Sustainable Enterprises

In 2015 the UN General Assembly adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Its 17 associated global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are intended to create societies that are more just and sustainable. The SDGs address the grave economic, social and environmental challenges confronting us and represent the best and most wide-ranging plan we have for people and planet. Sustainable Enterprises have a crucial role to play in achieving the SDGs. Article 67 explicitly calls on businesses to apply their creativity and innovation to solving sustainable development challenges, recognising that, “private business activity, investment, and innovation are major drivers of productivity, inclusive economic growth, and job creation.” It has been estimated that the SDGs present a US$12 trillion opportunity for the private sector, offering a compelling growth strategy. Paul Polman, the former CEO at Unilever – and long-standing champion of sustainable business – has called it “the greatest economic opportunity of a lifetime”.