Businesses leverage UN Sustainable Development Goals to gain political influence

At first glance, United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) It seems like a call for businesses to transform and contribute to the betterment of society and the environment.

Launched in 2015, the 17 goals address the world’s most pressing challenges, from climate action to eradicating poverty. These goals are the pillars. global policy debates and we became one buzzword for companies willing demonstrate their commitment to social and environmental sustainability.

But for many businesses the reality looks quite different: the Sustainable Development Goals are increasingly being used to reinforce existing practices rather than truly addressing societal problems.

Allegedly, the Sustainable Development Goals are a global framework that aligns and commits central stakeholders to achieving common social and environmental goals. Advocates of the Sustainable Development Goals business discussion He states that they represent a comprehensive social contract that draws attention to sustainable development, as well as providing a system that helps managers implement them.

However, businesses can freely use the framework, logos and colors of the sustainable development goals in their communications without the need for any external verification. This means they can easily misuse them as just a sign of good faith, without needing to take them seriously.

Political playbook strategies

Our latest research article It examines how businesses use these goals not only to contribute to advancing the Sustainable Development Goals, but also to lobby governments for favorable treatment and shape political decision-making processes and outcomes.

We did this by conducting a case study of subsidiaries of four Western European multinationals in Indonesia, where the government is decentralized and frequently intervenes in the activities of private sector firms. especially foreign multinational companies.

We observed that the reputational effects of the Sustainable Development Goals on project integrity, responsibility, and commitment are strategic rather than altruistic for firms. Businesses are using the Sustainable Development Goals to strengthen relationships with political decision-makers, influence policy debates and advance their own interests under the guise of sustainability and public interest.

Rather than leading to meaningful change, the Sustainable Development Goals are at risk of being co-opted by companies to improve their public image while maintaining the practices they claim to target.

While the warm relationship between us continues business and the policy is not new, our research shows that businesses are using the Sustainable Development Goals not just to “do good” but also to gain political access and influence over government regulations.

Our study found that businesses are using Sustainable Development Goals-related strategies to strengthen ties with governments and shape policy agendas that will ultimately benefit their bottom line. Specifically, we identified three strategies: cross-sector partnerships, conflict management, and constituency building.

Cross-sector partnerships

The first strategy that companies used to advance their political agenda using the Sustainable Development Goals was to develop cross-sector partnerships. Traditionally seen as the cornerstone of implementing the Sustainable Development Goals, cross-sector partnerships bring together government, industry and non-profit partners to achieve a common goal.

Such partnerships are often an invitation to sit at the table for sustainability dialogue and related policy discussions. Because of the financial power of large corporations, these partnerships tend to skew towards the advancement of corporate interests.

By contributing to such partnerships, companies gain legitimacy through apparent alignment with governments, non-profit actors, and the public interest. This creates social capital that can be used for greater impact. A good example of this is the paradox that some of the largest polluters often rank high in environmental, social and governance (ESG) rankings.

constituency building

The second strategy companies used was to build constituencies or build support among local communities. This includes directly supporting priority components of government, such as farming communities, to help ease tensions between businesses and local governments.

It aims to create a support base for companies. Through this community support, companies can gain access and support to local politicians who decide whether to grant or extend factory licences.

This strategy encourages stakeholders to advocate on behalf of companies. Constituency building can also play a large role in influencing decision-makers’ emotions during conflicts such as union strikes or disputes over employee rights. This strategy is often complementary to other strategies.

conflict management

The third and final strategy companies used was conflict management, which focused on building the support needed to resolve political disagreements. The Sustainable Development Goals were used to facilitate efforts to find common goals among various stakeholders.

Building social capital and for such cases credit was indispensably useful to companies. Meaningful social investments can improve public perception and provide businesses with bargaining power during conflicts and serve as a tool to ease tensions. This strategy is no different from individuals. Ease their conscience by purchasing carbon offsets for air travel.

All three strategies — cross-sector partnerships, conflict management and constituency building—helped businesses operating abroad reduce nationalist prejudices, face fewer demands for bribes, and improve relationships with host governments.

While investing in the Sustainable Development Goals is a better alternative than paying bribes, our study warns that these strategies can also have negative effects by entrenching political actors. For example, political figures can maintain or consolidate their power through increased business investment.

Beyond corporate reputation

The use of the Sustainable Development Goals by the private sector needs to be carefully examined, as not all initiatives incorporating them may serve the common good. Our research, with the research of othersfound that businesses are investing in corporate social responsibility initiatives to improve their relationships with host governments.

greenwashInstances where companies exaggerate or distort their environmental efforts and manipulation of sustainability rankings are well-documented issues. The use of sustainability claims is likewise political gainas our research shows. These issues suggest that the Sustainable Development Goals risk becoming a tool for preserving the status quo rather than driving meaningful change.

Canada Global Sustainable Development Goals lag behind in progress rankings. To reverse this trend and accelerate progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, Canada needs to become more serious, perhaps even altruistic, about holding companies accountable, ensuring commitment to the intended purpose of the Sustainable Development Goals, and tackling social and environmental challenges. It needs good mechanisms.

An important step in this direction would be for the private sector to embrace the Sustainable Development Goals not for corporate reputation but as part of a true commitment to sustainability and social responsibility.

This article is republished from: Speech It is under Creative Commons license. Read original article.