25/09/2023
It’s 25 September 2023 and that marks 8 years since the world adopted the UN Sustainable Development Goals….
It was great to commemorate the day and join the global flag campaign in Chester at the offices of Sherrington Associates, winners of People-Centred category in the 2023 The Good Small Business Awards.
The SDGs, are inextricably tied to ‘good’ business practises.
Decisions in business are seldom without trade-offs. However, by examining all interactions between the business and its suppliers, customers, other socioeconomic players, and the environment, issues that might otherwise go unnoticed can be found. This allows for the anticipation and avoidance, or at the very least mitigation, of negative trade-offs across the company's value web.
E.g a pharmaceutical business might decide to concentrate on SDG 3 “Good Health and Well-Being” by producing drugs that enable individuals to lead fulfilling lives. If the medications are affordable to people who need them the most, then it could potentially significantly advance SDG 3. If the creation of the medications occurs in a region that is water-stressed and requires enormous amounts of fresh water, there's a chance that the business is compromising SDG 6 “Clean Water and Sanitation” - for the local residents in that area.
Adopting a holistic approach to take into
account every impact a company has on the SDGs, both positive and negative, along the organisation's value chain is CRUCIAL.
