Search

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) agenda encourages and establishes initiatives that are important to society. In this sense, it is vital and valuable to adapt these initiatives on a sectoral basis. Therefore, this study aims to handle sustainability issues at ports within the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDG) framework. Two targets were set. The first target is addressing the attention of European ports' sustainability disclosures to SDGs. The second target is to develop a comprehensive framework of port related sustainability initiatives to support the achievement of SDG targets. This paper is based upon a qualitative content analysis study. To consolidate the best practices, European Ports were selected as the research area. First, this study contributes to the extension of the UNSDG and Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) indicator framework with port specific aspects. Therefore, it provides a comprehensive picture of port-related actions linked to each SDG goal. Secondly, it provides evidence of how European ports are aligned with SDGs. The results revealed that the port industry has the potential to contribute mainly to SDGs 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth; 9 Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure; 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities, 12 Responsible Consumption and Production, 13 Climate Action, and 17 Partnership. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) agenda encourages and establishes initiatives that are important to society. In this sense, it is vital and valuable to adapt these initiatives on a sectoral basis. Therefore, this study aims to handle sustainability issues at ports within the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDG) framework. Two targets were set. The first target is addressing the attention of European ports' sustainability disclosures to SDGs. The second target is to develop a comprehensive framework of port related sustainability initiatives to support the achievement of SDG targets. This paper is based upon a qualitative content analysis study. To consolidate the best practices, European Ports were selected as the research area. First, this study contributes to the extension of the UNSDG and Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) indicator framework with port specific aspects. Therefore, it provides a comprehensive picture of port-related actions linked to each SDG goal. Secondly, it provides evidence of how European ports are aligned with SDGs. The results revealed that the port industry has the potential to contribute mainly to SDGs 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth; 9 Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure; 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities, 12 Responsible Consumption and Production, 13 Climate Action, and 17 Partnership. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development has introduced a new sustainability paradigm that challenges private firms. According to this, in pursuing sustainable development, companies must face a complex system of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that are divided into 17 primary goals, 169 targets, and 244 indicators. This paper outlines an assessment framework to investigate how companies are dealing with this Agenda and reporting their commitment in achieving SDGs, as well as monitoring their progress. Content analysis has been applied to reduce the number of SDG indicators including only the companies' internally actionable ones and to associate them to Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) indicators. A positioning matrix allows companies to compare their strategies with those of other companies regarding their efforts in achieving SDGs. The relative position of firms in the matrix provides valuable feedback for managers giving insight into how other companies adapt their sustainability practices to the requirements of the SDGs. As a means of exemplification, the framework has been applied to a group of GRI-reporting major electricity companies. The proposed framework presents opportunities for both practice and research allowing to investigate the companies' level of engagement in reporting and monitoring their contributions to SDGs. • The method aids companies in dealing with SDG reporting at an indicator level. • Companies can use the proposed method to compare the quality of their SDG reporting. • A positioning matrix allows companies to compare their strategies regarding SDGs. • The relative position of firms in the matrix provides valuable feedback for managers. • The positioning matrix is helpful in monitoring progress toward SDG contribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]