UN SDGs: Why these goals are important for your sustainable business

There are goals for sustainable development 

For much of its existence, the idea of a sustainable business has, unfortunately, been little more than a wish or hope. 

For sustainability in business to become an actual plan, it needed goals. And the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) from the United Nations (UN) provides exactly that. 

Set up in 2015 by the UN General Assembly, the SDGs were designed to be achieved before the year 2030. It is also backed by all member states of the UN, and rightly so. The goals, if achieved, will have significant impacts on the lives of most of the world’s population.

The intention of this article is not to list or discuss each of the 17 goals. Rather, what we will do here is try and understand why these SDGs are important to your business. What impact can they have on your business, should you choose to implement them? Let us explore

SDGs guide every aspect of business sustainability

It is easy to think of climate change and the environment as the primary areas of concern for sustainability. While they are important factors that have a significant impact on a firm’s sustainability, the broader spectrum of issues in sustainability includes quite a bit more.

ESG is the keyword here. Environment, Social and Governance are the three fundamental areas where most of the issues in business sustainability arise. And a firm’s ESG performance is exactly what investors and other informed stakeholders use to evaluate its sustainability.

Much like ESG, the SDGs span over a wide range of issues as well. 

SDGs: Who is it intended for?

Unlike ESG which is only really a concern for business organisations (for the most part), SDGs are universal. 

The call to action presented by the goals is meant to be followed by governments, NGOs, non-profits, and businesses. And for that reason, only some of the SDGs may be relevant to your business. The key is understanding which of the goals are most relevant to your business or organisation and taking action towards achieving them.

There are, of course, several ways to go about achieving these goals. One path towards the SDGs that is well laid out would be joining the UN Global Compact, a voluntary organisation that requires certain actions from businesses or organizations to become a part of. It also has its own set of principles, which are meant to help a participant achieve the SDGs. 

But the bulk of the action in achieving the SDGs are likely to come from non-business organisations. Specifically, governments are more likely to invest considerable time and resources into achieving some of the goals like ‘no poverty’ and ‘clean water and sanitation. 

However, several of these goals will require the help of private businesses to be achieved. 

How your business can help meet the SDGs

The goals are varied and wide-ranging. They span from things like ‘a healthy society with no poverty’ to ‘industry and infrastructure’. 

In each of these goals, there are areas where your business can make significant contributions while gaining potential monetary rewards. Achieving the SDGs is not an act of charity. Rather, they could be a new opportunity for your business to take advantage of, while contributing to the greater well being of our world.

For example, if you are in the energy industry, one highly relevant goal would be goal 7: affordable and clean energy. As governments try to achieve this goal by looking into alternative sources of energy to the traditional systems that relied on fossil fuels, there is an opportunity for your business.

You can take advantage of the intend to make energy cleaner, by selling products or services in the renewable energy industry. Solar panels are already the cheapest source of energy in the world right now, with falling costs for other renewable sources like the wind as well. 

Similarly, a construction company can pull ahead of its competitors by taking action to meet goal 11: sustainable cities and communities. 

In any country or city that aims to make sustainable living possible, there is a significant opportunity for a construction firm to innovate. Using technologically advanced methods like 3D printing, for example, might lead to considerable savings in materials used, and thus reduce the environmental impact. 

These are just two examples, and there are 17 SDGs that are being acted upon by organisations and governments from all over the world.

And the goals are not industry-specific either. One such example is goal 12: responsible consumption and production. 

It applies to practically every business organisation there is. If you are a manufacturing business, responsible sourcing of raw materials and sustainable production facilities and methods are obvious upgrades. If you do not produce any physical products, you can still contribute to achieving this goal by being more responsible with your consumption. Using energy-efficient electronics and reducing paper use are easy ways to contributing towards this goal.

For goal 5: Gender equality, an organisation can review its workforce and employment practices. While gender equality has been an area that many have discussed over the past few years, the unfortunate reality is that it is far from being fully achieved in most business organisations in the world. 

And then there’s the all-important goal 13: climate action. Any business that has some kind of carbon footprint will have plenty of room for action towards achieving this goal.

Whether you are a manufacturer or a service provider, from any industry ranging from farming to energy to technology and software, the actions of your business are likely to have a far more significant impact on climate than any individual. 

The point is, there are benefits, monetary and otherwise, to contributing towards achieving the goals. These benefits can help your business gain a competitive advantage and pull ahead of your competition. 

And there’s the added benefit of you making the world a better place.

Using SDGs to drive sustainability communication

Sustainability in your business requires a bit more than just committing to the SDGs. There are other areas to be focused upon and steps to be taken. 

One important step that most businesses do not excel in when it comes to sustainability, is communication. 

Being able to communicate your sustainability performance is an important part of your efforts. And it requires a strong understanding of sustainability issues and how they are perceived. This is where the help from those who hold a stronger understanding of sustainability in business, including the use of SDGs, becomes most valuable.

We, at SUSTINARO, are committed to helping you achieve business sustainability. And we begin with how you communicate your sustainability to the stakeholders. 

Connect with us now, and take your first simple step towards becoming a sustainable business.