What are the Sustainable Development Goals and how can companies incorporate them?
- Jessica Oyarbide
- Jun 19, 2024
- 3 min read
That there are social, environmental, and economic problems to be resolved is evident. Who should be responsible? Governments, businesses, NGOs, individuals? The Sustainable Development Goals provide a common agenda to engage different sectors in orienting their actions toward the common good.
To say that development should be conceived as being able to meet present needs without compromising the opportunities of future generations to meet their own might seem like common sense, but it isn't. Sustainable development posits that the way we live today can greatly influence the future of future generations, and what that future will look like is in our hands.
Economic growth must go hand in hand with social inclusion and environmental protection. A growing economy with destroyed natural resources or a lack of access to quality healthcare and education is not sustainable. Sustainable development results from collective and collaborative action.
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were established by the United Nations in 2015 as part of the 2030 Agenda. They are a set of 17 goals and 169 targets designed to address the greatest challenges of our time: from poverty and hunger to climate change and inequality. The 2030 Agenda sets forth a global commitment to making the world a more sustainable and equitable place, and businesses play a crucial role in this effort.
In addition to outlining a path of action, they are a common language for referring to the different issues that affect people and the planet:
End of poverty.
Zero hunger.
Health and well-being.
Quality education.
Gender equality.
Clean water and sanitation.
Affordable and clean energy.
Decent work and economic growth.
Industry, innovation and infrastructure.
Reduction of inequalities.
Sustainable cities and communities.
Responsible production and consumption.
Climate action.
Underwater life.
Life of terrestrial ecosystems.
Peace, justice and strong institutions.
Partnerships to achieve the goals.
To ensure compliance, governments, businesses, NGOs, educational institutions, funders, and everyone in general can adhere to them and actively contribute to their fulfillment.
Businesses play a fundamental role in contributing to the SDGs, and there are various strategies they can adopt to achieve this.
Integrate sustainability into your business model: From the design of products and services to their production, distribution, and marketing, you can contribute to the well-being of people and/or the planet. For example, you can design products using waste from other industries or with bio-based materials. This contributes primarily to SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production.
Promoting equality and inclusion: Companies can adopt inclusive and equitable hiring policies to promote gender equality (SDG 5) and reduce inequalities (SDG 10).
Foster partnerships and collaborations: You can work together with governments, NGOs, and other stakeholders to help resolve and mitigate social and environmental problems at the local level.
Many of the companies that adhere to the SDGs report to the Global Compact ( https://unglobalcompact.org/ ), a United Nations initiative to identify companies aligned with Sustainable Development.
Communication also plays a crucial role in promoting sustainable development. Companies that generate positive impact but fail to communicate it miss a great opportunity to make a difference. When managed effectively, responsibly, and professionally, communication is a great ally in amplifying impact.
Marcas que Marcan supports companies seeking to integrate the Sustainable Development Goals into their organizations, both in identifying the type of impact they want to generate and developing strategies to achieve it, and in communicating it internally and externally.
Comments