Accelerated action to progress Sustainable Development Goals

Back in 2015 the United Nations set the world a monumental challenge to achieve real, sustainable development by 2030. From this challenge they created a blueprint, called Agenda 2030, for countries to build a sustainable future through greater interaction and balance between economic, social and environmental objectives.

Agenda 2030 has at its heart seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) intended to act as a framework for change and a global call to action. The Goals span the issues that contribute to a sustainable future for us all including; climate action, infrastructure, education, equality and much more.

The New Zealand Government is responding to Agenda 2030 with a combination of domestic action, international policy and actively supporting developing countries through our International Aid Programme.

Earlier this year the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) published New Zealand’s first voluntary national review on the implementation of the SDGs He Waka Eke Noa Towards A Better Future, Together: New Zealand’s Progress Towards the SDGs – 2019.

The review includes New Zealand’s current progress across all 17 SDGs and the intention to continue national reporting against them. It also outlines how the Government is advancing and supporting the uptake of the SDGs through international cooperation efforts and by advocating for the interests of small island developing states that find themselves at the mercy of international economic, environmental and climatic pressures.

Without getting into the detail, the biggest ‘takeaway’ from the review is just how comprehensive and challenging the 17 SDGs are and how they are all connected in a way that requires participation from all sectors of our community, not just government.

It goes without saying that New Zealand’s businesses have a big role to play in whether Agenda 2030 can be achieved. Enviro-Mark Solutions has been collaborating on pilot projects on how businesses can integrate the SDGs with a few organisations, Wellington Zoo, Auckland District Health Board and Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research . Using the SDGs as a framework, it is intended that organisations embed (or strengthen if further along on their journey) sustainable practices within their business in a meaningful and measurable way, which can then be audited and verified against international best practice.

If you’d like to hear more about what we’re working on, get in touch!