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Sustainability management of SMEs and the UN Sustainable Development Goals

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  • Hans Verboven

    (University of Antwerp)

  • Lise Vanherck

    (University of Antwerp)

Abstract

The SDG Compass is a method to translate the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals into management objectives. It was developed by UN Global Compact, GRI and WBCSD. The SDG Compass focusses on large corporations and offers them a framework and method to translate the SDGs to their business. The SDG framework, with the goals and the implementation method, only partially meets the criteria of a hands-on and actionable tool. Much attention is being paid to external motivators instead of focusing on tangible business impact. Currently, prioritization of themes that matter most for European SMEs is not possible. Tools to link the SDGs with the business processes of Small and Medium Sized Enterprises or SMEs do not exist. SMEs lack resources, experience and incentives to implement sustainability in their daily management but their potential contribution to sustainable development is large. In this article we show how the SDGs can be linked bottom-up to the Sustatool, a practical PDCA-based management tool that offers SMEs the opportunity to implement sustainability in their daily practices. We have prioritized the SDGs that SMEs can impact most. We make SDG targets material by linking them to concrete actions in the thematic catalogue.

Suggested Citation

  • Hans Verboven & Lise Vanherck, 2016. "Sustainability management of SMEs and the UN Sustainable Development Goals," Sustainability Nexus Forum, Springer, vol. 24(2), pages 165-178, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:sumafo:v:24:y:2016:i:2:d:10.1007_s00550-016-0407-6
    DOI: 10.1007/s00550-016-0407-6
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    8. Antonia Madrid‐Guijarro & Antonio Duréndez, 2024. "Sustainable development barriers and pressures in SMEs: The mediating effect of management commitment to environmental practices," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 33(2), pages 949-967, February.
    9. Ralph Sonntag & Gerard J. Lewis & Andrzej Raszkowski, 2022. "The Importance of Implementing SDGs by Small and Medium Size Enterprises: Evidence from Germany and Poland," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(24), pages 1-14, December.
    10. Ana T. Ejarque & Vanessa Campos, 2020. "Assessing the Economy for the Common Good Measurement Theory Ability to Integrate the SDGs into MSMEs," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(24), pages 1-17, December.
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    12. Isabel‐María García‐Sánchez & Lázaro Rodríguez‐Ariza & Beatriz Aibar‐Guzmán & Cristina Aibar‐Guzmán, 2020. "Do institutional investors drive corporate transparency regarding business contribution to the sustainable development goals?," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(5), pages 2019-2036, July.

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