The Advocates for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have called on Fortune 500 companies to make commitments to responsible business and principles of sustainability, underpinned by human rights.
The commitments gathered will be announced during the UN General Assembly's (UNGA) high-level week in September 2016, according to the UN Global Compact.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon appointed the SDG Advocates in January 2016 to champion the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and foster the engagement of new stakeholders in implementing of the SDGs.
June 2016: The Advocates for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have called on Fortune 500 companies to make commitments to responsible business and principles of sustainability, underpinned by human rights. The commitments gathered will be announced during the UN General Assembly’s (UNGA) high-level week in September 2016, according to the UN Global Compact. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon appointed the SDG Advocates in January 2016 to champion the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and foster the engagement of new stakeholders in implementing of the SDGs.
The letter to the companies, which is signed by 11 of the 17 Advocates, outlines five steps for companies to align their business with the SDGs: assess the company’s impact against the 17 SDGs, and identify risks and opportunities across the value chain; hold a meeting of the board or executive management team to set goals and targets for the company that align with sustainable development; inform shareholders of these goals and progress made; engage employees in advancing the SDGs, and distribute responsibilities across the entire organization; and publicly show commitments by including SDG icons and branding in their products, communication materials and annual reports.
The Advocates emphasize that the SDGs provide a way to align “private action and public policies for common good.” The companies have “exceptional power” to help achieve the SDGs by 2030, they argue, although not by acting through business as usual. The Advocates also stress that by helping to achieve the SDGs, businesses and corporate leaders will help to build “mature new global markets and enter the next era of business.”
The SDG Advocates who signed the letter are: John Dramani Mahama, President of Ghana (co-chair); Erna Solberg, Prime Minister of Norway (co-chair); Richard Curtis, Writer, Director and Comic Relief co-founder; Paul Polman, Unilever CEO; Leymah Gbowee, Director, Gbowee Peace Foundation; Alaa Murabit, The Voice of Libyan Women; Graça Machel, President, Foundation of Community Development, and UNESCO National Commission in Mozambique; Jeffrey Sachs, Director, Earth Institute at Columbia University; Shakira Mebarak, Artist, Advocate and Founder of Pies Descalzos Foundation, UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador; Dho Young-Shim, Chairperson, UN World Tourism Organization’s (UNWTO) Sustainable Tourism for Eliminating Poverty Foundation; and Forest Whitaker, Founder and CEO, Whitaker Peace & Development Initiative.
The SDG Advocates also include: Jack Ma, Founder and Executive Chairman, Alibaba Group; Sheikha Moza bint Nasser of Qatar; Muhammad Yunus, Founder, Grameen Bank; Queen Mathilde of Belgium; Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden; and Leo Messi, footballer and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. [Letter to Fortune 500 Companies] [UN Global Compact Press Release] [SDG Advocates Webpage] [IISD RS Story on Appointment of SDG Advocates]