In 2015, when the 193 countries in the United Nations pledged to achieve the 17 Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, they committed to a transformational global shift for a healthier, more peaceful, more prosperous planet and population. However, in 2022, we’ve found ourselves in the middle of a different kind of great transformation: The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a devastating toll on human life and livelihoods and threatened global systems that had previously been taken for granted, from food systems to supply chains to public health.

At the same time, the pandemic presents the opportunity to build these systems back in a more resilient and sustainable way. Many innovative solutions to these problems already exist in the private sector, specifically with members of the UN Global Compact, a network this includes more than 15,000 companies committed to sustainable and responsible business practices.

On the mainstage at GreenBiz 22, GreenBiz’s annual conference on the business of sustainability in Scottsdale, Arizona, UN Global Compact CEO and Executive Director Sanda Ojiambo sat down with GreenBiz Editorial Director Heather Clancy to discuss the private sector’s progress on the SDGs at this critical time. The pandemic undoubtedly slowed progress on the SDGs, Ojiambo noted, but it also provides a new way of thinking about them.

"I think what has shifted, and it probably shifted for a lot of business leaders in the room, is the urgency and the need for real ambition and bold leadership," Ojiambo said. "The pandemic really provided an opportunity for business to step up, for business to partner and for business to innovate."

So what will it take to achieve them? Ojiambo outlined four main areas for business at large to focus on.

  1. A solid reporting framework
  2. Look across your supply chain 
  3. Getting SMEs on board
  4. Keeping businesses accountable

Read the full article about SDG goals for businesses by Holly Secon at GreenBiz.