EIBC actively seeks to promote and realise sustainable business solutions amongst all its members. The council works with government and business leaders to ensure that sustainability is at the core of all discussions. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, agreed upon by 194 countries at the United Nations in 2015 is a plan of action for people, planet and prosperity. 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which follow and expand on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), together form the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The SDGs are a new, universal set of goals, targets and indicators which will guide government agendas and political policies over the next 12 years to achieve a better future for all. The SDGs are interconnected, indivisible and the Agenda strives to achieve its outcomes by building partnerships and ensuring we leave no one behind. It is as applicable to a northern country, as it is to the least developed economies.
In India, the NITI AAYOG is the body responsible for implementing the SDGs in the national context. The latest statement of work by India to the United Nations during the High Level Political Forum 2017 can be found here.
The 2030 Agenda demands new ways of thinking, working, organizing, communicating, reporting and leading. The role of Private Sector is critical in realizing the societal changes and movements envisioned in 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The targets of the SDGs cannot be achieved without meaningful participation of businesses or without strong partnering between governments, businesses and civil society.
Implementation of the SDGs in developing countries alone demand an investment of $3.9tn annually. Only $1.5tn of this is enabled through international developmental mechanisms. The $2.4tn gap can be covered by the private sector - not as charity or CSR but with the existence of a clear economic business case. A recent report by the Business & Sustainable Development Commission estimates that achieving the SDGs could open up $12 trillion of market opportunities in food and agriculture, cities, energy and materials, and health and well-being alone and create 380 million new jobs by 2030. Businesses can contribute to the goals by adapting practices and incorporating sustainability at the core of their strategies from production to consumption – sourcing, manufacturing to transportation, marketing and sales.
Businesses need to recongise the opportunity and responsibility beyond CSR.
EIBC along with its partners at TMA-Federation of Indian Industries organised the Sustainable Leadership Summit on 14 February 2018 in Thane - Mumbai, India.