In September 2015, all 193 Member States of the United Nations adopted a plan for achieving a better future for all - laying out a path over the next 15 years to end extreme poverty, fight inequality and injustice, and protect our planet. At the heart of “Agenda 2030” are the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The Goals result from an inclusive process with Governments involving business, civil society and citizens from the outset. Fulfilling the ambitions of the SDGs will take an unprecedented effort by all sectors in society - and business plays a very important role in the process.
No matter how large or small, and regardless of their industry, all companies can contribute to the SDGs. While the scale and scope of the global goals is unprecedented, the fundamental ways that business can contribute remain unchanged. The UN Global Compact asks companies to first do business responsibly and then pursue opportunities to solve societal challenges through business innovation and collaboration.
Global challenges - ranging from climate, water and food crises, to poverty, conflict and inequality - require solutions that the private sector can deliver, representing a large and growing market for business innovation. In the rush to transform business models and systems for the future, integrity and values have a huge role to play.
The UN Global Compact provides one route for business to wanting to advance the SDG agenda. Incorporating the Ten Principles of the UN Global Compact widely into strategies and operations and understanding that good practices or innovation in one area cannot make up for doing harm in another.
Useful resources:
The Ten Principles of the UN Global Compact
How your company can advance each of the SDGs
UKUPC SDG Tender and Call Off Questions
UKUPC Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) tender and call-off questions provides a set of questions that can be used at framework or call-off level to further investigate potential suppliers' commitments and plans to manage their organisations and supply chains in accordance with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. A sector wide commitment and input from LUPC, SUPC, NEUPC and NWUPC, this standard set of questions will allow suppliers to report on what they have achieved so far, what they are committing to do in the future and how this set of questions can help them to make positive changes to their organisations and demand better through their supply chains.
