Rethinking the role of businesses

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development gives business a significant role to play in efforts to achieve the SDGs, based on its ability to invest and innovate. However, for companies to truly contribute, they must move beyond current forms of engagement, abandon a narrow focus on the SDGs as an opportunity to increase corporate profits and embrace their wider responsibilities to the societies in which they operate. This paper explores ways in which companies can provide more meaningful contributions to governments’ commitments to reach the Sustainable Development Goals.