CEOs say business contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is not on track, according to the world’s largest study on corporate sustainability from the United Nations Global Compact and Accenture (NYSE: ACN). Launched today at the United Nations in New York, the UN Global Compact-Accenture Strategy 2019 CEO study — ‘The Decade to Deliver: A Call to Business Action’ — finds that just 21% of Chief Executives believe business is playing a critical role in contr

Canberra-based sustainability expert, Caterina Sullivan, has been appointed as one of 45 Global People’s Fellows for the upcoming Global People’s Summit in September this year. The Global People’s Summit is a 100% online summit that democratises access to the conversations that shape the world during the United Nations General Assembly. Ms Sullivan, who has been working on the achievement of the United Nations’ 17 Global Goals for Sustainable Development for the past three ye

In September 2015, 193 United Nations member states committed to 17 Global Goals for Sustainable Development (also known as the Sustainable Development Goals or the SDGs). These goals have the overall aim of ending poverty, fighting inequality and fixing climate change by 2030. At the adoption of these goals, it was made known that one of the key players in their achievement was business. Previously, we have discuss the Global Goals and what your organisation can do to ensure

Canberra-based Strategic Sustainability Consultants has put forward a submission to the Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade’s Inquiry into Australia’s involvement in the United Nations’ Global Goals for Sustainable Development. The Global Goals were agreed upon by all 193 United Nations member states at the 70th United Nations General Assembly in September 2015. The Hon Julie Bishop MP was present to voice Australia’s commitment to the 17 goals and

This is our final week of our series on the benefits of the Global Goals in understanding how your business can commit to sustainability. Today, we look at Goal 17: Partnerships for the Goals. Goal 17: Partnerships for the Goals aims to ensure all levels of society are working together to achieve economic, social and environmental sustainability across the globe. Goal 17 includes 19 individual targets, which are separated into five main headings: finance, technology, capacity

This is our final week of our series on the benefits of the Global Goals in understanding how your business can commit to sustainability. Today, we look at Goal 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions. Goal 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions aims to ensure we live in peaceful societies with access to justice as well as ensuring the building of effective, accountable and inclusive institutions. The three targets which apply most to businesses include targets 16.5, 1

Over the coming weeks, we are celebrating the benefits of the Global Goals in understanding how your business can commit to sustainability. Today, we look at Goal 15: Life On Land. Goal 15: Life On Land aims to protect and restore our ecosystems with a specific focus on managing forests, combatting desertification, halt land degradation and halting biodiversity loss. A significant number of targets outline in Goal 15 have a deadline of 2020, which is a mere two years away. Wh

Over the coming weeks, we are celebrating the benefits of the Global Goals in understanding how your business can commit to sustainability. Today, we look at Goal 14: Life Below Water. Goal 14: Life Below Water aims to ensure the conservation and the sustainable use of our oceans, seas and marine resources. The impact businesses can have on Goal 14 is very much linked to Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production. By reducing the amount of waste generated and using non-t

Over the coming weeks, we are celebrating the benefits of the Global Goals in understanding how your business can commit to sustainability. Today, we look at Goal 13: Climate Action. Goal 13: Climate Action aims to combat climate change and mitigate its effects. Goal 13 only includes 5 targets, a majority of which are only applicable to government. However, Target 13.3 looks at improving education, awareness-raising and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitig

Over the coming weeks, we are celebrating the benefits of the Global Goals in understanding how your business can commit to sustainability. Today, we look at Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production. Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production aims to ensure patterns of consumption and production which do not do damage to the economy, our society or our environment. Steps taken towards the achievement of Goal 12 in business will heavily differ from industry to indu

Over the coming weeks, we are celebrating the benefits of the Global Goals in understanding how your business can commit to sustainability. Today, we look at Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities. Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities aims to ensure all cities and places of human settlement are inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable. The achievement of Goal 11 in your business requires a detailed understanding of your business' role in the local community. An

Over the coming weeks, we are celebrating the benefits of the Global Goals in understanding how your business can commit to sustainability. Today, we look at Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities. Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities aims to reduce inequalities between people within a nation and between people globally. Goal 10 plays a particularly important role in the governance of a business working towards sustainability. More specifically, Target 10.2 states that we should, by 2030, em

Over the coming weeks, we are celebrating the benefits of the Global Goals in understanding how your business can commit to sustainability. Today, we look at Goal 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure. Goal 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure aims to ensure buildings are resilient, industrialisation is inclusive and sustainable and innovation is continuing to thrive. While Goal 9 is largely focused on the construction and manufacturing industries, there are still

Over the coming weeks, we are celebrating the benefits of the Global Goals in understanding how your business can commit to sustainability. Today, we look at Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth. Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth aims to ensure inclusive and sustainable economic growth by providing productive employment in fair working conditions for all. Goal 8 is incredibly relevant to businesses. Firstly, a business must look internally to ensure its own economic

Over the coming weeks, we are celebrating the benefits of the Global Goals in understanding how your business can commit to sustainability. Today, we look at Goal 7: Affordable and Clean Energy. Goal 7: Affordable and Clean Energy aims to ensure everyone around the world has access to reliable energy at an affordable price without causing damage to the health of our planet and the people who live on it. The achievement of this goal is really quite simple: switch to clean ener

Over the coming weeks, we are celebrating the benefits of the Global Goals in understanding how your business can commit to sustainability. Today, we look at Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation. Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation aims to ensure equitable access to clean and sufficient water and adequate sanitation for all. In urban areas of developed countries, such as Australia, Goal 6 is more about sustainable management of water consumption than clean water. Here are a few

Over the coming weeks, we are celebrating the benefits of the Global Goals in understanding how your business can commit to sustainability. Today, we look at Goal 5: Gender Equality. Goal 5: Gender Equality aims to ensure all women and girls around the world live lives free of discrimination, violence and persecution and have equal access to resources in order to live healthy, happy and prosperous lives. One of the first steps to achieving Goal 5: Gender Equality is to develo

Over the coming weeks, we are celebrating the benefits of the Global Goals in understanding how your business can commit to sustainability. Today, we look at Goal 4: Quality Education. Goal 4: Quality Education aims to ensure equitable and quality education for all by providing life-long opportunities for the entire population. The key factor in this goal is "life-long learning". Learning is not something done during just our school years. Our work should challenge us and hel

Over the coming weeks, we are celebrating the benefits of the Global Goals in understanding how your business can commit to sustainability. Today, we look at Goal 3: Good Health and Well-Being. Goal 3: Good Health and Well-Being aims to ensure the entire global population is living in good physical and mental health with access to necessary and relevant resources and services. On Monday, we looked at creating a healthy eating policy as the first step to achieving Goal 2: Zero

Over the coming weeks, we are celebrating the benefits of the Global Goals in understanding how your business can commit to sustainability. Today, we look at Goal 2: Zero Hunger. Goal 2: Zero Hunger aims to end hunger and malnutrition as well as double agricultural production of small-scale farmers and ensure sustainable agricultural practices by 2030. There are number of ways in which your organisation can engage in practices to improve nutrition, and the first place to star