Advancing the Pursuit of UN-SDGs: Initiatives of PLCs under the Property Sector in the Philippines Janice Alfonso
De La Salle University
Abstract
This research investigates the sustainability initiatives of selected Publicly Listed Companies (PLCs) in the Philippines under the property sector, focusing on their contributions to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) and SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities). The study involved mapping the sustainability programs aligned with the 17 UN SDGs and assessing their integration into corporate vision-mission statements. The study is anchored on the theories of sustainable development and humanistic management- it also adopts a descriptive and exploratory research design with a qualitative archival method approach. Purposive sampling was utilized to select the companies meeting the criteria set, and through the content analysis of the firm^s 2022 Sustainability Reports and Annual Reports, it was found that 80% of the subject companies articulated the essence of Sustainable Development Goals in their vision and mission statements. The sample corporations have implemented an average of 9 SDGs and 94% of the UN Sustainable Development Goals were implemented through one of the initiatives of the five companies. The research also confirmed the propositions that the selected PLCs in the Property sector of the Philippine Stock Exchange have implemented specific sustainability programs that contribute to the promotion and attainment of SDG 8 and SDG 11. The study^s findings contribute to the ongoing discourse on sustainable development and the role of the property sector in achieving the UN SDGs. The study recommends the presence of a collaborative effort to document the achievement of both the state and the corporate sectors in the SDGs as well as the possible articulation of the targets and indicators for the business sectors to prevent ambiguity. For future research, it is suggested to increase the sample size and to include non-listed/privately owned companies from other industries. An impact study as well as a mixed method approach were also recommended.
Keywords: Sustainable Development, United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, Decent Work and Economic Growth, Sustainable Cities and Communities
