When conflict meets sustainability: challenges for firms in achieving the SDGS amid geopolitical risks in the EU

Geopolitical risks (GPR) hinder progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by causing conict, instability and global tensions.This article examines rm-level barriers to SDG implementation within the European Union in the context of increasing geopolitical disruption.Using a multidimensional framework, the study identies barriers to corporate sustainability practices.These include limited resources, fragmented regulation, governance ineciencies, cultural resistance and weak leadership.Geopolitical conicts exacerbate these challenges by stabilising supply chains, creating nancial volatility, intensifying security risks and environmental degradation.The ndings show that while rms recognise the urgency of aligning with SDGs, geopolitical instability creates constraints that undermine long-term planning and innovation.The article argues that achieving sustainability requires robust governance, cross-border harmonisation, resilient supply chains and stronger corporate accountability.This study contributes to understanding how rms can adapt strategies to sustain progress toward the SDGs in uncertain global contexts.