What are the SDG’s?
In 2015, the United Nations adopted Agenda 2030, a set of 17 global development goals for 2016-2030. These Sustainable Development Goals (also known as Global Goals or SDG’s) aim to ensure a prosperous, peaceful and sustainable future for people and the planet. The 2030 Agenda recognises that ending poverty and other hardships must go hand in hand with strategies that improve health and education, reduce inequality and boost economic growth – all while tackling climate change and working to preserve our oceans and forests.
Who is it relevant for?
Achieving the SDGs requires collective action by governments, civil society and the private sector. Through innovation and collaboration, the private sector plays a crucial role in advancing the global development agenda.
The SDG’ s represents an important opportunity for companies to develop, communicate and report on strategies, targets and activities, thus accessing a wide range of benefits.
Why is it important?
The better a company can demonstrate that its sustainability policies positively impact UN SDGs, the better its long-term results will be. The company not only contributes to climate change mitigation, but it also minimises risks, becomes more attractive to (new) employees, can more easily attract capital and can positively differentiate itself from its competitors. Because they are globally recognised targets, they are often used to determine which topics are most relevant in, for example, a company’s sustainability strategy. Therefore, the symbols of the goals are often included in communications about a company’s sustainability work and indicate a global commitment to sustainability.