New York, 25 September 2019 – Today 17 global companies representing over USD $500 billion in revenue and 900,000 employees announced a new coalition called the “Business Avengers” to highlight the crucial role businesses play in hitting the targets of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. The line-up of companies include: Arm, Avanti Communications, The Coca-Cola Company, Commvault, Diageo, Google.org, Mars Inc, Mastercard, Microsoft Corp., Nike, RB, SAP, Salesforce and Unilever.
Each company has elected to represent one Goal for the launch of the campaign, and will be communicating both internally and externally the importance of each of the SDGs, the opportunities that they represent, and the work that they are doing to help achieve them. This initiative is being coordinated by Project Everyone, a team of communications and campaign specialists that has embarked on a mission to ensure everyone on the planet knows what The Global Goals for Sustainable Development are, so that they stand the greatest chance of being achieved.
WBCSD is pleased to be an official supporter of this campaign and is dedicated to supporting its efforts to drive awareness, collaboration and action from the private sector towards achieving the Global Goals by 2030.
Richard Curtis, Co-Founder of Project Everyone said: “We’ve made some progress but nowhere near enough to deliver on the promises made by all nations in 2015. It is now mission critical to inspire and engage the world to set the path for a decade of delivery. That means campaigning for major global policy breakthroughs, sparking ever-greater local and regional activism, and creating cultural moments that break into the mainstream and re-energize action to fight poverty, inequality and the climate crisis. Above all it means joining forces, from young activists to global companies, and we hope that the launch of the “Business Avengers” shows this today, because together we can and must achieve the Goals.”
As we approach 2020, which will mark a third of the way through the SDGs and ten years to go, it is critical that the private sector takes steps to fulfil its potential to help realize this agenda. Business has a critical role to play in the delivery of SDGs as an engine of economic growth and employment, a driver of the technologies and innovations which will drive SDG progress, and as an essential source of finance.
Businesses that take an active role in leading this transformation and position the SDGs as a strategic lens at the core of their operations will ultimately be better placed to unlock market opportunities, manage emerging risks, and consolidate an enduring license to operate on the road to 2030.
For more information on WBCSD’s approach visit some of our resources highlighted below:
Our CEO Guide to the SDGs succinctly lays out the implications of the SDG agenda for the private sector while positioning clear actions that business leaders can take to begin to integrate this agenda into their organizations.
These guidelines provide a step-by-step process for a sector to explore, articulate and realize a common vision for how their industry can contribute to the SDGs. The Chemical Sector SDG Roadmap is the first practical application of this work and companies from the forestry and cement sectors also have sector roadmaps scheduled for launch in 2019.
This online portal captures and packages latest insight, key developments, useful tools and emerging best practice with a view to helping business to effectively navigate the dynamic SDG landscape.
Developed by WBCSD in collaboration with GRI and the UN Global Compact, the SDG Compass provides guidance for companies on how they can align their strategies as well as measure and manage their contribution to the SDGs.
In collaboration with multiple partners including Futerra and United Nations 10YFP, WBCSD contributed to the development of the Good Life Goals which highlight a series of simple actions that anyone can take towards realizing the SDGs.
Contact: James Gomme, Director, SDGs - gomme@wbcsd.org
