Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Implementation:
The National Business Initiative (NBI) has adopted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a strategic framework to guide work towards a sustainable and inclusive socio-economic transition for South Africa. The SDGs call for the participation of business in the development agenda and emphasize the need for partnership across the public and private sectors as well as between sectors of the economy and civil society.
It is central to the NBI’s mandate to facilitate partnerships of this nature and the SDGs provide a tangible roadmap to drive conversations with companies about transition pathways.
Furthermore, the NBI recognises that the SDGs are about opportunity. A significant amount of work needs to be done, however, to unlock this value and realise the economic, social, ecological and financial benefit.
The NBI has learned that this potential value can be unlocked in two ways:
- To foster collaboration at national, sectoral and organisational levels and between various stakeholders to create an enabling environment where all sectors of society thrive.
- To provide support to companies and other organisations to enhance their competitiveness within economic contexts undergoing transition.
The NBI has developed a methodology to promote collaboration between sectors across NBI membership as well as, in collaboration with Confederation of Danish Industry (DI), to support individual companies to enhance their competitiveness.
This methodology is underpinned by the principles of the SDGs and provides guidance to business for how to prioritise and align their core business strategies to the SDGs to amplify their positive impact while reducing negative on environment and society and, importantly, to realise the potential opportunity offered by the SDGs.
We are piloting this methodology with the Banking Association of South Africa (BASA) and with Sasol. In September 2018 we held a national SDG roadshow with the DI to share our work and company best practice with companies and stakeholders in Durban, Cape Town and Johannesburg. Please click on the link to the right of this page for access to the infographic report on the 2018 SDG Roadshow.
If you are interested in participating in further sector, or company, level work, please contact us.
Collection of NBI SDG posters for download:
Click on each of the icons below to access downloadable copies of the Global and Local SDG report card posters and click on the SDG logo in the bottom right corner to access the SDG goal and target summary poster:
The SDG Roadshow infographic report:
The Roadshow presentations:
Useful links and resources:
Key reports: building a case for SDG incorporation into business strategy:
Key reports: understanding & measuring the SDGs:
SDG databases & tools:
