The Elgar Companion to International Business and the Sustainable Development Goals: a global perspective on corporate sustainability

Maria Alejandra Gonzalez-Perez and Krzysztof Wach

Chapter 1 in The Elgar Companion to International Business and the Sustainable Development Goals, 2026, pp 1-11 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: This introductory chapter examines the critical intersection between International Business (IB) and the United Nations (UN’s) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), presenting a comprehensive overview of how multinational enterprises (MNEs) engage with global sustainability challenges. Drawing from contributions by 41 scholars across 32 institutions in 15 countries, this edited volume provides diverse theoretical frameworks and empirical evidence structured around six key themes: theoretical foundations and digital transformation, strategic implementation and corporate governance, regional perspectives and case studies, special topics and future directions, measurement and accountability, and education. The volume demonstrates particular depth in addressing SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), SDG 13 (Climate Action), and SDG 17 (Partnerships), while employing diverse methodological approaches from quantitative modelling to qualitative case studies. Key contributions include bridging the theory-practice gap in SDG implementation, introducing novel measurement approaches, and examining emerging challenges like deep-seabed mining and artificial intelligence (AI). The analysis also identifies opportunities for future research, particularly in underrepresented areas such as poverty reduction, hunger elimination, and clean water access. This volume provides valuable insights for academics, practitioners, policymakers, and students interested in advancing sustainable development through international business practices.

Keywords: International business; Sustainable development goals; Corporate sustainability; Multinational enterprises; Global governance; Cross-disciplinary research (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
ISBN: 9781035348473
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.elgaronline.com/doi/10.4337/9781035348480.00007 (application/pdf)
Our link check indicates that this URL is bad, the error code is: 403 Forbidden

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:elg:eechap:24028_1

Ordering information: This item can be ordered from
http://www.e-elgar.com

Access Statistics for this chapter

More chapters in Chapters from Edward Elgar Publishing
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Jack Sweeney ().