Firm Responses to Sustainable Development Goals in the Context of the Digital Era

Dear Colleagues,

Global warming and other societal issues are becoming more prevalent by the day, with organizations and governments devoting a great deal of effort into their addressal. The industrial sector contributes to a country's economic prosperity, but it also causes environmental glitches. In this context, the importance of sustainable development goals (SDGs) is frequently stressed at the highest levels of the United Nations (UN), most recently reinforced by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (UN, 2015), which measures progress toward social aspects. Moreover, several countries have devised environmental and social strategies to combat global warming, defined as a collection of laws organizations or governments can directly or indirectly use to address environmental issues caused by the industrial sector, since it contributes significantly to environmental and social problems; thus, sustainable implications at the business level have received substantial attention in recent years.

In addition, technology’s role is imperative for solving industrial issues and helping to reach sustainable development goals. Technology, science, and capacity building are major pillars for the implementation of SDGs. The research, development, deployment, and widespread diffusion of environmentally sound technologies in the context of a green economy are also closely linked to other core elements and means of implementation, including innovation, business opportunities and development, the trade of environmental goods and services, finance and investment, and institutional capabilities.

Since 2015, in order to eradicate poverty and reorient current unsustainable development trajectories, the aim has been to widely develop and disseminate affordable technological solutions over a period of fifteen years before reaching 2030. The means of the implementation of the Post-2015 Development Agenda and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda could provide an opportunity to address some of the gaps hindering the facilitation and transfer of these technologies. In 2012, a UN conference on sustainable development (“Rio+20”) called for the identification of technological facilitation mechanisms, which The Addis Ababa Action Agenda decided to establish in its paragraph 123. In order to support the sustainable development goals, the mechanism is planned to be launched at the United Nations summit for the adoption of the Post-2015 Development Agenda.

Moreover, technology can also be helpful for industrial sectors in producing innovative products and reducing negative industrial environmental effects. Therefore, this Special Issue aims to explore the actions undertaken by firms for reducing negative environmental effects by following SDGs. Additionally, this Special Issue plans to focus on the role of technology for improving sustainable development goals as well as firm performance through technological innovation.

The aim of this Special Issue is to add to the existing literature through qualitative and quantitative studies on topics including, but not limited to, the following:

• Exploring firm behaviors in light of SDGs.
• Assessing the impact of SDGs on firm sustainable performance.
• Highlighting the effect of technology on firm operations for reducing negative environmental effects.
• Inspecting the importance of technology for achieving SDGs.
• The extent of the impact that digitalization has on corporate social behavior.
• How current digitalization is shaping SDGs and firm success.
• Ways in which environmental glitches invite novel challenges, i.e., global warming, pollution practices influenced by stakeholders, etc.
• Ways in which digital technology provides awareness for controlling negative industrial effects.
• The application of corporate governance theories with digitalization.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Sohail Ahmad Javeed
Dr. Rashid Latief
Dr. Umair Akram
Guest Editors

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• gender diversity
• sustainable development
• corporate performance
• digitalization
• environmental policy
• clean energy
• economic growth and technology
• firm innovation
• global warming
• pollution control
• crowdfunding for sustainable practices
• stakeholders pressure