SDGs Within Your Company

Where is your company now?
It is good to reflect on the current situation within your company. How far have you come with sustainability? Where are the opportunities for improvement? Also view our tips & tricks.

Which SDG(s) do you want to focus your business operations on?
You probably won't be able to contribute to all 17 development goals at the same time. That's why it's smart to make a selection and think about the development goals you have in mind for your company. The SDGs are briefly explained below:

1. Eradicating poverty: for example by providing equal rights and resources to the weak or poor such as land rights, technologies and financial services.

2. No hunger anywhere: ensuring food security and sustainable agriculture. Think about supporting small-scale food producers such as indigenous peoples, family farmers and fishermen or implementing agricultural techniques with increased productivity, which contribute to the maintenance of ecosystems.

3. Good health and well-being: such as reducing maternal mortality, under-five mortality, traffic accidents, substance abuse, diseases caused by hazardous chemicals, air or water pollution, epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and neglected tropical diseases. Promote affordable health care for all, access to sex education and the development of vaccinations and medication for diseases affecting developing countries.

4. Quality or education: inclusive, equal and free primary and secondary education and accessible and high-quality tertiary education for all, including universities. For example, strive for less gender inequality in education or provide vocational training for vulnerable and disabled people.

5. Gender equality: think of empowering women and girls, reducing (sexual) violence, eliminating forced marriages and genital mutilation and providing equal economic and legal rights.

6. Clean water and sanitation: such as supporting universal and equitable access to safe drinking water, providing access to clean sanitation , reducing water pollution and protecting water-related ecosystems such as rivers, mountains, lakes and forests.

7. Affordable and sustainable energy: that is reliable, accessible and generated efficiently.

8. Decent work and economic growth: improve employment, diversity, inclusion, safety, technological innovation and resource efficiency.

9. Sustainable industry, innovation and infrastructure: for example, by supporting research that contributes to industrial innovation and by giving small-scale industries in developing countries greater access to finance, information, communication technologies and value chains.

10. Reducing inequality: such as ensuring gradual income growth for the bottom 40% of the population, promoting social, economic and political inclusion for all and facilitating responsible, regular and safe migration.

11. Sustainable cities and communities: promoting adequate, affordable and safe housing and transportation, protecting cultural and natural heritage, making green and public spaces accessible and reducing the negative impact of cities on the environment.

12. Sustainable consumption and production: efficient use of raw materials, recycling, creating awareness of sustainable development, reducing food waste and waste in air, water and soil.

13. Tackling climate change: consider combating climate-related threats, improving education around climate change and encouraging effective climate-related management in developing countries.

14. Protecting life below water: for example, preventing and reducing all types of marine pollution, taking action to restore and protect oceans, and combating overfishing.

15. Protecting life on land: such as ensuring the restoration and sustainable use of freshwater ecosystems, forests, soils, mountains and taking action against biodiversity loss and species extinction.

16. Promote safety, public services and justice for all: reduce all forms of violence, promote access to justice, develop effective and transparent institutions, ensure inclusive and participatory decision-making and combat all forms of discrimination.

17. Strengthening the global partnership to achieve goals: such as supporting resources, providing financial resources and encouraging exports in developing countries.

Make a short, medium and long term plan

Each SDG is divided into a number of sub-goals. Make a strategic plan of the contribution that you want and can make with your company and set several intermediate goals for this. What are you going to change specifically and when? What resources can you make available for this? Who are you going to collaborate with?

Communicate your set and achieved goals

To track the progress of your goals, you can work with Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). These are the measurable components that together can demonstrate to what extent a set goal has been achieved. For example, think of the financial resources that have been used for a goal, the number of people that have been helped, percentages of a goal achieved between different groups, etc. (At The Good Roll we talk about the number of toilets built, lives improved and trees saved, among other things). Then let it be known that your company contributes to the SDGs on the website, social media, in promotional material or annual reports and communicate the developments with KPIs. Don't forget to register with SDG Nederland !

Stay informed and register here .