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:
Ensuring healthy lives and promoting the well-being for all at all ages is essential to sustainable development.
Gender equality is not only a fundamental human right but a necessary foundation for a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable world.
Sustainable economic growth will require societies to create conditions that allow people to have quality jobs.
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.
Houston and Harvey: Prayer and Promise As we watch the continuing devastation of hurricane Harvey on family members, friends, colleagues and strangers in the Houston area, it is the power of prayer and the promise of hope that keep us strong. I feel helpless sitting here in New Jersey, but am encouraged by the millions…
Storytelling Tips for Public Agencies While some public agencies work diligently to keep the masses informed of their activities and campaigns, oftentimes their efforts miss the engagement mark. Amid tons of data, legalese and other required messages, people frequently don’t understand what agencies are saying. In addition to distributing confusing messages, there are also those…
Keep it simple and try my Two for Two approach: Focus on adopting two new resolutions and releasing two practices or ideologies that no longer align with your values or serve your bottom line.
Spring cleaning isn’t just for kitchens and closets. It’s for offices and board rooms too. In general, spring is a time of revitalization and new beginnings.
