SDGs are better aligned with responsible management concerns due to their more explicit emphasis on partnerships and their recognition that social, environmental, and economic problems are interconnected.While it is true that goal frameworks like the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) provide organisations at national level with a monitoring framework, which helps them to put pressure on governments and hold them to account; with the advent of SDGs, this process has been more inclusive than ever, with governments involving business, civil society, and citizens from the outset. UNGC is committed to be a leading catalyst of that transformation. 

Much like the UNGC’s 10 principles, the SDGs provide a common framework to set priorities vis-à-vis sustainable development and to align the expectations and strategies of different stakeholders. Commitment to the SDGs is very much framed around the ‘business case’ for responsible management. The ‘Agenda 2030’ is as much an agenda for sustainable development as it is an agenda for responsible management learning. Such learning can happen in explicit and implicit ways, and conscientiously so, if we learn about sustainability, responsibility, and ethics against the background of the SDGs.

The pandemic presents both an enormous challenge and tremendous opportunities for reaching the 2030 Agenda. It has exposed the global fragilities and laid bare the rampant inequalities that were already making life difficult for the most vulnerable. But the pandemic also shows us the wisdom of what is already inherent in the SDGs; the challenges we face cannot be dealt with in isolation. It demonstrated that the human community is completely interconnected and interdependent, that without harmony, especially with those most vulnerable among us, we all lose.

It is widely accepted that the scale and pace of change to deliver the SDGs has not been large enough or fast enough to date. At this point in time – with 10 years to go – the world is not on track to achieve the SDGs. We need a ‘Decade of Action’ to reverse this predicament. For businesses, now more than ever, it is time to ramp-up action in all areas of their operations and value chains to support the delivery of the SDGs.

To build back stronger from the Covid-19 pandemic, UNGC launched a three-year strategy (2021-23) to increase businesses’ contributions to the SDGs. The strategic ambition is to accelerate and scale the global collective impact of business by upholding the 10 principles and delivering the SDGs through five key shifts to accelerate the actions of business: holding companies accountable, balanced growth of local and regional networks, harnessing the collective action of small and medium-sized businesses, measuring impact in priority areas and engaging more actively with the UN and its partners.

Raising the bar

The UNGC works closely with its local networks to build their capacity to connect the local business community with UN offices at the country level. While local networks are independent, self-governed, and self-managed entities, they work closely with the UNGC Office in New York and act as a point of contact for UNGC signatories in a country.

In January 2018, the UNGC launched a new governance model called ‘One Global Compact’. The new ‘One Global Compact’ governance, which provides for more alignment and integration between the UNGC and 69 local networks, gives greater substance to the G-local approach of the initiative. It is a global movement with strong connections at local level in order to be present where companies operate, guiding them to act responsibly and in an innovative way towards reaching sustainability.

UN Global Compact Network India

Formed in November 2000, UNGCNI was registered in 2003 as a non-profit society to function as the Indian local network of the Global Compact, New York. It is the first local network in the world to be established with full legal recognition. Apart from programmatic interventions, principle-based projects and flagship events, it carries out training and research, thematic competitions and has a knowledge center which boasts of publications on various facets of sustainability and responsible business practices.

Currently, UNGCNI is already running five major initiatives that include Global Impact Initiatives (GIIs), UNGC business accelerator programmes designed to mainstream proven and established sustainable business practices – target gender equality (TGE); SDG ambition; young SDG innovators; climate ambition for 1.5 degree future; and CEO water mandate. These initiatives are focussed on not only measuring actionable impact and progress by companies that are members of the UNGC, but also by shining a spotlight on individuals delivering impact. GCNI is also supporting the creation and expansion of India chapter of PRME.

Consistent with UNGC’s decentralised governance framework, which is crucial to the adaptation of the principles of the compact at the local level, UNGCNI has also provided for robust and decentralised system of governance, whereby it facilitates the launch and operation of local chapters in key Indian cities. UNGCNI has its local chapters in eight major Indian cities/states – Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Pune, Assam and Kerala.

Throughout our journey, we have facilitated consultations across businesses, both public and private sector, and non-business stakeholders such as academia, policy makers and civil society. We believe that partnership and collective action is essential in all activities to advance the SDGs in the future.