Accounting for the Sustainable Development Goals by Selected Firms in Ghana

Abstract

This study attempts to examine the contribution of organisations to the SDGs specifically focusing on how organisations integrate the SDGs into business strategy as well as how the specific targets are prioritised. The study adopts the qualitative research approach thus semi-structured interview is employed to collect data. The purposive sampling method is used to select companies and an employee in each company was interviewed. The result of the study shows that SDGs can influence the business strategy of organisations. As a result, organisations seek to produce products and services that enhance the achievement of the SDGs as well as manage the environmental impact of operations. They also seek to align their CSR programmes to the SDGs to focus on priority issues that contribute to sustainability. Organisations' contributions to the SDGs require partnership with other stakeholders to build competency. In addition, they are selective with partners they engage with to build a favourable brand or image. The study also finds that companies select SDG priorities considering the nature of activities and their impact socially and environmentally. Organisations report on the SDGs to obtain social recognition, competitive advantage, image, and brand enhancement, comply with regulatory requirements and attract investors. The scope of the study is limited to analyse the potential contributions of companies to the SDGs. Hence the study does not focus on the efforts of other institutions like the public sector and civil societies. The study fills existing gap in literature by providing an understanding of how organisations integrate SDGs into the business. The study further provides insights on the prioritization process as the phenomenon has received less attention in the literature.