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Although we all want to have a positive impact on the world around us, it can be difficult to know exactly what we should do to help. Even when we do take action, how do we know that we've actually made a difference? Something that can be helpful is to examine your activities through the lens of an existing framework that outlines what we need to do to create a sustainable planet. Here's how the actions of your business can contribute to the UN's Sustainable Development Goals.

What are the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals?

Sustainable development can be defined as development that meets the needs of the present without sacrificing the needs of future generations. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a set of 17 global goals intended to act as a "blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all." The SDGs were established in 2015 by the UN, who aim to achieve each goal by 2030.

The SDGs are broad and encompass environmental, social, and economic dimensions. Each goal is broken down into a number of more specific targets as well as indicators to measure progress.

Achieving the SDGs will require significant changes across all rungs of society. While top-down action from governmental bodies is needed to ensure that environmental problems and social inequality are addressed through policy, bottom-up action from individuals, groups, and businesses is also essential - we should all do more to safeguard the world we live in. By taking simple steps to monitor, manage, and reduce your carbon footprint, your business can directly contribute to a noteworthy 9 of the 18 SDGs.

SDG 3: Good health and wellbeing

Choices that we make with the intention of helping the environment are often simultaneously beneficial to our health. While cycling or walking to work instead of driving reduces carbon emissions, it also allows you to get regular exercise, greatly decreasing your risk of developing health issues such as depression, hypertension, diabetes, and numerous cancers. 

Replacing fuel-powered vehicles with electric alternatives or active transport modes also improves air quality. 4.2 million deaths are attributed to ambient air pollution every year. By minimising the number of private fuel-powered vehicles on the road, your business can contribute to lowering this number.

Targets addressed:

• 3.4: By 2030, reduce by one third premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention and treatment and promote mental health and well-being.

• 3.9: By 2030, substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water and soil pollution and contamination.

SDG 7: Affordable and clean energy

Electricity usage is often responsible for a large proportion of a company's total emissions, particularly in the IT/tech sectors. Switching to a supplier of 100% renewable electricity is a relatively quick and easy way to drastically cut your company's carbon emissions. Improving your building's insulation and investing in greener heating technologies such as heat pumps are both great methods of cutting down on heat-related emissions. The more companies demand renewable energy technologies, the more motivation there will be to continue innovating and developing solutions to bring affordable clean energy to all.

Target addressed:

• 7.2: By 2030, increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix.

SDG 8: Decent work and economic growth

As we move towards a precarious future, it is vital that we safeguard and secure decent and stable working conditions for all people regardless of factors such as gender, race, or disability status. Ensure that diversity, inclusion, and equality are tenets of your company. As well as safeguarding the human rights of your workers, this has a host of benefits including faster problem-solving, higher innovation, and increased profits; all of which contribute to other facets of SDG 8.

Targets addressed:

• 8.5: By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, including for young people and persons with disabilities, and equal pay for work of equal value.

• 8.8: Protect labour rights and promote safe and secure working environments for all workers, including migrant workers, in particular women migrants, and those in precarious employment.

SDG 9: Industry, innovation and infrastructure

Innovation and imaginative thinking will play a major role in solving the environmental and challenges facing us. Examining your company's entire value chain and identifying environmentally harmful practices or excessive sources of carbon emissions will allow you to understand where change is needed and come up with creative solutions to retrofit your business for sustainability.

Target addressed:

• 9.4: By 2030, upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable, with increased resource-use efficiency and greater adoption of clean and environmentally sound technologies and industrial processes, with all countries taking action in accordance with their respective capabilities.

SDG 11: Sustainable cities and communities

As populations continue to increase, ensuring that our urban areas are safe, resilient, green and sustainable places to live is becoming more important than ever. As mentioned previously, prioritising public transport and active travel over private vehicles in your company is critical. Waste management is another key dimension; reduce your company's waste as much as possible and ensure that whatever remains is disposed of responsibly. 

Target addressed:

• 11.6: By 2030, reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special attention to air quality and municipal and other waste management.

SDG 12: Responsible consumption and production

Businesses have a major role to play in SDG 12. Replacing our current linear economic model with a more circular approach is crucial to addressing our overconsumption of resources and excessive production of waste. Take responsibility for your company's consumption and production by maximising the efficiency of your resource use, minimising your waste production at all stages of your products' lifespans, and only procuring from companies that have similar attitudes.

Targets addressed:

• 12.2: By 2030, achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources.

• 12.5: By 2030, substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse.

• 12.6: Encourage companies, especially large and transnational companies, to adopt sustainable practices and to integrate sustainability information into their reporting cycle.

• 12.7: Promote public procurement practices that are sustainable, in accordance with national policies and priorities.

SDGs 13, 14 & 15: Climate action; Life below water; Life on land

While distinct, these three SDGs are heavily interrelated in terms of how companies can contribute to achieving them. By measuring your company's carbon emissions and reducing them as much as possible, you can minimise your company's contribution to climate change. Offsetting any remaining emissions using reputable schemes can lower this contribution to zero - many of these schemes involve protecting or enhancing biodiversity, advancing SDG 15. Lower carbon emissions also means less ocean acidification, safeguarding aquatic life and promoting SDG 14. Finally, less pollution and waste will protect life both in water (SDG 14) and on land (SDG 15).

Targets addressed:

• 13.3: Improve education, awareness-raising and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warning.

• 14.1: By 2025, prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution of all kinds, in particular from land-based activities, including marine debris and nutrient pollution.

• 14.3: Minimize and address the impacts of ocean acidification, including through enhanced scientific cooperation at all levels.

• 15.1: Ensure the conservation, restoration and sustainable use of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems and their services, in particular forests, wetlands, mountains and drylands, in line with obligations under international agreements

• 15.5: Take urgent and significant action to reduce the degradation of natural habitats, halt the loss of biodiversity and, by 2020, protect and prevent the extinction of threatened species.

Learn more about the UN’s sustainability goals with COP26 and Techies Go Green

COP26 (the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties) is a summit centered around climate change and the efforts of UN member states to address it.

To promote COP26, Techies Go Green are aiming to reach the goal of 2,600 pieces of e-waste pledged by signatories for reuse or recycling by the start of the summit on October 31st. We are asking our signatories to pledge that once their electronic items reach the end of their life, they will be sent for reuse or recycling either through one of Techies Go Green's partners

Techies Go Green

If you want to learn more about sustainability and what your company can do to become more sustainable, consider joining Techies Go Green. Techies Go Green is a movement dedicated to decarbonising IT and tech-oriented companies through collaborating and sharing knowledge. Membership is open to both companies and individuals within the UK and Ireland. We would love to have you join and to help you in your journey towards sustainability and decarbonisation.