of Natural Resources to Achieve the Sustainable Development Goals

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 462 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chris Dickens ◽  
Vladimir Smakhtin ◽  
Matthew McCartney ◽  
Gordon O’Brien ◽  
Lula Dahir
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Natural Resources ◽  
Sustainable Development Goals ◽  
National Level ◽  
Resource Quality ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
Country Level ◽  
2030 Agenda ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
Global Indicators

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), are high on the agenda for most countries of the world. In its publication of the SDGs, the UN has provided the goals and target descriptions that, if implemented at a country level, would lead towards a sustainable future. The IAEG (InterAgency Expert Group of the SDGs) was tasked with disseminating indicators and methods to countries that can be used to gather data describing the global progress towards sustainability. However, 2030 Agenda leaves it to countries to adopt the targets with each government setting its own national targets guided by the global level of ambition but taking into account national circumstances. At present, guidance on how to go about this is scant but it is clear that the responsibility is with countries to implement and that it is actions at a country level that will determine the success of the SDGs. Reporting on SDGs by country takes on two forms: i) global reporting using prescribed indicator methods and data; ii) National Voluntary Reviews where a country reports on its own progress in more detail but is also able to present data that are more appropriate for the country. For the latter, countries need to be able to adapt the global indicators to fit national priorities and context, thus the global description of an indicator could be reduced to describe only what is relevant to the country. Countries may also, for the National Voluntary Review, use indicators that are unique to the country but nevertheless contribute to measurement of progress towards the global SDG target. Importantly, for those indicators that relate to the security of natural resources security (e.g., water) indicators, there are no prescribed numerical targets/standards or benchmarks. Rather countries will need to set their own benchmarks or standards against which performance can be evaluated. This paper presents a procedure that would enable a country to describe national targets with associated benchmarks that are appropriate for the country. The procedure builds on precedent set in other countries but in particular on a procedure developed for the setting of Resource Quality Objectives in South Africa. The procedure focusses on those SDG targets that are natural resource-security focused, for example, extent of water-related ecosystems (6.6), desertification (15.3) and so forth, because the selection of indicator methods and benchmarks is based on the location of natural resources, their use and present state and how they fit into national strategies.

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