Implementation of the SDGs by Large International and Russian Companies during the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Example of FMCG, Retail and Telecom Sectors

In 2015, at the UN General Assembly, 17 Sustainable Development Goals were announced, which were supposed to serve as a trigger for the development of various sectors of the economy of countries around the world. Governments and businesses have been actively introducing these goals into their management strategies; in recent years, the level of implementation of the SDGs has grown significantly. Not only do companies mention the SDGs in their strategies, but they do a good job in this area, sometimes even implementing them at the national level. However, 2020 has become a turning point for the entire world system and international relations in particular. At the end of 2019, the world faced a serious problem that affected the political, economic and social spheres of society. The Covid-19 virus, which shocked the entire international system, caused a serious crisis across the planet, for which states were not ready. Many countries closed on a lockdown, the economy ceased to function effectively, the GDP of many countries decreased by several percentage points. A huge number of companies, both Russian and international, have fallen victim to this severe economic recession, which has led to changes in their business strategies. This paper will describe exactly what changes have occurred in the international business system over the past year using the example of the FMCG (Retail) and Telecommunications sectors. The activities of these 2 sectors of the economy, in my opinion, turned out to be the most indicative during the pandemic. I will analyze the activities of the 3 largest FMCG and Telecom players in the Russian and international markets before and during the pandemic. Based on the comparative analysis, it will be concluded whether the degree of implementation of the SDGs in these companies has decreased or increased against the background of the international recession. Also, at the end of the work, a hypothesis will be put forward about further changes in the SDG strategies for these business segments.