Human resources as a green business partner? The who, what, when and where HR (or business partners) enact the green UN SDGs

In this Perspective article, I look to go beyond the arguably legitimate pessimism of Brewster and Brookes critique of human resources (HR) not enacting the UN SDGs in HRM. Using publicly available secondary data, I cautiously offer a different and arguably more optimistic perspective. Drawing on Legge’s Deviant Innovator (power relations) and Ulrich’s HR Champions (HR roles) classic texts, I argue that HR might perhaps occupy a new role, in becoming a green business partner. In doing so, I theoretically advocate adopting systems thinking and research co-creation between HRM academics (rigour) and HR practitioners (relevance). I reflect on the context which sets the regulatory framework for workplace HR (in)action regarding the UN SDGs, and discuss what such context means for everyday HRM greening. Lastly, I offer future research ideas and implications for HRM theory and practice before concluding.