So according to the biggest and most rigourous study of its kind, “eighty-seven percent of chief executive officers (CEOs) say the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) represent an essential opportunity to rethink approaches to sustainability, and nearly half (49 percent) say businesses will be the most important actor in their delivery”. This is from a new study by the UN Global Compact and Accenture.
It’s always a study worth noting, given it’s not completely survey based like so many others (which are therefore not much use given the limitations of small sample quantitative methods) and employs some serious rigour in who is interviewed and how. The latest study goes on to say that:
“More than 70 percent of the UN Global Compact CEOs surveyed believe that the SDGs provide business with a framework to restructure sustainability efforts, and 78 percent already see opportunities to contribute to the global goals through their core business. Nearly all (95 percent) feel a personal responsibility to ensure their company has a core purpose and role in society, and 80 percent believe that demonstrating a commitment to societal purpose is a differentiator in their industry.”
So some good news in what’s been a difficult last week politically, with more details below in the infographic, which you can also find here.
Upcoming business sustainability meetings, all debate, no PPT!
Details at http://innovation-forum.co.uk or click direct on the links below:
- How business can tackle deforestation: Asia under the Lens – 27th-28th September – Singapore
- How business can tackle modern slavery and forced labor – October 17th – Washington DC-USA
- How business can engage smallholder farmers – 19th-20th October – Washington DC
- 3rd Human Rights and Business Forum – 24th-25th October – London
- Sustainable seafood supply chains – 15th-16th November – London
- Sustainable sugarcane – 1st-2nd December – London
Webinar series: Supplier and third party risks, 29th June 11.30 BST
Identifying and mitigating supplier and other third party risks is ever-more vital for extractive sector companies. This Innovation Forum webinar with Thomson Reuters will focus on third party risk assessment and how due diligence can be extended to cover supplier risks and social accountability issues. Register for free here.
I'm Tobias Webb, founder of Innovation Forum and Sustainable Wine. I write on this blog, with others, about areas of interest to me in supply chains, circular economy and sustainability in general. I hope you find it useful. I've worked in sustainability for about 20 years, and work with large companies, NGOs and governments all over the world. I often act as facilitator, at our conferences, and other meetings, either private or multi-stakeholder. I also work as a 'critical friend' advisor to companies on strategy and stakeholder engagement. I have a separate wine website on sustainability in wine at 
