Welcome to The Supply Chain Dialogues, season three, episode 3. I am Daniel Helmig

PAUSE

I recently talked with a company's management board about GHG emission reduction. I mentioned the UN's Global Goals in this context. When I saw the looks on the faces of the leadership team, I asked whether they knew about the UN Global Goals. Half of them shook their heads. Then I asked whether they knew about the Brundtland Report called “Our Common Future” or Elkington's “Triple bottom line” approach. Most of the people had no clue. And why should they? 

You are so engaged in ensuring that your organisation stays on top and that your job provides value-added that, in addition to all the things you take care of in your private life, you leave this stuff to academics or the sustainability officers in your company.

But how deep is our commitment to work on net zero or other areas like gender equality, clean water, and many other topics we find meaningful if our conviction or drive is based on the one or other article we read or documentation we saw on the TV? Do we understand the lay of the land, and are we sure we focus on the right goals?

Stephan Covey, the author of 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, tells a story about understanding the lay of the Land.

“A group of people was clearing a path through the jungle. The workers were hacking away through the undergrowth, and the managers were making schedules and encouraging the machete wielders to do their task well.

Eventually the leader climbs on top of the highest tree, looks around and and hollers down: Guys, wrong jungle.

But the managers shout back: Shut up, we’re making progress.

This story can mean a lot of different things, but for me, there are two aspects to this podcast:

First, if you want to be a leader, you need to understand the lay of the land.

Second, you can work your behind off, and it might lead to nothing if you do not periodically figure out whether you are in the right forest.

In our setting, Understand what you and your industry should work on for a sustainable future rather than following the trends like lemmings. For all you know, you might already be in the wrong jungle…

So, in this episode, we briefly cover the lay of the land of sustainability (where it came from in the recent past). Then we drill deeper in the most comprehensive, globally most countries approved categorisation of sustainable living, the UN Global Goals or Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs), signed in the UN in 2015, in the same year the Paris Agreement on Climate Change was ratified. More on this later.

So, we could start even earlier by returning to the standards that sustainability is rooted in, which are ethics, or more precisely, business ethics, but this would be a separate episode in itself. Rest assured, when we talk today about sustainability (and we cover the original definition in a bit), we do this on the foundation of Socrates, Plato, and many other philosophers, who early on in ancient Greece already thought of how we, as human beings, have to treat ourselves, and our environment. 

But, as I said, no lecture on business ethics today. 

Let’s just look at the definition of sustainability, a typical format of applying sustainability in a corporate context and what Michael Porter, whom many of you will know from “Porters 5 Forces” had to say about this from a competitive angle:

1. Definition: “Sustainability refers to meeting present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs “ (WCED, 1987).

1. The sentence is a widely recognised definition of sustainability. It originates from the report "Our Common Future," known as the Brundtland Report, published in 1987 by the World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED). The commission, led by former Norwegian Prime Minister Gro Harlem Brundtland, was put in place by the United Nations in 1983 to address growing concerns about the accelerating deterioration of the human environment and natural resources and the consequences of that deterioration for economic and social development.

1. It took them nearly 15 years, after the Rome Report in 1972 already established the following and I quote: “The earth's interlocking resources – the global system of nature in which we all live – probably cannot support present rates of economic and population growth much beyond the year 2100, if that long, even with advanced technology.”

2. So the UN report, highlights the concept of "intergenerational equity", which has since been integral to discussions on sustainable development, influencing environmental policies, corporate social responsibility initiatives, and international agreements to promote responsible and long-term resource management.

2. Next we have the concept of the Triple Bottom Line (TBL) Approach, which we discussed in this podcast in many episodes. It is a model, and as we know, all models are wrong, but some are helpful. TBL emphasises three pillars of sustainability - economic, environmental, and social - focusing on people, planet, and profits. The Model was created by John Elkington CF (born 23 June 1949) who is an author, advisor and serial entrepreneur. He is an authority on corporate responsibility and sustainable development.[1][2] He has written and co-authored 20 books, including the Green Consumer Guide, Cannibals with Forks: The Triple Bottom Line of 21st Century Business, The Power of Unreasonable People: How Social Entrepreneurs Create Markets That Change the World, and The Breakthrough Challenge: 10 Ways to Connect Tomorrow's Profits with Tomorrow's Bottom Line.

1. John Elkington introduced the "Triple Bottom Line" (TBL) approach in 1994. This concept was developed to expand the focus of corporate accounting beyond the traditional financial bottom line to include social and environmental considerations. TBL is intended to encourage companies to measure and manage their ecological and social performance with the same rigour as their financial performance.

2. Under the TBL framework, businesses evaluate their performance based on three components:

1. Profit: The economic value created by the organisation after deducting the cost of all inputs, including the cost of capital.

2. People: The company's social responsibilities include the welfare of its employees, the community, and the region it affects, ensuring fair and beneficial business practices toward labour and the community.

3. Planet: The environmental impacts caused by the company's practices, focusing on sustainable environmental practices to minimise adverse effects on the ecosystem.

4. Elkington, however, later expressed concerns about implementing the TBL framework in subsequent years. In 2018, he called for a "recall" of the idea in a Harvard Business Review article. Elkington expressed that while the TBL term had gained widespread acceptance, its implementation often fell short of its potential to drive transformational change. He noted that many businesses superficially adopted the TBL framework, using it more as a reporting or public relations tool than as a basis for genuine sustainability-driven strategy and operational changes. You know what this looks like, don’t you…

3. Ok, now let’s look at a business case for sustainability, and we use no other than the famous Michael Porter. Porter wrote a seminal article with Mark Kramer in 2011, showing that Sustainable practices can lead to cost savings, improved brand reputation, and long-term resilience in environmental and social challenges (Porter & Kramer, 2011).

1. They called the article “Creating Shared Value,”. In this work, they argue that businesses can generate economic value by identifying and addressing social problems that intersect with their company. Creating shared value (CSV) goes beyond traditional corporate social responsibility (CSR) by integrating social good into the core business strategies, thereby driving more excellent economic and social value.

2. Key findings and arguments from Porter and Kramer's work include:

1. Cost Savings: Sustainable practices often reduce energy usage, waste, and raw material costs. These efficiencies can translate into significant cost savings for businesses over time.

2. Improved Brand Reputation: Companies embracing sustainability can enhance their brand's reputation, making their products or services more attractive to consumers, potential employees, and investors who are increasingly valuing ethical and sustainable practices.

3. Long-Term Resilience: Companies ensure long-term viability and resilience by addressing environmental and social issues. Sustainable practices help businesses anticipate and react to changes in the business environment, including shifts in laws, technologies, and consumer preferences. Here, you need to look at NPV net present value, but if you’re unsure, talk with your finance team…

3. Porter and Kramer emphasise that the competitiveness of a company and the health of the communities around it are mutually dependent. They advocate that businesses must reconnect company success with social progress. It defines the way business success is achieved.

4. This approach has influenced how companies think about their societal roles. It urges a move from solely emphasising charitable behaviours or shareholder value to a more integrated approach where social issues are integral to core business strategy.

So these are a bit of a foundation. You could as well quote many other important cornerstones of the definition of sustainability, but the three will do the trick for us.

So, with all of that, let’s look at the UN Sustainable Development Goals, or Global Goals:

1. The UN Global Goals were Established in 2015, they consist of 17 interconnected global goals designed to be a "blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all" by 2030. Here’s a bit of history on this. And whatever you think about the UN, just step back and think about which organisation in the world could be the one that could tackle saving and preserving humanity on this little blue ball we inhabit…there is none. So, if you can’t have the one you love, love the one you with I’d say and Crosby Stills, Nash and Young said long time ago.

1. On a global level, in many UN General Assembly agendas since the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, most countries have looked for ways to reduce inequality and drive sustainable development globally. Finally, in 2013, the UN General Assembly set up a 30-member Open Working Group to develop a proposal for the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. Two years later, the process resulted in the adopting of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, with 17 UN Global Goals at its core, at the UN Sustainable Development Summit in September 2015. 

Today, I'd like to focus on the UN Global Goals. Instead of just rattling through them, I'll try to explain what you can do with them and which companies and organisations can help you when you want to engage—which you will also definitively add to your sustainability reporting. I will cover only a few of the SDG’s to give you a feel how one can interact with them.  You will get the picture, and it will be good enough to Google or ChatGPT further. 

For those who like to get a more immersive experience of what we talk about here, you can also sign up for our upcoming Master Class on Sustainability on our website (links are in the show notes). Here we cover all SDG’s and much more - all in a very hands-on approach to get going.

Before we go into the SDG list, let me point out something probably quite obvious. Depending on the industry you work in, the relevance of working with specific global goals will change:

I will give two examples of linking the UNSPSC codes with the UN global goals.

What are UNSPSC codes you might ask? I apologise to the professional supply chain person listening in, but for the rest:

The UNSPSC was organised upon the signature of a Memorandum of Understanding signed in 1998, by the Inter-agency Procurement Services Office (IAPSO) of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Dun & Bradstreet Corporation. The development of the first version was overseen by Peter R. Benson, who was also responsible for designing and developing the code management procedure as a modification of the Delphi statistical forecasting method. The process allowed for the rapid development of consensus without dominance or influence.

The UNDP appointed GS1 US as code manager in May 2003, and ECCMA developed the ECCMA Open Technical Dictionary (eOTD) and the international standards ISO 22745 and ISO 8000.

In short, it codifies every material and service in commerce in 8 digits.

Let me demonstrate with the example of cats:

Segment - 10000000- Live Plant and Animal Material and Accessories and Supplies

Family - 10100000 - Live animals

Class - 10101500 - Livestock

Commodity - 10101501 -The cat lovers will be pleased to know that Cats is codified as 01…:)

So depending on the category your producing, the relevance of SDG’s will be different. Everyone will get that livestock has a different prioritisation of main sustainable goals than for example Family Code: 1320 - Aircraft.

Here, you would deal with the UN goals:

1. 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

2. Goal 13: Climate Action

3. Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

The UN's top three Sustainability Development Goals (short UN SDGs) might differ for each company and industry. While we all should work on our net zero GHG emissions target actions, there are also other very relevant activities that your company can engage in. Instead of using the highest-paid person's opinion in the room (short HIPPO), why not go a bit more scientific on the task?

Enough said, lets dig into the different UN Global Goals. Links to the goals you find in the show notes. The UN has a boatload of exciting tools you can also download, whether it is advice or just material to copy into your company presentations.

I will structure the goals by first explaining the goal, then the connection to the supply chain and finally, examples of companies

The first UN SDG goals is:

UN Global Goal 1 - No Poverty

Goal:End poverty in all its forms everywhere.

Connection to Supply Chain:  Companies can contribute by providing fair wages, economic opportunities, and sustainable sourcing practices.

Examples:

Implement ethical sourcing policies to support fair trade practices.

Provide job training and support economic development in local communities.

Collaborate with suppliers to ensure living wages and decent working conditions.

Organisations that can support:

1.Fair Trade USA: Fair Trade USA is a nonprofit organisation that certifies and promotes fair trade products. They work with companies to ensure fair wages and better trading conditions for farmers and workers in developing countries.

2.Oxfam: Oxfam is a global NGO that fights poverty and injustice worldwide. It works with companies to promote ethical sourcing practices, support fair wages, and empower local communities through job training and economic development programs.

3. The Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN): GAIN is an international organization that works to improve nutrition and food security for vulnerable populations. They collaborate with companies to promote sustainable sourcing practices, improve food quality, and support economic opportunities for small-scale producers.

UN Global Goal 2 - Zero Hunger

Goal: End hunger, achieve food security, improve nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture.

Connection to Supply Chain: Enhance food security by supporting sustainable agriculture, reducing food waste, and promoting fair trade practices.

Examples:

Source locally grown produce to support small-scale farmers and reduce food miles.

Donate excess food to food banks or charities to combat food waste and support food security.

Implement sustainable agriculture practices, such as organic farming or agroforestry.

UN Global Goal 2 - Zero Hunger: Examples

Second Harvest Japan is a non-profit organization based in Japan that redistributes surplus food to those in need. Businesses in Asia can collaborate with Second Harvest Japan to donate excess food, reduce food waste, and address food insecurity by supporting the organization's food rescue and distribution programs.

The European Agroforestry Federation (EURAF) promotes agroforestry practices that integrate trees, crops, and livestock to enhance sustainability and biodiversity in agricultural systems. By partnering with EURAF, businesses in Europe can explore sustainable agroforestry solutions, adopt organic farming techniques, and support agroecological approaches to agriculture that prioritize environmental stewardship.

The Asian Farmers Association for Sustainable Rural Development (AFA) is a regional network of small-scale farmers and rural organizations advocating for sustainable agriculture and livelihoods in Asia. By working with AFA, businesses in Asia can learn about sustainable farming practices, support organic agriculture initiatives, and engage with small-scale farmers to promote environmentally friendly farming methods.

The Soil Association is a UK-based organization that promotes organic farming and sustainable agriculture practices. It works closely with small-scale farmers, local food producers, and community-supported agriculture initiatives to encourage the production and sourcing of locally grown, organic produce. By supporting The Soil Association's initiatives, businesses can connect with local farmers, reduce food miles, and contribute to a more sustainable food system.

24 Hour Farmer is a Taiwanese platform that connects consumers with nearby small-scale farmers and urban agriculture projects. By sourcing locally grown produce through 24 Hour Farmer, businesses in Asia can support local agriculture, reduce their carbon footprint, and build partnerships with farmers practicing sustainable agriculture methods.

The European Food Banks Federation (FEBA) is a network of food banks across Europe dedicated to fighting food waste and hunger. By partnering with FEBA, businesses can donate excess food to local food banks, shelters, and charities, helping to combat food waste, alleviate hunger, and support food security efforts in European communities.

UN Global Goal 3 - Good Health and Well-Being

Goal: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.

Connection to Supply Chain: Companies can promote employee health and well-being, ensure product safety, and support health initiatives in the supply community.

Examples:

Implement workplace wellness programs to support employee health and mental well-being.

Ensure product safety and quality standards in manufacturing processes.

Support health-focused community programs and initiatives to improve public health.

UN Global Goal 3 - Good Health and Well-Being: Examples

Virgin Pulse is a leading provider of employee well-being solutions, offering comprehensive workplace wellness programs designed to support employee health, mental well-being, and overall engagement. Their platform includes tools for physical activity tracking, mental health resources, stress management programs, nutritional guidance, and personalized coaching to promote a healthy and balanced lifestyle among employees.

One of my former Health and Safety officer colleagues implemented Virgin Pulse globally in our company. It was for many, including me, the first time that we had step counters, and we realized how poorly we were moving throughout the day. Many, again, including me changed our workout routines and entered competitions with other company groups to see who would move the most. Many had a different opinion about their employer after that - so there is a bit of motivation and retention planning that comes with this invest.

Bureau Veritas is a global leader in testing, inspection, and certification services, specializing in ensuring product safety and quality standards in manufacturing processes. The company offers a range of testing and certification solutions to help businesses verify compliance with international standards, regulations, and industry best practices, ensuring that products meet stringent quality and safety requirements.

Wellness Corporate Solutions is a provider of health and wellness programs that extend beyond the workplace to support community health and well-being initiatives. They collaborate with organizations, local communities, and public health agencies to deliver health-focused programs, wellness challenges, educational workshops, and community outreach events aimed at improving public health outcomes and fostering a culture of well-being in the broader community.

UN Global Goal 4 - Quality Education

I spend a bit more time on this, since it is normally very poorly supported in companies, and often done in a more “roll up your sleeves approach, rather than using external or academic knowledge”.

Goal:Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.

Connection to Supply Chain:Support educational initiatives for employees, suppliers, and communities to enhance skills and knowledge.

Examples:

Provide training programs on sustainability, ethical practices, and diversity and inclusion.

Partner with educational institutions to offer scholarships or internships for skill development.

Support literacy programs and vocational training in local communities through corporate social responsibility initiatives.

UN Global Goal 5 - Gender Equality

Goal: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.

Connection to Supply Chain: Companies can promote gender diversity, equal opportunities, and women's empowerment throughout the supply chain, for example, by sourcing only to companies aligning with this goal.

Examples:

• Implement gender equality policies and diversity programs in recruitment and promotion practices.

• Support women-owned businesses and women entrepreneurs in the supply chain.

• Provide training and mentorship programs to empower women in the workforce.

UN Global Goal 5 - Gender Equality: Examples

WEConnect International is a global non-profit organisation that connects women-owned businesses with corporate partners and helps women entrepreneurs access markets, scale their businesses, and create economic opportunities. Companies can collaborate with WEConnect International to source from women-owned suppliers, engage with women entrepreneurs in the supply chain, and support economic empowerment initiatives that promote gender-inclusive sourcing practices and sustainable business growth.

Vital Voices Global Partnership is an international non-profit organization that offers training, mentorship, and leadership development programs to empower women and advance gender equity worldwide. By partnering with Vital Voices, companies can establish training and mentorship initiatives that support women in the workforce, foster leadership skills, and promote career advancement opportunities for women across diverse industries and sectors.

Finally, just look around your supply base, especially when it comes to professional services suppliers in IT or consulting. Ask them about their gender equality programs and percentages. Your leverage will be immense to change the gender balance not just in your own company but in many others.

UN Global Goal 6 - Clean Water and Sanitation

Goal: Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.

Connection to Supply Chain:Companies can reduce water usage, promote water conservation, and ensure sustainable water management practices in operations and supply chains.

Examples:

Implement water recycling and reuse systems to minimise water wastage.

Invest in water-efficient technologies and practices for production processes.

Support community water projects and initiatives to improve clean water and sanitation access.

UN Global Goal 6 - Clean Water and Sanitation: Examples I

Aquatech, based in the Netherlands, provides water purification and wastewater recycling solutions for industrial, municipal, and infrastructure projects. It offers advanced water treatment technologies, including membrane filtration, reverse osmosis, and Zero Liquid Discharge systems, to help businesses optimize water usage, reduce wastage, and recycle water for sustainable production processes.

Xylem Inc., headquartered in the United States, is a global water technology company that provides water-efficient solutions for various industries, including manufacturing, agriculture, and utilities. Xylem offers a range of water-efficient technologies, such as smart water meters, energy-efficient pumps, and monitoring systems, to help businesses improve water management, optimize usage, and reduce water consumption in their production processes.

Alternatives for desalination plants technology are: IDE Technologies, Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction; SUEZ, Veolia, Acciona, GE Water, Hyflux

UN Global Goal 6 - Clean Water and Sanitation: Examples II

Water for Good is a non-profit organization operating in the Central African Republic that focuses on providing sustainable access to clean water and sanitation services in rural communities. Businesses can partner with Water for Good to support community water projects, hygiene education programs, well drilling initiatives, and sanitation infrastructure development, contributing to improved water access and public health outcomes in underserved regions.

Water.org is an international non-profit organization that partners with communities, businesses, and governments to provide access to clean water and sanitation resources in underserved regions worldwide. By working with Water.org, businesses can support community water projects, hygiene education programs, and sustainable water solutions that enhance access to clean water and improve sanitation conditions for marginalized communities. 

UN Global Goal 7 - Affordable and Clean Energy

Goal: Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all.

Connection to Supply Chain: Companies can optimise energy usage, transition to renewable energy sources, and promote energy efficiency in operations and logistics.

Examples:

• Implement energy-efficient technologies in manufacturing facilities.

• Source renewable energy for operations through solar or wind power.

• Collaborate with suppliers to adopt sustainable energy practices across the supply chain.

UN Global Goal 7 - Affordable and Clean Energy: Examples

Siemens, a global technology company based in Germany, offers a range of energy-efficient solutions for manufacturing facilities, including smart building management systems, industrial automation technologies, and energy monitoring tools. Siemens helps businesses optimize energy consumption, reduce operational costs, and enhance efficiency in their manufacturing processes through advanced technologies and digital solutions.

Orsted, a renewable energy company headquartered in Denmark, specializes in offshore wind energy development and provides renewable energy solutions for businesses seeking to source clean power. ¯rsted offers renewable energy procurement options, such as power purchase agreements (PPAs) and virtual power purchase agreements (VPPAs), enabling companies to access solar or wind power for their operations and reduce their carbon footprint.

CDP, formerly known as the Carbon Disclosure Project, is a global non-profit organization based in the United Kingdom that works with companies and suppliers to disclose, manage, and reduce their environmental impact, including energy use and emissions. 

UN Global Goal 13 - Climate Action

Goal: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.

Connection to Supply Chain: Companies can reduce greenhouse gas emissions, implement climate-friendly practices, and promote sustainability to address climate change impacts throughout the supply chain.

Examples:

• Set science-based emission reduction targets and invest in renewable energy.

• Optimize transportation methods for reduced carbon footprint.

• Engage in carbon offset programs or support reforestation projects to mitigate climate impact.

Road UN Global Goal 13 -  Climate Action : Example

Let’s briefly talk about COP, the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and the 7th session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties (CMP 7) to the Kyoto Protocol. In 2015, at COP21, the Paris Agreement was forged, a legally binding international treaty on climate change. It was adopted by 196 Parties at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP21) in Paris.

Now let’s look at the examples of how you can engage:

The Carbon Trust is a leading organisation that supports businesses in setting science-based emission reduction targets, measuring carbon footprint, and investing in renewable energy solutions. Companies can collaborate with the Carbon Trust to develop carbon reduction strategies, adopt renewable energy sources, and transition to low-carbon operations, contributing to combatting climate change and reducing greenhouse gas emissions throughout the supply chain.

GreenRoad Technologies (USA) is a provider of advanced fleet management solutions that help businesses optimize transportation methods, improve driver behavior, and reduce carbon footprint in logistics operations. Companies can partner with GreenRoad Technologies to implement telematics technologies, driver monitoring systems, and route optimization tools to achieve fuel efficiency, lower emissions, and promote sustainable transportation practices within the supply chain.

Gold Standard (Switzerland): Gold Standard is a renowned certification body that ensures projects aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions meet stringent quality standards and generate verified carbon credits. Businesses can work with Gold Standard to participate in carbon offset programs, support reforestation projects, and invest in carbon-neutral initiatives that help mitigate climate impact, offset carbon emissions, and drive positive environmental impact within the supply chain and beyond.

Alternative GHG emission associations and standards - and yes - there are too many for this one earth we have with this one overall atmosphere…but heck, we’re humans, so we need to make everything different by country, industry, etc…

CDP (formerly known as the Carbon Disclosure Project) has been a leading platform for environmental reporting and climate-related data disclosure. Some global alternatives include:

GRI (Global Reporting Initiative): GRI provides frameworks for sustainability reporting, focusing on economic, environmental, and social performance. It offers a comprehensive set of sustainability reporting standards that are widely used by companies worldwide.

SASB (Sustainability Accounting Standards Board): SASB focuses on industry-specific sustainability standards for financial reporting. It provides guidance on disclosing material sustainability-related information to investors, aligning with financial reporting.

TCFD (Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures): TCFD offers recommendations for climate-related financial disclosures, emphasizing the integration of climate risks and opportunities into financial planning and reporting processes.

CDSB (Climate Disclosure Standards Board): CDSB provides frameworks for disclosing environmental information in mainstream financial reports, encouraging companies to integrate climate-related disclosures into their financial reporting.

PRI (Principles for Responsible Investment): PRI is a global initiative that promotes responsible investment practices, including environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors. It encourages transparency and integration of sustainability considerations into investment processes.

UN Global Goal 16 - Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions: Examples

•The Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) is an alliance of companies, trade unions, and NGOs that promotes ethical sourcing standards, fair labor practices, and transparency in the supply chain. Businesses can collaborate with ETI to implement ethical sourcing policies, anti-corruption measures, and fair labor practices within procurement processes, fostering accountability, integrity, and ethical conduct throughout the supply chain.

•Social Accountability International (SAI) is a non-profit organization that works to promote human rights, labor rights, and ethical business practices across industries. Companies can partner with SAI to support human rights initiatives, ensure labor rights compliance, and uphold ethical labor practices within the supply chain, contributing to social justice, worker well-being, and ethical treatment of employees and suppliers.

•The United Nations Global Compact is a voluntary initiative for businesses committed to aligning their operations and strategies with ten universal principles related to human rights, labor, environment, and anti-corruption. Companies can join the UN Global Compact to engage in community initiatives, promote social justice, and foster accountability through partnerships that advance responsible business conduct, ethical practices, and inclusive and accountable institutions at all levels.

UN Global Goal 17 - Partnerships for the Goals

Goal:ÊRevitalize the global partnership for sustainable development.

Connection to Supply Chain:ÊCompanies can collaborate with stakeholders, engage in partnerships, and foster cooperation to drive sustainable development and achieve the SDGs collectively.

Examples:

Partner with suppliers, NGOs, governments, and organizations to promote sustainability initiatives.

Join industry networks and alliances to share best practices and drive systemic change.

Participate in multi-stakeholder initiatives and support global sustainability efforts to advance the SDGs.

UN Global Goal 17 - Partnerships for the Goals: Examples

The Global Compact Network is a local network that connects companies with government agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and other stakeholders to collaborate on sustainability initiatives. Businesses can engage with Global Compact Networks to partner with suppliers, NGOs, governments, and organizations to promote sustainability practices, drive collective action on environmental and social issues, and advance sustainable development goals through collaborative partnerships.

The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) is a global network of businesses committed to sustainability, environmental stewardship, and corporate social responsibility. Companies can become members of WBCSD to join industry networks and alliances, share best practices, collaborate on sustainability solutions, and drive systemic change within industries to accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The Collaborating Centre on Sustainable Consumption and Production (CSCP) is a non-profit organization that promotes sustainable production and consumption practices and facilitates multi-stakeholder collaborations for sustainable development. Companies can collaborate with CSCP to participate in multi-stakeholder initiatives, support global sustainability efforts, and advance the SDGs through collective action, knowledge exchange, and shared learning opportunities that drive systemic change and create positive impact across industries and regions.

What do you think? Are there enough opportunities to get engaged? This is just a short list of companies and organisations that can help you make a difference. There is no need to start amateurish by yourself. Help is out there; we are just waiting to be called upon.

Use it, thousands of companies with responsible leaders do today.

Well,

I hope you enjoyed this episode of “The Supply Chain Dialogues.”  If you did, please subscribe on Apple, Spotify, Google, or any other major podcast platform. If you are a subscriber, tell a friend or colleague or any decision maker in your company - in this episode, you might want to share it with your Sustainability Officer in your company. 

If you want to learn more about the UN Global Goals or SDGs, click on the link in the show notes. It will take you directly to the relevant UN pages.

If you need further guidance, there is a whole jungle of courses, YouTube videos, etc. out there. Or, if you’re interested, you can sign up for online or face-to-face training from yours truly, available on our company webpage and soon on YouTube.

With that: Stay safe, be bold, and see you in two weeks. 

These are the supply chain dialogues produced again by Noah Helmig and copyrighted by Helmig Advisory AG in 2024.