Abstract
Engaging the private sector is important for developing countries to meet SDG 6.1 – universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water – given sizeable finance gaps and declining foreign aid. However, limited and varied guidance exists for its involvement. This research uses interviews and document analysis from multinational corporations, government, and nonprofit organizations to investigate how multinationals in Ghana might advance SDG 6.1. Drawing from institutional theory, it discusses two key findings. First, the UN and Ghanaian Government offer normative guidance but fewer practical suggestions for the private sector’s involvement, contributing to a governance-related institutional void. Second, multinationals demonstrate three categories of strategies: responsibility, sustainability, and sustainable development, the latter being most likely to fill a governance void and advance SDG 6.1. The study concludes that corporate sustainable development strategies allow multinationals to be both rule-following (adhering to normative UN and state guidance) and rule-making (governing community water projects).
Presenters
Sarah Ehlinger AffoteyStudent, MSc+MBA, University of Oxford, United Kingdom Johanna Koehler
Assistant Professor of Environmental Policy and Governance, Institute for Environmental Studies, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Netherlands
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
Education, Assessment and Policy
KEYWORDS
Business, SDGs, Institutions, Water, CSR, Ghana
