In 2015, 193 member states of the United Nations adopted 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with the aim of ending poverty, fighting inequality and injustice, and tackling climate change by 2030.
The SDGs cover broad challenges such as economic inclusion, diminishing natural resources, geopolitical instability, environmental degradation and the impacts of climate change. Business, academia and nonprofit organizations globally played a part in their development.
Many companies also have been working to address environmental, social and economic issues. They recognize that they can address complex sustainability challenges only by scaling up their efforts and collaborating with peers, industry and sector bodies, customers, governments, non-profit organizations, and society in general.
The SDGs provide a visionary framework. Business is likely to play a major role in meeting them and will have a lot to gain in the process.