New research reveals companies not yet clear on opportunities from global goals

New research reveals that companies are not yet clear on what role they can play in delivering the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Corporate Citizenship, a global management consultancy specialising in sustainability, has published a new study.

It shows:

– Nearly a quarter of practitioners working in business say that whilst they were aware of the global goals, they have no current plans to do anything about them.

– A further 4 in 10 are currently exploring the implications – but not yet taking any action.

– Just one in five say their company is currently involved in a collaboration on the SDGs.

– 16% say their business is not currently aware of them.

The survey was undertaken in August 2015 and received over 200 responses from organisations around the world. Based on the survey findings, Corporate Citizenship’s new report “From ‘My World’ To ‘Our World’ – What the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) mean for Business”  outlines the five things that businesses can do to realise the opportunity from the global goals:

1) Assess the SDGs against company policies and practices

2) Use the SDGs to inform strategy development

3) Review the SDGs as part of target setting

4) Apply the SDGs to impact monitoring and measurement

5) Consider the SDGs as part of reporting, such as an SDG index

Commenting on the research, Mike Tuffrey, cofounder of Corporate Citizenship, said: “The global goals are the new, de facto standard for businesses to design, measure and account for their contribution to sustainable development.  Whilst many companies have heard of the SDGs, few have really grasped the implications. That needs to change as there is a major business opportunity in the shift from thinking about ‘my world’ as a company to ‘our world’ as a planet”.

Amanda Jordan OBE, cofounder of Corporate Citizenship, said: “The global goals herald a new era of partnerships; the challenges to be addressed are too complex for any one sector to solve on its own. But these partnerships cannot just be about writing cheques. If business is to help to bring about meaningful change, some of its most powerful assets are to be found in its capacity to innovate, its people and its supply chain”.