Welcome to MESD'17

Dear Conference Participants,

We take great pleasure in inviting you to the fifth Multinational Enterprises and Sustainable Development International Conference (MESD’17). MESD’17 will be organized by the MESD Association, in partnership with The Center for International Business Education and Research (CIBER), Atlanta, US, The ICN Business School, France, The Ray C. Anderson Center for Sustainable Business, Atlanta, US and The CEREFIGE, France will hold its fifth International Conference MESD’17 in Atlanta, Georgia, December 7-9, 2017

MESD’17 will mainly focus on what Can MNEs Do to implement Sustainable Development Goals. Each goal has specific targets to be achieved over the next 15 years. For the goals to be reached governments, the private sector, civil society and individuals need to do their part. Given their market power, globally distributed operations and political influence, MNEs can be either accelerators or inhibitors of the requisite changes in sustainability.

To achieve the transformation towards a more sustainable world, the main political, economic and societal actors are looking for global solutions to face the global climate change which is perceived as the most important issue of our time. An ever increasing number of regions, sectors, ecosystems and social groups are confronted in the same time by the impacts of climate change on future societal transformation. Climate change is also severely affecting MNEs activities in a wide variety of sectors and countries. Their large activities can accelerate or slow the sustainable development process both locally and globally.

MESD’17 encourages any type of multi-, inter- or transdisciplinary studies and practices linking disciplines, knowledge systems and stakeholders to help MNEs to reach these sustainable development goals. A variety of conceptual and empirical submissions, drawing on a range of theoretical perspectives and diverse methodologies (case studies, in-depth issue studies, speculative analyses) are welcome. MESD’17 also encourages solutions-oriented studies by going beyond the analysis of problems to offer potential for significant sustainability benefit.

This international conference will be of great interest to researchers, scientists, experts, policy practitioners, business decision makers, industry representatives, members of government or non-governmental organizations, consultants, advanced graduate students, and other professionals working in any enterprise committed toward more sustainable business.

We are looking forward to a rigorous and focused exchange of ideas. From this, we will publish selected papers and presentations in a proceedings book and in a special issue of international business journals to enrich a growing body of policy and management literature.

Conference chairs
John McIntyre, Silvester Ivanaj and Vera Ivanaj