Mapping enablers for SDG implementation in the private sector: a systematic literature review and research agenda

Academics and practitioners alike recognize the important role of businesses in achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, research is still needed to understand strategies that can aid the private sector in this regard. The objective of the current paper is twofold. First, it provides an interdisciplinary systematic literature review of 96 papers published between 2015 and 2022 to analyse the state-of-the-art of the academic literature on the enablers that can facilitate SDG implementation in businesses. The analysis provides evidence that enablers can be categorized depending on whether they are external to the company (industry, tools, and education), internal to the company (company characteristics, governance, and adoption of innovation and technology), or a combination of both (Public–Private Partnerships). Second, it provides a specific research agenda on each enabler, offering relevant recommendations for academics, practitioners and policy makers to work simultaneously to achieve the UN’s 2030 Agenda.