Why we follow the UN Sustainable Development Goals
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) offer a critical framework for understanding how well we’re doing, as a species, at mitigating the effects of our global sustainability crises. Launched in 2015, these 17 goals address the most pressing global challenges we face today.
It’s a long list, and the goals are ambitious. Making them a reality will mean bold action on the part of governments and political institutions worldwide. At Naked Sprout we believe we have a moral obligation to do our bit. And it’s not just about doing the right thing, there’s a solid business case to be made for aligning with the goals.
Today we’re exploring the SDGs and their significance for responsible business.
What are the goals?
The SDGs are a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity. Adopted by all United Nations Member States as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the 17 goals are:
1. No poverty: End poverty in all its forms everywhere.
2. Zero hunger: End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture.
3. Good health and well-being: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.
4. Quality education: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.
5. Gender equality: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.
6. Clean water and sanitation: Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.
7. Affordable and clean energy: Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all.
8. Decent work and economic growth: Promote sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all.
9. Industry, innovation, and infrastructure: Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization, and foster innovation.
10. Reduced inequality: Reduce inequality within and among countries.
11. Sustainable cities and communities: Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable.
12. Responsible consumption and production: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns.
13. Climate action: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.
14. Life below water: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas, and marine resources for sustainable development.
15. Life on land: Protect, restore, and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, manage forests sustainably, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and biodiversity loss.
16. Peace, justice, and strong institutions: Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all, and build effective, accountable, and inclusive institutions at all levels.
17. Partnerships for the goals: Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the global partnership for sustainable development.
Those are the goals, what do they mean on the ground? How can businesses join the global effort to make the SDG a reality?
The business case for getting on board
A key benefit of the SDGs are in providing a framework for how a business can develop and grow in a way that lines up with national and international legislation and the work of other forward-looking companies.
To give our own example, in 2021 we took a risk by moving our manufacturing base to Spain, to a factory that was manufacturing without fossil fuels. The decision meant overhauling our products and processes, but it set us up for the future. Businesses and other large organisations that are looking for ways that they can contribute to Goal 13 (Climate Action) see that switching to Naked Sprout can help reduce their CO2e footprint.
So aligning with the SDGs makes sustainable growth more achievable, and it also shields companies from the volatility of energy, raw materials, and transport prices exacerbated by the sustainability crisis. The cost of fossil fuels, for instance, has been subject to massive fluctuations in the last few years, and governments are increasingly taxing their use. Investing in renewable energy now is the best way to ensure resilience as a business moves forward.
How can businesses contribute to the SDGs?
Say you’re a business owner, or you’d like to be, and we’ve convinced you that the SDGs provide a great framework for thinking long-term. What are some simple ways of implementing the goals, regardless of the size of your team?
1. Understand the goals and how they’re relevant to you
Focus on the goals pertinent to your business. As a toilet roll company there’s not much we can do about Goal 2 (Zero Hunger), we leave that to the experts. But we can absolutely pitch in to Goal 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure). Toilet rolls are needed in organisations and homes all over the world, and the innovations we’ve implemented mean their overall climate and product footprint is lower than the standard.
2. Set clear objectives:
Once you know your relevant goals, you can set up clear, measurable objectives that align with them. Climate action is a key goal for us, and with no fossil fuels in our manufacturing process, we turn our attention to other parts of our operations to see where we can improve. In 2024 we reduced the size of our boxes by shrinking our cores, meaning more rolls transported with less space, and moving the European leg of our transport to electrified rail.
3. Measure and report:
Okay so you’ve made changes to your processes, based on clear objectives that come from the goals that are relevant to you. How do you know how well you’re doing? In order to see the impact you’re making, and be able to share it with your customers and other stakeholders, you need to measure it. We carried out a detailed, cradle to grave LCA in 2023, and published our CO2e figures. Now that we’re got our more efficient transport process set up, we’ve commissioned another report. We’ll have the results of that ready to share very soon.
Conclusion
For responsible businesses, aligning with the UN Sustainable Development goals is a form of future-proofing. If humanity is going to continue to thrive in the decades to come - if there is going to be enough stability, food, energy, and water for all - the goals will have to be put in place. So they provide a road map for where we can expect to see growth; in sustainable energy, circular economies, low waste, reusable products, and more. Businesses that keep the goals in mind are best placed to be part of that growth.
That's the business case. But ultimately it's about much more than business. Getting on board with the SDGs is about securing the best outcomes for everyone, and that’s a goal worth striving for.
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