Government Policy Influence on Businesses and the SDGs Report

This report delves into the significant influence of government policies on businesses and their role in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It examines various aspects, including the introduction to the 2030 agenda and the importance of government policies in attaining the SDGs. The report explores how government policies impact businesses in areas such as poverty eradication, gender equity and equality, quality education, and the provision of clean water and sanitation. It discusses how government policies, including economic and legal changes, affect business operations and strategies. The report also analyzes the role of incentives, taxation, interest rates, and government spending in shaping business behavior towards achieving the SDGs. Furthermore, it highlights the importance of gender parity, quality education, and the need for investments from various sectors to achieve the SDGs. The conclusion emphasizes the critical role of government in setting policies that guide businesses towards sustainable development and the overall achievement of the SDGs.

Running Head: Government Policy Influence on Businesses and the SDGs1
Government Policy influence on businesses and the SDGs.
Name:
Institution:

Government Policy Influence on Businesses and the SDGs. 2
Contents
1.0 Government Policy influence on businesses and the SDGs...................................................................3
1.1 Introduction...........................................................................................................................................3
2.0 Are there ways that the Government can use in order to succeed in the Sustainable Development
Goals?..........................................................................................................................................................3
3.0 How are government policy affecting the business in involvement toward achieving SDGs?...............4
3.1 Poverty Eradication policy on SDGs and Businesses..............................................................................5
3.2 Gender Equity and Equality...................................................................................................................7
3.3 Quality Education..................................................................................................................................8
3.4 Provision of clean water and sanitation...............................................................................................10
4.0 Conclusion...........................................................................................................................................12
References.................................................................................................................................................13

Government Policy Influence on Businesses and the SDGs. 3
1.0 Government Policy influence on businesses and the
SDGs.
1.1 Introduction.
The 2030 agenda which is about the sustainable development is a meant to be historical
global agreement with an aim to eliminate extreme poverty, fight inequality and injustice. It is
meant to incorporate every individual in the world. The 17 Sustainable Development Goals
(SGDs) are meant to succeed the Millennium development goals (MDGs). With the development
of the SDGs, the government is required to develop policies that will help in attaining them. The
government may the turn its attention to the business to support them and help them achieve the
SDGs. Every government will have priorities that will be used as the driving force toward the
attainment of the SDGs. In doing so, the government will want the business to align themselves
with it set priorities so as they can make an impact that helps, and does not hinder the country
from achieving its goals as by Draper, (2017).
As Storey, (2016) says businesses have to adjust their operational goals to go hand in
hand with the country's goals while also trying to help in the achievement of the Sustainable
Development Goals. The achievement of the SDGs will require that all areas in the society
including the government, NGOs and the private sectors (business) act together. The government
acts as the main player in the achievement, and the policy that it will set and implement may be a
big determinant of the achievement of the SDGs as Storey, (2016) says.
2.0 Are there ways that the Government can use in order
to succeed in the Sustainable Development Goals?
Although the international system is poorly suited to meet all the challenges, the
international community should engage the underdeveloped countries in the most complex way.

Government Policy Influence on Businesses and the SDGs. 4
The SDGs outline the desired destination that the world should be in the next 15-20 years and
thus the government should engage in some reforms that will enable attain this goals as by Ugoh,
& Ukpere, (2009).
The international community and the government should be able to engage those that are
fragile in a long-term strategies that integrate humanitarian and development approaches. They
should also be willing and ready to shift their attention away from centralized approach and
concentrate on empowering the local systems. The government should also be in the first lane to
integrate peace building programs and conflict reduction methods in the process of development.
Ensuring that there is a proper leverage financial services and also renovating them will ensure
that people that are living in extreme poverty are able to access proper financial services.
3.0 How are government policy affecting the business in
involvement toward achieving SDGs?
For the government to be able to deliver the Sustainable Development Goals it has to
ensure that the goals are embedded in planned activities of each government department. This is
to mean that the most effective mechanism for coordinating implementation is through the
departmental planning process. The government should, therefore, be able to engage the public
and the private sector in the departmental planning process.
The process of adopting the SDGs and setting targets at the departmental level is a
delicate political task; it will require that there is a careful and sensitive negotiation. This ensures
that there is an inclusive process that ensures that key stakeholders both within and beyond
government. The SDGs requires the government to build an effective, accountable and inclusive
institutions at all levels as stated by Brewer, Browne, Joyce, & Payne, (2011). The institutions

Government Policy Influence on Businesses and the SDGs. 5
should act as a foundation for achieving the desired outcomes from ending poverty to improving
health and combating climate change and its impact.
3.1 Poverty Eradication policy on SDGs and Businesses.
The government will also have to work on its policy to achieve progress across the SDGs.
The task will not be easy to create the policies, and the government will have to cope. The
government should search for effective models to deliver policies. An OECD survey noticed
that since 2008 various government have increased the cross-ministerial initiatives. The
governments also have created bodies and even agencies that are tasked with assessing how the
policies that are created are being implemented.
Governments have also established regulations and policies that are meant to guide
business toward the creation of strategies that will work to attain the SDGs. The government is
increasingly interested in accounting for the private sector contribution to the development and
the SDGs. The policy that is set may work to motivate the private sectors/ the business or may
demotivate them. The government may tend to set policies that will ensure that the business
leans toward creating strategies that are related to SDGs. For instance, provision of incentives on
the number of employee in every organization may work toward either increasing employment
or reducing it. Increased employment will mean that there is the reduction in poverty level and
vice versa as by No Author Found. (2016).
It is thus clear to note that, the government as the central part in the policy development
is also an essential determinant on how the country will respond toward the attainment of the
SGDs. The change of the rules and regulatory frameworks by the government usually tend to
force the business to change the way they operate, and thus businesses are keenly affected. The

Government Policy Influence on Businesses and the SDGs. 6
government policies may be in various categories that include the economic system, and legal
changes as noted by Loayza, & Raddatz. (2010).
The economic policies are the functions that the management provides to the public in the
economy. One way is through taxation. Taxation is meant to affect the business costs. A rise in
corporation tax has the same consequence as an upsurge in cost. Other taxes may include the
environmental tax, VAT tax. The government may use this taxes to turn the business to turn
attention to newer strategies.
The government may also use interest rates. The reduced interest rates of borrowing will
increase the borrowing capacity of a business and also increase the consumer’s expenditure. An
increase in the interest will bring an opposite result. It will also lead to reduced sales by a
business. When a government wants to the distribution of the money in the economy, to attain
the SDGs, this policy may be used as by Edmonds, & Schady. (2012).
The government spending policy also has a severe effect on businesses. If the
government spends more on building facilities such as schools, hospitals, etc. there will be an
increase in income in the business that will supply the materials needed in the construction and
also in the facilities required. For instance, on completion, the hospitals will need health facilities
which business will supply. The same can be said about schools.
The changing political arena in the governments means that there is the change in the
legal policies and the business are required to adapt to the new policies. The legal changes that
may include the creation of minimum wage for every working person. The policy will help to
cope on the issue of unemployment and the Per Capita income of every individual and thus
working toward the SDGs goal on the reduction of poverty.

Government Policy Influence on Businesses and the SDGs. 7
Other policies indicate that a business should cater to disabled people by building ramps.
The policy aims to attain equality among employee of every business. Turner et al. (2012)
indicates that the government also has policies that are protecting the consumers against the
counterfeit products that are harmful to them. The policy also protects the businesses so as they
own the copyrights of their products and makes sure that no one else will produce fake products
using their names.
The government also defines competition between businesses to avoid unhealthy
competition. The unhealthy competition will be the source of illegal practices that will be
harmful to the consumer and also the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals. It should
be noted that many businesses have already captured their progress toward attaining of the SDGs
and are now progressing to social and environmental performance as Hassan, (2010,) notes.
3.2 Gender Equity and Equality.
Gender parity means being fair to females and males. To guarantee equality, measure are
often required to reward for historical and social shortcomings that prevent women and men
from else working as equivalents. As one of the seventeen SDGs every government try to make
sure that equality is observed. With the governments wanting the private sectors to adopt
strategies that promote SDGs, the governments have set policies that work toward that goal.
Allowing people access to the same resources, rewards and even opportunities will work
and help achieve workplace equality. The policy of equal pay for the equal amount of work done
is meant to ensure this. Also the inclusion of disabled people to the workforce and provision of
services that they require at an equal length with other can be considered as equality. The
government has detailed that every industry or premises should have a ramp that would make it
easier for them to move around.

Government Policy Influence on Businesses and the SDGs. 8
Attaining gender equality is important not only because of the reason of being fair, but
because equity and equality are linked with the country’s economic performance and also the
attainment of the SDGs.
Business should strategize on the equality as it is associated with improved national
productivity which leads to economic growth, the performance of the organization increases as
workers enjoy to work in an equal environment. The business will also be able to attract new
talents and thus creating jobs for people. Lastly the organization will enhance its reputation as it
works toward the achievement of the country SDGs.
3.3 Quality Education.
Education is administered by government bodies and non- profit institutions today.
Education contributes to extensive reception of some collective set of morals and also the least
degree of mastery and familiarity on most of citizens in a country. When a child get educated it
not only help them and their parents but also helps the society at large. The child donates to the
wellbeing of the community by encouraging a steady and democratic society as by Cao at el.
(2009).
The government has set policies that require every child to attain a slightest amount of
education of a specified kind. The policy is imposed on the parents and there is no further
government action. Children being able to obtain quality education acts as the foundation to
creating sustainable development. It helps improve the living standards while also equipping
children with the required tools to develop innovative solutions to the world problems as by
Zammar, (2012).

Government Policy Influence on Businesses and the SDGs. 9
Lack of quality education can be due to lack of adequate teaching personnel, poor
schooling conditions, and also equity issues related to opportunities provided. For quality
education, there is need for investments from the government, the private sector and the non-
profitable organizations.
The SDGs objective number four (quality education) is meant to ensure that the
government provides comprehensive and unbiased valuable education and promote a lifetime
learning chances for all. The learners should acquire the knowledge and skill that will help
promote sustainable development.
The state should take steps to ensure that quality education is realized by every citizen in
it country. The government should ensure that the marginalized, vulnerable and the
disadvantaged children are not discriminated against a provision of education. The human
resources that are needed e.g. teaching and non-teaching staffs, infrastructure necessary should
be provided by the government as by Killermann,(2013).
Quality education forms an important part in the achievement of the SDGs. Through the
skills that students gains from schools, they are able to contribute to the business which in turn
contribute to the economic development of the country. The ‘must attend school’ policy for all
children’s is meant to ensure that every student has basic skills that are acceptable in the business
market for opportunities and job creation.
The recruitment of teachers/ trainers policy is meant to ensure that there are enough and
qualified teachers in every school that will help student. The retention of this teachers by the
government should ensure that the steady flow of learning in each and every institution is not

Government Policy Influence on Businesses and the SDGs. 10
hindered or disrupted due to sudden movement of teacher from one school to another as
according to Killermann,(2013).
Equality in education should also be considered in order to give opportunity to every
student. The girl child should also be allowed the same opportunity to her choice of skills that
she would like to attain without being discriminated in anyway. Creating equality policy in
schools will keep the spirit of equality among the involved party and thus ensuring it vibrates
throughout their lives into various field and business they venture.
3.4 Provision of clean water and sanitation.
Water supply and sanitation strategies should be able to produce circumstances that are
able to hold sustainable expansion of available of services of adequate quality as by Bartram et
al. (2014) in doing so, it contributes to poverty elevation, enhanced health results, and also the
sustainability of economic growth. Cairncross, Bartram, Cumming, & Brocklehurst, (2010)
denotes that the private participation, tariff policy and reforms to the public sector utilities are
meant to improve the economic effectiveness and financial sustainability of the service
providers. Also they play part in maintaining the environmental sustainability of service
provision while also contributing to SDGs.
Water supplies and sanitation services are mostly decentralized and thus formulating of
policies and also implementing them requires careful assessment as noted by Bartram, &
Cairncross, (2010). The policies should be able to address service delivery, while also ensuring
availability of actual harmonization amongst the institutions that are accountable for availing the
services.

Government Policy Influence on Businesses and the SDGs. 11
Government seeks to improve the routine of the publically owned and operate service
providers so in order to meet the demands of their customers. Private participation has been
sought with an expectation of introduction of efficiency in operations and investment. The
government can also be prompted to put into place rules that will control the private sectors such
as more price insightful prices and also clearer cut strategy and supervisory objectives as by
Wallace, (2017). Reforms in the sector will also provide an opportunity to improve
environmental mistake and also check on the association concerning the economic and
environmental regulations. This is measured in terms of standards, institutional roles, and the
decision making process. The important thing is to be able to maintain the environmental
principles steady and economic and social strategies and guidelines and also agreement is within
the monetary volume of the operators, client base, and management. Failure to achieve this can
lead to criteria requiring funds that cannot be funded by consumer fees or government transfers.
Transferring some shares accountability to the private operative will lead to a certain
level of development from the cash that is generated from the operations. The private sector may
not include the major investments but may include the provision of meters, rehabilitation and
there will be the addition of the subordinate distribution system.
The Public-private partnership in the “water supply and sanitation” sector will need civic
financing due to the challenges in coming up with tariffs for cost covering levels, or due to social
or other goals that cannot be through cross subsidies. The government should therefore consider
for the full range of private sector. The private sector both domestic and regional that are
qualified should be given an opportunity to compete for public-private partnership as by Hunter,
MacDonald, & Carter, (2010).

Government Policy Influence on Businesses and the SDGs. 12
The water supply and sewerage network services have significant health and
environmental impacts. Therefore, there should be policies that guide the supply. The policy that
places the segment on a financial foothold that is sound and will produce better resources for
funding in system expansion.
The approach of the government toward the SDGs differ from one government to
another. For instance, Belgium, as far as it government is concerned there is a huge reliance on
the existing institution to help in achieving the goals. In the other hand Germany has handed the
ministry of Environment and building, the ministry of International Cooperation to deal with the
SDGs issue. Also the Federal Chancellery in Germany is in the lead for the national
implementation of the SDGs as by Minniti, (2008). Germany recognizes the national Sustenance
Development strategy as the main work frame to implementation of SDGs at every federal level.
In Belgium the SDGs takes place through the structures that are in charge of Sustainable
development and also the development cooperation.
4.0 Conclusion.
The SDGs are a set of abundant and important tests faced by governments, global
organizations, civil societies, and other business all over the world. Operating as one unit will
help in the addressing of the issues in the next few years. The collaboration of the private sector,
and the public sectors can work toward achieving the SDGs. Fundamentally it will be down to
the government to tackle SDGs implementation at the national level; there can be a significant
movement without the contribution of businesses. The policy that is set by the government will
act to decide the part that is played by businesses.
Businesses have been instrumental in the process of poverty reduction in the past since
the pre-industrial civilization. Businesses have created jobs, produced tax receipts that are

Government Policy Influence on Businesses and the SDGs. 13
essential for redistributive government policy, brought about exchange of one person’s labor for
another’s in a more justifiable way and thus helping to reduce poverty.
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