Walking the Talk with Sustainable Development Goals
In September 2015, the United Nations asked businesses, nonprofits, individuals, and government agencies around the world to collaborate on solving society’s biggest global problems by 2030. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set out the UN agenda for people, planet and prosperity, achieving a prosperous, inclusive and sustainable society for all by 2030. The SDGs were adopted by 193 states at the United Nations in September 2015. The 17 goals and 169 targets aim to stimulate action in areas of critical importance to humanity and the environment.
Soon after the SDGs were established, some private sector institutions and networks published a business statement identifying that SDGs have the biggest impact in terms of risk and opportunity over the long term and where businesses have the biggest ability to contribute to the progress toward the goals. They stated:
“The SDGs provide all businesses with a new lens through which to translate the world’s needs and ambitions into business solutions. These solutions will enable companies to better manage their risks, anticipate consumer demand, build positions in growth markets, secure access to needed resources, and strengthen their supply chains, while moving the world towards a sustainable and inclusive development path.”
At Energeia, aligning our mission and vision with the Sustainable Development Goals has helped us to identify long term opportunities while meeting our business goals. We have adjusted our business model, developed our products and services, transformed our supply chain and refocused innovation keeping these sustainable development goals in mind.
The Business Case for Sustainable Development Goals:
Scarce natural resources, weak financial markets and lack of qualified talent limit a company's potential to grow. Energeia sees a clear business care to harness the SDGs to create opportunities and address challenges of growth, risk, capital and purpose. It is essential to leverage growth in financial markets through contributing towards the SDGs. A report by the Business & Sustainable Development Commission revealed that sustainable business models related to the SDGs could open economic opportunities worth up to US$12 trillion and increase employment by up to 380 million jobs by 2030.
Five Sustainable Development Goals embedded in Energeia's DNA:
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOAL 7
Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all: Energeia is modernizing the energy infrastructure and ensuring access to affordable, reliable and sustainable energy for industrial and commercial facilities through our cost effective, digital monitoring systems.
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOAL 9
Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation: By digitizing and optimizing energy intensive infrastructure, Energeia is paving the way for a data-driven and decentralized energy future. Our innovative approach towards industrial problems is contributing towards SDG9
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOAL 11
Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable: Energeia is unlocking an opportunity for communities to become sustainable by installing the necessary smart metering technology to help facilities analyze data to be able to optimize energy consumption as well as generation
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOAL 12
Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns: We believe that the world’s fourth industrial revolution is a ‘resource revolution’, which will require us to leverage our technological capabilities to optimize the use of our limited natural resources for responsible consumption and production
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOAL 13
Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts: Environmental advocacy and reduction of greenhouse emissions are a huge part of Energeia’s mission statement. We are proud to forge ahead by contributing to SDG 13 and drive climate action
At Energeia we commit to tackling relevant goals and regularly reflect on the progress towards reaching these goals. Beyond our core business practices, all our functions are alligned with the principles of sustainable development within a workplace.
Sustainable Development Goal 3
Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all employees
Sustainable Development Goal 5
Achieve gender equality and empower all women identifying employees
Sustainable Development Goal 8
Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
Sustainable Development Goal 10
Reduce inequality within the company by ensuring equality for women and minorities in leadership positions and wages through putting holistic policies in place
Sustainable Development Goal 17
Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for achieving sustainable energy practices
We conclude in the words of Francois-Henri Pinault :
"Sustainable development is a fundamental break that's going to reshuffle the entire deck. There are companies today that are going to dominate in the future simply because they understand that."