“The SDGs cannot be achieved without collaboration between governments, private and public sector organizations and civil society organizations. National governments, who are ultimately responsible for the achievement of the SDGs, might seek to achieve this by setting expectations through legislation or soft regulation and holding organizations to account. Stock Exchanges can influence the private sector through the listing requirements that they set.

Investors may develop portfolios with the specific aim of prioritising specific SDGs. They are also increasingly considering a range of wider factors in their risk profiling and appraisal of investment opportunities, with some evidence of leading investors embedding wider value creation factors, including sustainable development, in their overall policy and governance…”

Adams, CA (2017) The Sustainable Development Goals, integrated thinking and the integrated report, IIRC and ICAS, page 9.

Answer the following questions concerning corporate accountability for impact on achievement of the SDGs:

a) Critically analyse the strengths and weaknesses of current frameworks to hold companies accountable for their impact on achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).