Sustainable business practices in the Global South: what do we know and where do we go?

Citation

Arte P, Elsahn Z, Arakpogun EO & Cornwell AAD (2025) Sustainable business practices in the Global South: what do we know and where do we go?. In: Arte P, Elsahn Z, Arakpogun EO & Cornwell AAD (eds.) Research Handbook on Sustainable Business Practices in the Global South. Edward Elgar Publishing, pp. 283-293. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781035330133.00022

Abstract
The pressing need of businesses and policymakers in the modern era is to create value for the stakeholders, all while increasing productivity, developing innovative technologies, creating a fair and equitable work environment, reducing waste and greenhouse gases, and promoting strong institutions. While there are abundant studies on the general theme of sustainable business practices, there is a genuine knowledge gap on the topic within the context of Global South with the exception of the focus on renewable energy. The 13 chapters in this book specifically address this knowledge gap and make some key contributions to the fields of technological innovation and economic development, institutional development, CSR, digital transformation in agriculture, climate degradation, the circular economy, responsible consumption, ethical business practices, and inclusive education. We present a three-point plan for developing the research field further. First, future research must be interdisciplinary to enhance our understanding of the interconnectedness of natural and socio-economic systems. Second, multi-level theorising is required to capture how societal challenges are interconnected and materialise across different scales, from the global to local, and the individual to the system level. Thus, future research must examine the intersections and interrelationships between different SDGs to provide meaningful implications for practitioners and theory development.

Keywords
Global South; Sustainability; SDG; MNE