SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Do you think about sustainable development when you craft your company’s strategic plan? Do you consider how sustainable development enhances your value and improves your supply chain? If you don’t, you should. If you do, well done!
Sustainable Development Goals Matter
As technology advances and our earth’s resources recede, quality products and excellent customer service aren’t enough to develop and grow your business. Business owners, entrepreneurs and investors need to commit to something larger than the depth and breadth of their physical and intellectual inventory if they want to keep existing customers and attract new ones. Consumers seek businesses that care about the communities in which they operate–locally, regionally, nationally, and globally. Ultimately, it is our obligation – the collective ‘our’ that includes all of us – to preserve and sustain humanity. One way to meet this seemingly daunting duty is to adopt the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
It has been four years since all UN Member States adopted the 17 SDGs, an urgent call to action by all countries both developed and developing. The goals address a host of challenges including poverty, inequality, climate, environmental degradation, prosperity, and peace and justice. Find the sustainable development goals that align with your business objectives, those of your clients, customers and employees, and then act.
While all 17 goals have our support, we have identified those that we can most directly impact. Accordingly, Team Impact promotes the following UN sustainable Development Goals:
Gender equality is not only a fundamental human right but a necessary foundation for a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable world.
These goals align with our values, vision, and mission, as well as those of our clients. SDG 3, 5, and 8 resonate most with our core industry verticals of healthcare, education, and housing.
Sustainable Development in Action at Impact
To be true to the letter and spirit of the SDGs, we started with intentional decision making:
- Working with clients who value SDGs and implement strategies to advance them, e.g., providing marketing and public relations counsel to RWJBarnabas Health to promote their Social Impact and Community Investment Practice that addresses the social determinants of health.
- Hiring and supporting women in the workforce.
- Designing Impact-led programs to eradicate community deprivation, e.g., the Great Football Sunday campaign tied to Super Bowl XLVIII, which used media spotlight, crowdfunding, and social media buzz to raise money to end homelessness in New York and New Jersey.
Sustainable development: A business practice that is economically viable, socially responsible and environmentally friendly. Companies that include socially responsible and environmentally sound policies as core elements in their growth strategy very often create sustainable economic values.
We believe in sustainable development and encourage you to incorporate it into the fabric of your firm. Make it a foundational requirement for growing and enhancing your bottom line. Remember, a rising tide lifts all boats.
Cheryl McCants
