Sustainable Development Goals

The Role of Multinational Enterprises in supporting the United Nations SDGs Book to be published by Edward Elgar Publishing Editors Silvester IVANAJ, John McINTYRE, and Vera IVANAJ.

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development were adopted in September 2015 and took effect from January 2016 and represent a common global effort to achieve a more sustainable world for all by addressing poverty, inequality, climate change, environmental degradation, prosperity, peace, and justice. (UN, 2019). The role of the private sector in implementing the 17 SDGs is critical as the market power, policy influence, and reach of multinational enterprises (MNEs) make these organizations particular drivers for implementation of said goals. MNEs have already identified SDG‐related risks and opportunities that can affect profitability and long‐term performance ranging from Coca‐Cola being concerned about the impact of climate change on clean water sources to Delta Airlines considering delaying new aircraft purchases because of carbon credits, and the like. The global concerns addressed by the SDGs create both opportunities and risks throughout the value chain. Five years after SDGs’ adoption, despite some encouraging results, no country is on track to achieve all SDGs by the 2030 deadline. Many MNEs use the language of the SDGs without making substantial changes to their business practices. Numerous MNEs encounter difficulties to align their business strategy with the SDGs and integrate them into sustainability reports. There is a pressing need to develop new theories, modify existing proposed models, and determine how MNEs can influence the better and timely implementation of SDGs.

Suggested Topics for Submissions

The purpose of this book is to stimulate inter‐, multi‐, and transdisciplinary discussions on how MNEs can implement SDGs most relevant to their core strategies. The proposed book will include chapters presenting research advances in studies and practices linking disciplines, knowledge systems, and stakeholders to support a more sustainable business model for the short and more importantly long‐term, the issue will also take into consideration with solution‐oriented studies. The book is being designed with the intent to solicit high‐quality contributions, expand and integrate the knowledge base for academics, policy‐makers practitioners, consultants, and business leaders with an interest in different aspects of SDGs’ implementation, by proposing relevant frameworks, and effective levers of action.

Socio‐Economic factors and best practices

• Identify and test new implementation models, policy frameworks, and better practices of MNEs, thereby contributing to making societies more sustainable. What are more pragmatic and sustainable models, the policy frameworks that are sustainable as well as equitable that can be implemented by MNEs with respect to working towards the SDGs? What are the best practices being applied fields that can be used by MNEs in the same category or otherwise?
• What factors facilitate or hinder the adoption and implementation of SDGs? How macroeconomic (political, social, legal, institutional, cultural, etc.), microeconomic (market, competition, stakeholders, industry sectors, etc.), and organizational (size, hierarchy, executive management, etc.) factors have leverage on the implementation of SDGs? What is MNE’s involvement with outside institutions (other MNEs, NGOs, local governments, etc.) to effectively implement SDGs?
• What are the governments’ roles on MNEs operations? Which standards of governance at which levels are required to better meet SDGs expectations? How can MNEs align their future policy with an effective business strategy to remain globally competitive? What implications for MNEs’ suppliers and customers? How should employee awareness, training, and empowerment affect MNEs’ strategies and actions? Implementation and sustainable, equitable models
• Ways in which MNEs can positively or negatively influence agenda‐setting and political decision‐making of governments of countries in which they operate with respect to supporting SDGs? How can MNEs be embedded into larger societal contexts to enhance positive impacts? Which specific MNEs are most likely to innovate in light of the SDGs?
• How the transition to truly equitable, sustainable, post‐fossil carbon societies can be accelerated and, in so doing, reduce, avoid, and reverse further deleterious climate effects. How can these models be integrated into the existing business models, how can MNEs be catalysts for the integration of and ensure the sustainability of post-fossil-carbon societies
• What are the negative and positive roles that MNEs could play in addressing and reducing climate change impacts, what are the factors affecting their behaviors? How depending on a particular business model may drive the MNEs to take certain decisions in favor or against driving climate change impact? Does their geographical presence matter? Are they canceling their own progress out by the non‐uniform implementation of models to drive said climate change impacts?
• What are the latest scientific and technical breakthroughs that MNEs can implement? What are the factors required for MNEs to gain critical implementation of these emerging technologies?
• How can MNEs integrate the SDGs into their corporate strategy? How to disseminate the best practices of other countries? What is the relationship between the SDGs and company strategy? How to define the SDGs where an MNE has the greatest potential impact? How do government policies that aim to implement the SDGs affect MNEs' strategy? How better practices will assist collaborative border‐crossing operations, as private actors reconcile their major objectives in the framework to envision the future?
• How do MNEs contribute in countries where they operate in alleviating poverty and hunger, ensuring equitable education for all, achieving gender equity, sustainable management of water resources, offering decent working conditions in a global talent market, fostering sustainable innovations, production and consumption, combating global warming, or conserving scarce resources?
• What are the new approaches and pathways bridging the economic, political, ecological, and social spheres of the SDGs, where are there any overlaps or roadblocks from this cross‐functional perspective?
• What strategic implications do the SDGs may have on MNEs’ reporting strategy? How to use the goals as a framework for reporting in order to monitor and report the progress toward SDGs’ implementation? How should MNEs integrate the SDGs into their sustainability reports? What information MNEs should be reporting? What reporting framework? What indicator preferences in reporting on progress toward the SDGs? What new MNE’s reporting standards include SDGs? How should reporting consider the interests of stakeholders having no financial stake in the organization?

The topical areas, which authors may address for this book are not limited to those listed above.

Format

Chapter proposals can present different approaches and methods: theoretical reflections, analytical models and frameworks, literature reviews, monographs, best practices, and case studies.

Coverage/target audience

This book will engage academics, policy‐makers, corporate leaders, managers, NGOs, and other practitioners to develop book chapters, on the topic of how MNEs can align themselves to become key instigators of SDGs’ implementation. The chapter proposals can be original research, comprehensive literature reviews, theoretical frameworks, empirical studies, comprehensive, integrative reviews, case studies, best practices or about new techniques and technologies from the field.

Chapter submission

Chapter proposals must be written in good English. Authors with limitations in the command of written English are recommended to have their chapters edited by a Professional English Scientific Editor before the first submission. Poorly written pieces can compromise the decisions during the review process. The submission of contributions will be done in two stages. The first is to submit only an intention to contribute with a chapter. During this stage, the following information is required: title, authors with their affiliations, positions and addresses, an abstract of about 250‐300 words, and 5 keywords. If accepted, authors will be invited to submit the full version of their chapters.

Tentative submission timetable and deadlines

• Abstract submission: January 31, 2021
• Abstract acceptance: February 28, 2021
• Full chapter submission: April 30, 2021
• Author notification: June 15, 2021
• Revised version submission: July 15, 2021
• Final acceptance: July 31, 2021

How to submit

Book chapter submission is through email: John.McIntyre@scheller.gatech.edu or silvester.ivanaj@icn‐artem.com.

Review Process

The review process is single-blind.

Book Editors

1. Silvester IVANAJ, ICN Business School, France: silvester.ivanaj@icn‐artem.com
2. John McINTYRE, Scheller College of Business at the Georgia Institute of Technology, USA: John.McIntyre@scheller.gatech.edu
3. Vera IVANAJ, Université de Lorraine, France : vera.ivanaj@univ‐lorraine.fr

The accepted chapters will be published by Edward Elgar Publishing. Below are some of our previous publications on the topic of MNS and Sustainable Development with this publisher:

1. Multinational Enterprises and the Challenge of Sustainable Development https://www.e‐elgar.com/shop/gbp/multinational‐enterprises‐and‐the‐challenge‐of‐sustainabledevelopment‐ 9781848444133.html
2. Strategies for Sustainable Technologies and Innovations https://www.e‐elgar.com/shop/gbp/strategies‐for‐sustainable‐technologies‐and‐innovations‐ 9781781006825.html
3. Emerging Dynamics of Sustainability in Multinational Enterprises https://www.e‐elgar.com/shop/gbp/emerging‐dynamics‐of‐sustainability‐in‐multinationalenterprises‐ 9781784718527.html
4. CSR and Climate Change Implications for Multinational Enterprises https://www.e‐elgar.com/shop/gbp/csr‐and‐climate‐change‐implications‐for‐multinationalenterprises‐ 9781786437754.html