Integrating global sustainability frameworks into public governance: a conceptual learning

This paper presents a conceptually grounded investigation into the interplay between global sustainability frameworks and governance processes. Using a multi-layered analytical model, the study examines how international agreements, including the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the UN Global Compact, and the Paris Agreement, shape organisational governance through national policy instruments. The analysis explores how organizations operationalise these imperatives via internal mechanisms, including vision and mission alignment, CSR and ESG committees, and sustainability reporting frameworks. Based on a synthesis of academic and policy literature, the study identifies key implementation pathways and feedback loops that link sustainability outcomes with trust, legitimacy, and policy refinement, while revealing persistent implementation gaps among small and medium enterprises and weak institutional contexts. By structuring sustainability governance across four interconnected layers, this study contributes a synthesising framework that captures cross-level interdependencies and emphasises the need for adaptive, inclusive, and performance-oriented approaches to achieve systemic sustainability outcomes.