ACCELERATING
SUSTAINABLE GROWTH

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are also known as the Global Goals. These were adopted by the United Nations, in 2015. A universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, & ensure that by 2030 all people enjoy peace and prosperity.

Sustainable Development goals are The 17 SDGs are integrated - They recognize that action in one area will affect outcomes in others and that development must balance social, economic, and environmental sustainability.

The 17 SDGs are:

1. No Poverty,
2. Zero Hunger,
3. Good Health and Well-being,
4. Quality Education,
5. Gender Equality,
6. Clean Water and Sanitation,
7. Affordable and Clean Energy,
8. Decent Work and Economic Growth,
9. Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure,
10. Reducing Inequality,
11. Sustainable Cities and Communities,
12. Responsible Consumption and Production,
13. Climate Action,
14. Life Below Water,
15. Life On Land,
16. Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions,
17. Partnerships for the Goals.

All countries have committed to prioritizing progress for all those who're the furthest & behind. The SDGs are designed to help with and end poverty, remove hunger, control AIDS, set the right ideals to end discrimination against women & girls.

Though all the goals are broad & interdependent, two years later, on 6 July 2017; the SDGs were made more “workable” & "actionable" by a UN Resolution which was adopted by the General Assembly. The resolution identifies specific targets for each goal to be achieved, along with indicators that will be used to measure progress towards each target. While the rest of the target years lie between 2020-2030; for others, the end date is not yet provided.

The thought, the creativity, the know-how, the technology & the financial resources from all of society is necessary to achieve the SDGs in every context. Only with everyone’s support, we can begin to think of a better tomorrow. Deeply analyzed progress charts & presentations for all the SDGs are published in the form of reports by the United Nations Secretary-General on their official channels. The most recent one is from April 2020.

Along with that, there is also a widespread consensus is that: The progress on all of the SDGs will be stalled if Women's Empowerment & Gender Equality are not prioritized, & treated holistically with all intentions to take them forward. The SDGs are a sign to policymakers as well as private sector executives and board members to work towards gender equality and women empowerment harder as the rest of the other SGDs have deadlines and we will probably miss them if these two prioritized ones don’t get momentum & begin to see some change.

Implementation of the SDGs started worldwide in 2016. This process can also be called "Localizing the SDGs" for the people and territories. For eg; Individual people, universities, governments, institutions & organizations of all kinds work are working separately but one or more goals at the same time which aligns the collective growth in the same direction.

SDGs provide us the framework through which we can move ahead into a more peaceful, prosperous, equal for all, green future. And each country has a role to play in achieving them.

Humans don’t realize the importance of saving the environment unless the effects of their doings dawn upon them to destroy their existence; It's not all their fault because the average human life is 79 years (give or take) & earth is so vastly big that the effects of what humans do, don’t reflect until the generation which actively got involved to do it, gets wiped off the face of the earth in a natural biological life course. The next generation then again takes time to get acquainted with the fact that there are ill effects of what is being done.

Talking about the health of our mother earth; here are 5 shocking facts to put things into perspective:

1. Witnessing irreversible effects by 2030

If global warming goes above the recommended limit; more than 70% of Earth's coastlines will have their sea-level rise greater than 0.66 feet (0.2 meters), resulting in excessive coastal flooding, beach-sand erosion, salinization of water supplies & other impacts on humans & ecological systems which will be very harmful to the human life on earth. (Source: https://climate.nasa.gov/)

According to the findings of the survey conducted by the UN Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), critically urgent action is needed to avoid the catastrophic effects of global warming over the world. Without the change in our actions towards our environment, we would see an increase in widespread flooding, extreme heat, drought & poverty.

2. Greenhouse gas levels are ever-peaking

Due to the rise in earth’s temperature, greenhouses gases accumulation is affecting nature’s natural processes more than ever. Fossil fuels combustion, Carbon-mono oxide emissions, & the environmental impact because of intensive farming has filled the atmosphere with CO2.

Scientists say that this is the fastest & the largest increase in CO2 emissions; the world has ever seen.

3. Species headed straight towards early extinction

One of the environmental deterioration signs is the extinction of various species from earth, be it animals, birds, reptiles etc. Most of other species' existence are endangered too

The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, which involved more than 1000 experts, says that about 24 species a day get wiped out from the earth which comes to about 8700s species, per year (Source: e360.yale.edu).

4. Climate change is creating a refugee crisis

As global temperature sees a rise, millions of people living in areas that are very much prone to sudden collapse due to any natural adversity are fleeing their homes to avoid the impacts of potential droughts and foreseeable extreme storms. These numbers are only set to rise in the coming future. The International Organisation on Migration gauges that up to 200 million people would be displaced by the effects of climatic changes by 2050.

(Source: https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2021/09/13/climate-change-could-force-216-million-people-to-migrate-within-their-own-countries-by-2050)

5. Our oceans are dying

Our planet is only as healthy as its oceans. The UN has warned that marine life faces irrecoverable damage from the millions of tonnes of plastic waste that ends up in the oceans, every year. More than half of the world’s coral reefs have died in the last 30 years, and 2/3 of the Great Barrier Reef has been damaged by coral bleaching; due to sea temperature going too high up.

(Source: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/scientists-work-to-save-coral-reefs-climate-change-marine-parks)

The earth itself indeed acts like a living organism; it restores what is being destroyed. But we are causing more damage than the earth can repair. The natural flooding, timely earthquakes, the occasional droughts don’t affect the earth one bit but it destroys human, animal and plant life as we know it.

The Earth will stay alive and kicking much longer after the last traces of the human race could be found on its land. So, it is our decision to challenge the natural course of action or to get aligned with it.

It's high time we take control and make positive changes otherwise doomsday is just around the corner waiting for us

The rise of conscious consumerism paired which the shocking effects of the pandemic have made global leaders realize that ignoring the climate threat is no longer an option. With growing climate concerns, consumers are increasingly preferring the brands that are adopting the Environmental, Social and Governance measures.

ESG has also shifted the way investors, policymakers and shareholders analyse a company’s chances of surviving in the long term and safeguarding it from an unforeseen future.

What is ESG

ESG is the disclosure of data that tracks a company’s strategies and actions towards three-factor: Environmental, Social and Governance.

Environmental in ESG measure

As the name suggests, environmental (E) assesses the impact of a company’s operations on the environment, activities to reduce carbon emission and its strategies to manage environmental risk. Some examples of environmental factors are natural resource management, carbon emission reduction, and conscious sourcing of raw materials.

Social in ESG measure

Social criteria examine how a company builds its relations with employees, shareholders, investors, customers and dealers. Customer relations, employee health & safety, etc, are included in this social factor.

Governance in ESG measure

Building trust with customers, investors and shareholders is a company’s ultimate goal. The governance factor ensures transparency through audits, internal controls, equal pay, shareholder’s rights etc.

Here’s why ESG is important for businesses

1. Attracts long term investors

Investors who keep ESG points into consideration are not just concerned by the profits of the next quarter but by a company’s long term vision and contribution to the planet. These investors tend to stay to build a company’s value in long term.

As the popularity of ESG is growing, investors are searching for companies with a vision that aligns with the betterment of the planet. Research from Gartner.com states that almost 85% of investors in the US considered ESG factors before investing in 2020.

2. Clear communication with stakeholders

Through ESG, companies can develop channels to communicate efficiently with stakeholders. Activities like company audits, corruption checks and upholding transparency maintain stakeholders’ trust and build stronger relations.

3. Attract best talent

Employees are one of the most important factors that lead to a business’s success and stability. The new-age employees, also known as the millennials, are environmentally conscious and will refuse to work with companies without a strong CSR policy, as per Forbes.

Therefore, companies with a strong ESG base will attract employees who are compassionate and are not only associated with the company for profits but to build a better world.

4. Gives a competitive edge

Companies adapting to the changing socio-economic policies are likely to stay in the competition for longer. For example, companies like Starbucks and Nestle have pledged to be carbon neutral. In addition, these companies have made their packaging more environmentally friendly and are increasingly spending more on CSR activities.

With the after-effects of the pandemic, air & water pollution and the rising threat of global warming, consumers are more mindful of their actions and choose to be associated with the companies that are in line with their values and are choosing the planet over profits.