13 February 2017: The UN Development Programme (UNDP), the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and IPIECA, the global oil and gas industry association for environmental and social issues, have called for public comments on a draft report, titled ‘Mapping the Oil and Gas Industry to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): An Atlas.’ The public consultation runs from 12 February-31 March 2017.

The draft Atlas maps how the industry can integrate the SDGs into their core business.

The Atlas maps the industry’s contributions to the SDGs with the aim of illustrating how the oil and gas industry can support SDG achievement, including through integrating the SDGs into their core business. The draft document highlights several positive impacts of the oil and gas industry’s operations on the SDGs, including by generating jobs, supplying access to energy that enables economic activity and society development, and enabling development of advanced technologies. The Atlas also recognizes sustainability challenges for the industry, such as its biodiversity and climate impacts, and associated impacts on local communities.

The Atlas encourages companies to identify opportunities to support countries’ progress towards the SDGs, and to engage in dialogues with stakeholders to develop a shared understanding of how the industry manages environmental and social challenges while maximizing economic benefits.

Also on oil and gas, the Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment (CCSI) and the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) are conducting a public consultation on a briefing note, titled ‘How Oil and Gas Companies Can Help Meet the Global Goals on Energy and Climate Change.’ [UNDP Consultation Webpage] [Publication: Mapping the Oil and Gas Industry to the SDGs: An Atlas] [SDG Knowledge Hub Story on CCSI-SDSN Briefing Note]