Business leaders have complained of being hindered by political uncertainty and market constraints in their efforts to fight poverty, inequality and other societal problems by 2030, research showed as world leaders met to discuss the United Nations’ global goals. Only one in five chief executives thinks business is playing a critical role in the wide-ranging development goals, according to a study by the United Nations Global Compact, a network of businesses, and consulting company Accenture Strategy. The 17 Sustainable Development Goals with 169 targets agreed by the 193 UN member states set out an ambitious “to-do” list tackling conflict, hunger, land degradation, gender inequality and climate change by 2030 but assessments of their progress have been bleak. The study of about 1,000 chief executives from 21 industries and 99 countries found less than half reported integrating sustainability into business operations. Four in 10 said political uncertainty was slowing or stalling their efforts, and a third said the closing of global markets and limits on free trade were hindrances.

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