SDGs: How to Translate Words into Action?
As we all know, a few weeks ago the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were adopted by UN member states. The question asked by many companies is: “What are the linkages between business and the SDGs?”
Clearly, the SDGs cannot succeed without support from business to design and scale up sustainable solutions. In turn, the SDGs provide opportunities for companies that can develop those solutions, such as growing markets and staying ahead of policy requirements.
Here at the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) we are strongly engaged around translating the SDGs’ ambitions and words into business action underpinned by solutions – applying business creativity and innovation to solve sustainable development challenges.
Why? For starters, a recently published survey by PwC shows that even though 92% of businesses are aware of the SDGs, only 13% have identified the tools they need to take action. In addition, three quarters of companies indicate they are planning to take action, whereas only one third are setting goals aligned with the SDGs that are relevant to their business.
SDG Compass: The guide for business action
This is where the SDG Compass, the guide for business action on SDGs, can help. Developed by the WBCSD in partnership with the UN Global Compact and GRI (Global Reporting Initiative), the SDG Compass explains how the SDGs affect businesses – offering the tools and knowledge to put sustainability at the heart of their strategy.
Concretely, what does the SDG Compass do?
The SDG Compass guide is supported by a number of online resources, including live inventories of existing business indictors and tools mapped against the SDGs. All the information can be accessed at www.sdgcompass.org and if you have any questions or comments, please feel free to drop me a note at [email protected].
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Thanks Mark. The SDG Compass is a really practical tool for all businesses of whatever size to map their activities on to the somewhat complex landscape of the SDGs and come away with specific actions which will not only do development good but which will also be good for their business.
In my view, every responsible enterprise should undertake this mapping as soon as possible and the WBCSD’s tools provide an accessible and straightforward “on ramp” for getting that process started.
Thanks firstly to Mark for this post and secondly I agree with Graham. From the following link I believe that business can partner effectively within Africa in point two.
https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/topics