Charlotte Wyndham
Charlotte Wyndham

17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – what, why and where to start?  

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The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are aimed at mobilising efforts to end poverty, fight inequalities and tackle climate change by governments, businesses and citizens. Developed in 2015 as a successor to the Millennium Development Goals, the 17 SDGs focus on a broad range of sustainable development issues and break down into 169 targets – all of which are to be achieved by 2030.

Despite the many benefits they offer, the SDGs have had slow uptake, with over half of businesses failing to act thus far. This could be due to the fact that the sheer volume of SDGs is proving overwhelming, or due to the lack of a standardised approach and methodology on how to tackle them. Similarly, there are no legislative drivers in place that states companies must set targets against SDG’s and therefore, companies must voluntarily decide to align their strategy against them.

Nevertheless, some businesses are now starting to realise the opportunities presented by the SDGs by looking at how they can work to achieve the SDGs and which goals they want to pursue. Corporate giants such as Pepsi, Coca-Cola, SABMiller and Unilever have mapped their sustainability targets against the SDGs they have deemed the most relevant to their business. This isn’t entirely altruistic either – Paul Polman, CEO of Unilever, called the SDGs “the greatest economic opportunity of a lifetime”. It is now important that other companies follow suit. SDGs can help companies in many ways: they give a reason to align business activities with society’s needs; an opportunity to focus on a sustainable strategy and an opportunity to reach out to new collaborations and partnerships.

The SDGs are set for 2030, therefore, companies must start acting on them now. As working towards all 17 SDGs may be overly burdensome, Carbon Smart recommends that targets are set against a select few. Companies can choose to either pick SDGs that are already aligned to their business targets, or SDGs they want to challenge as an area for their business to move into or work towards. In order for them to be successful, a company should lay out from the start which goals it aims to achieve, and integrate these goals into the business strategy. This can be done by aligning and setting targets towards the goals. Progress against them should be tracked by setting KPI’s that are aligned with what goals the company is setting out to achieve. Start acting today.

If you wish to learn how to turn targets into actions, click here to read about SDG 17 and volunteering to make sustainability work.

Imogen Geddes
Imogen Geddes

5 New Year’s Resolutions for a better world  

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Come January 1st, most of us will make big promises to ourselves in the effort to make a better us. More often than not, these resolutions are a just a distant memory a month later. So, at Carbon Smart, we encourage you to do something a little different in 2017. Rather than going for the same old ‘I will go to the gym this year’, or ‘I will stop drinking so much’ resolutions in the pursuit for a better you, why not try and help create a better world with your New Year’s resolutions?

Here are our top 5 picks for New Year’s resolutions that will help you and the planet.

  1. Eat less animal products
    While meat consumption continues to rise exponentially globally, people are becoming more aware of the damaging environmental and social effects the animal agriculture industry has. Not only is the meat industry responsible for more greenhouse gas emissions than all global transport (yes, that’s cars, busses, trains, boats, and aeroplanes), but a diet based on animal proteins is a leading cause of food insecurity. This is because animal products are far less efficient than plant foods, as they require considerably more land, water and grains to produce.You don’t have to switch to being vegan on January 1st (unless you want to!), but small changes to your diet could make a big difference. You could do ‘Meatless Mondays’, or maybe cut out red meat from your diet. Red meat such as beef uses 28 times more land and 11 times more water than pork or chicken  – so if you are to cut out one meat, this will make the biggest difference. In fact, experts say that cutting out beef will reduce your carbon footprint more than stopping using your car.
  2. Reduce your reliance on your car
    Cars account for 79% of all motor vehicle traffic – they have travelled 244.4 billion miles in the UK in 2014. The majority of these trips can be taken by other methods, such as bus, train, cycling or, best of all, walking. Now, this one can help achieve your fitness goals as well as reduce your carbon footprint – win win! Check whether your workplace offers the Cycle to Work Scheme – a great way to help you buy a bike, and if it doesn’t – suggest it!
  3. Buy less, buy better
    We live in a world of over consumption, where people are prioritising quantity over quality. With this comes increased production emissions, an extraordinary amount of waste and the possibility of modern slavery. When you buy something make sure that you ask yourself 1) do I really need it? and 2) it is ethically sourced? When shopping, opt for high-quality goods that will last and do your research. Of course, buying Fairtrade and local produce are easy ways to shop smarter.
  4. Make your home energy efficient
    Energy used in homes accounts for more than a quarter of energy use and carbon emissions in the UK – a larger proportion than any other sector. Therefore, ensuring our homes are energy efficient is a great way to reduce our carbon footprints. This can come from simple fixes such as installing a new, more efficient boiler, drought-proofing measures, or installing more efficient lighting. If you have already implemented these measures, why not go the extra mile and install renewable power such as solar panels – these will reduce your bills and can even generate profit.
  5. Have a flight-free year
    It is estimated that flying alone accounts for 13 – 15% of the UK’s total greenhouse gas emissions. On top of that, flying is predominantly used for leisure purposes, and therefore can really be avoided! We often forget that the UK has some stunning holiday destinations, most of which can be easily accessed via car or train. If you must go abroad, Europe is only a drive or train ride away!

There are many more ways to reduce the impact on climate change and every one of us can help to make sustainability work. The most important thing is to take action now.

Happy New & Sustainable Year from all of us at Carbon Smart!

Jessica Cresswell
Jessica Cresswell

Concerned About the Modern Slavery Act?  

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How should organisations address risks in their supply chain

Discussions around the new Modern Slavery Act requirements have largely focused on what exactly businesses should, or should not, include in their Slavery and Human Trafficking statement. Much of the conversations are around what should be included in the statement, who needs to comply and the timeline for responding to the Act. While the details of getting the statement right are important, Modern Slavery is a much broader issue that all organisations should investigate in their supply chains and address with utmost importance.

Transparency in supply chains is essential for any organisation that wants to tackle this complex issue and there are contradicting views around this topic. Some NGOs are championing transparency and think that in order to address this issue properly, the business community must enter an open dialogue about the challenges, pitfalls and solutions to mitigate the exploitation of people and the risks they are facing in their supply chains. As such, the more transparency and information a business can share, the better. On the other hand, there are advisors and legal firms who aim to minimise an organisation’s exposure to risk rather than identify and mitigate it. This approach could misguide organisations as to the heart of the issue and discourage them from sharing information that may invite public scrutiny.

So how should companies address the Modern Slavery Act and the potential risks associated with it? Based on Carbon Smart’s discussions with businesses since the Act was issued in October 2015, most organisations are keen to do the right thing and address modern slavery in their supply chains. There is a concern with regards to the risks that could come up as part of the process and how they should be disclosed publicly. This concern is justified. A recent survey led by the Ethical Trading Initiative and Ashridge University[1] shows that 71% of businesses interviewed believed that it is likely that modern slavery is happening at some stage in their supply chains. Globalisation has created long and complex supply chains with many players involved, creating a challenging space for businesses to truly understand what is going on in their supply chains.

Identifying these risks, understanding what causes them and developing a mitigation plan are the real challenges the Modern Slavery Act opposes for organisations. Ergon Associates analysed over 200 statements that were published before 31 March 2016 – well before the deadline. The results revealed that 60% of the statements reviewed have not identified priorities based on their risk assessment, and a further 35% did not include any actions required to mitigate modern slavery risks. It may be that some businesses are reluctant to address risks in their supply chains out of fear of what might they find.

For many businesses, the risks are mostly unknown. Businesses’ supply chains are vast, some covering 10,000s suppliers who are not always willing to share information on their sourcing practices. Businesses need to find an approach which will enable them to focus their efforts on high risk areas and start to develop the knowledge and tools to tackle the issues. Once this has been developed, businesses can move onto expanding the scope and scale of their risk mitigation efforts.

Managing risks is an ongoing process that will develop over time. The statement itself acts as a snapshot of what a business has achieved over the course of the reporting year but is only an initial step which will enable organisations begin their journey to tackling modern slavery in their operations and supply chains. Going through the process is important for any organisation and will deliver a clear message to your stakeholders and civil society. Namely, a business needs to demonstrate that it understands its impact on society and has measures in place to stop modern slavery and human trafficking.

Carbon Smart’s goal is to help organisations become aware of the issue, learn whether modern slavery takes place in their supply chains, identify any risks and develop a mitigation plan. We will also help in preparing the statement required by the Act and provide you with useful tools that can be applied by your team members to ensure that modern slavery is not taking place in your organisation.

 

[1] Source: https://www.ashridge.org.uk/getattachment/Faculty-Research/Research/Current-Research/Research-Projects/Corporate-approaches-to-addressing-modern-slavery/Modern-Slavery-v3-named.pdf