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SMEs: The Sustainable Development Goals and the Financial Services Industry

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  • Peter Jones
  • David Hillier
  • Daphne Comfort

Abstract

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), agreed at the United Nations General Assembly in 2015, embrace an ambitious and wide-ranging set of global environmental, social and economic targets. They are chiefly designed to promote the transition to a more viable future. The United Nations called on all governments to pursue these ambitious goals but also acknowledged the important role of the business community in addressing the SDGs. The present report provides an outline of the SDGs and of the efforts being made to encourage business engagement. It also comments on the challenges the financial services industry potentially faces in attempting to contribute to the SDGs. It is suggested that leading financial services companies should be required to identify and measure their contributions to the SDGs, integrate their achievements into sustainability reporting processes and commission comprehensive external monitoring. Finally, fundamental concerns regarding the contradicting trends of sustainability and continuing economic growth are highlighted.

Suggested Citation

  • Peter Jones & David Hillier & Daphne Comfort, 2017. "SMEs: The Sustainable Development Goals and the Financial Services Industry," Athens Journal of Business & Economics, Athens Institute for Education and Research (ATINER), vol. 3(1), pages 37-50, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:ate:journl:ajbev3i1-3
    DOI: 10.30958/ajbe.3.1.3
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    2. Jasman Tuyon & Okey Peter Onyia & Aidi Ahmi & Chia-Hsing Huang, 2023. "Sustainable financial services: reflection and future perspectives," Journal of Financial Services Marketing, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 28(4), pages 664-690, December.

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