UN Global Compact Network UK releases SDG Showcase report

March 26th, 2024

The UN Global Compact Network UK has launched the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Showcase report in order to assist businesses in increasing their sustainability efforts.

The report is designed to demonstrate the wide range of possibilities for businesses to "turn their sustainability ambition into action” and secure business benefits by positively contributing to the SDGs.

The UN’s SDGs were launched in 2015 alongside Agenda 2030, the UN’s plan to achieve the goals, including ending poverty and holding the increase in global average temperature below 2 °C or 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels, by 2030.

The report aims to respond to increased pressure from investors, regulators, employees, and customers on businesses to set and achieve these corporate goals.

It outlined how businesses can tackle complex sustainability challenges, build business resilience, maintain short-term profits, and enable long-term growth.

It also illustrated how businesses can map their impacts and assess the materiality of each SDG to their value chain.

The UN Global Compact Network UK said: “There are significant benefits for businesses incorporating the SDGs into their operations. New business opportunities through market differentiation, expansion, and growth, increased attractivity for employees, customers, and investors, better employee retention, supply chain resilience, and reduced costs through resource and operational efficiency are some of the positive effects SDG-aligned companies can expect.”

It also highlighted that UN’s Sustainable Development Report 2023 found that the world is not currently on track to achieve the SDGs by 2030. It said: “We are at a critical moment, and the world must change course to put sustainable development back on track.”