Published on: July 17, 2026 at 12:30 pm
In 2015, the U.N. introduced the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Agenda for Humanity to establish a plan of action for promoting worldwide peace and prosperity. This agenda aims to grow sustainable development worldwide, placing humanitarianism at the forefront of the initiatives to protect the planet and humanity’s future.
As part of the 2030 Agenda, 190 world leaders agreed to establish 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), ranging from ending poverty and hunger to maintaining planetary health and peace.
Academy of Management Scholar Catherine McDonald of the University of St. Gallen in Switzerland spoke on the potential changes surrounding the U.N.’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
“Firms are engaging in corporate diplomacy and activities with international institutions as the deadline for achieving the goals and targets of the 2030 Agenda approaches is approaching,” McDonald said. “The participating nations hoped to have achieved—or at least be on track to achieve—many of these global goals by now, but we’re falling short.
“It’s important to remember Goal 17, which revolves around global partnerships and seeing how different entities and actors can work together to fuel positive change and sustainable development worldwide.”
As the Secretary General of the United Nations António Guterres approaches the end of his term at the end of 2026, the race for his successor has commenced. The next U.N. Secretary General will play an important role in global diplomacy and in shaping the U.N.’s agenda for the coming years. In light of geopolitical tensions, climate change, heightened conflict, and rapid technological advancement, it will be important to consider how different actors, ranging from government to business to civil society, can work together to advance sustainable development.
Once the new agenda is established by the incoming U.N. Secretary General, McDonald said that corporate diplomacy could support efforts to address the world’s social, economic, and environmental issues.
“Governments, business and civil-society actors can all play a very important role in collaborating and co-creating a desirable future that benefits everyone,” McDonald said.
“It can be beneficial when corporations work with governmental agencies and NGOs towards goals that are intrinsic to their mission.”
