Sustainable development seeks to strike a balance between human well-being, economic growth and environmental protection. This involves providing quality education, gender equality, affordable energy sources and economic expansion which reduce poverty and inequality within countries.
But assumptions underlying sustainability goals could be wrong: New pandemics could surface and extinctions may continue.
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Since 2015 when the SDGs were adopted, progress has been made in areas like poverty reduction, improving education, increasing access to clean energy and gender equality – with some goals like world hunger rates increasing slightly since 2015. But some goals still remain out of reach – for instance according to the 2018 SDGs Report world hunger rates increased slightly last year.
The Sustainable Development Goals are 17 global goals with 169 targets and 232 indicators covering various cross-cutting issues like gender equality and culture. They were developed through an inclusive and participative process with governments, civil society organizations, private companies and other stakeholders collaborating. Their purpose is to provide an accountability framework and stimulate action taken toward their achievement.
These goals include ending all forms of poverty worldwide; providing good health and well-being for everyone worldwide; assuring quality education inclusive and equitable education for all ages; encouraging decent work and economic growth while tackling inequality within and between countries; providing sustainable water, sanitation and energy access for all while taking urgent action against climate change, while safeguarding oceans and marine resources for everyone;
Global Goals
The world’s 193 UN Member States adopted the 2030 Agenda in 2015, setting 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These are known as Sustainable Development Goals. Their purpose is to end all forms of poverty, combat hunger and malnutrition, improve health and well-being, ensure access to clean water and sanitation systems at an affordable price, promote industrial growth through innovation and foster industrial competitiveness, reduce inequality between nations while simultaneously building resilient infrastructure to make cities safe, secure and inclusive environments and take action on climate change.
To achieve their objectives, the SDGs require a holistic approach that balances economic, social and environmental sustainability. An international cooperative perspective rooted in an awareness of global interconnections is also vital; such an approach would bolster SDG 4 (Quality Education) which calls for universal access to quality education as well as SDG 6 (Clear Water and Sanitation), which calls on countries to ensure availability of safe drinking water sources.
Annual SDG Reports
Annual Sustainable Development Goal reports provide a powerful means of measuring progress toward these global objectives. They reveal areas where significant improvements may be necessary and reveal whether our planet is moving toward creating a more sustainable future for all.
Though progress has been made, it remains far slower than what is needed to meet 2030 targets. Many issues continue to impede efforts, including rising inequality and climate change.
One way for companies to make an impactful difference is for them to commit to reporting on all 17 goals and their 169 individual targets, showing they are serious about sustainability and giving stakeholders insight into its impacts. It is also recommended that they prioritize those goals most pertinent to their business that can have the greatest effect, creating meaningful experiences for all stakeholders while building credibility – this way all parties involved have more to gain from reporting transparency and credibility together. Furthermore, using a consistent framework for sustainability reporting increases transparency and credibility further.
Stakeholder Engagement
Stakeholder engagement involves providing all those involved in a project the opportunity to voice their opinions, as well as providing relevant information in formats most suited for their level of interest and influence.
Example: One stakeholder might prefer attending meetings while another prefers passive access through online channels. Security and privacy considerations must also play a part in selecting the most suitable interaction tool for each stakeholder group.
Create a stakeholder mapping and engagement plan early on in project planning to enable you to identify and prioritize stakeholders based on their influence, interests, and impact. Doing this early will allow for communication tailored specifically to their individual needs – this approach reduces resistance and distrust among key players; resistant stakeholders include those aware of a project but still resist change; supportive stakeholders include those aware of its objectives and outcomes positively.