November 30th 2018 – Today during the ‘The business approach and SDGs’ event at the Rotterdam School of Management (RSM), Erasmus University, the Global Compact Network Netherlands will publish the SDG progress report 2018; ‘Companies on their way to 2030’. Chairman Jan-Willem Scheijgrond hands over the first copy to guests speaker Lise Kingo, CEO of UN Global Compact from New York, and Hugo von Meijenfeldt, SDG coordinator from het Rijk.
Membered companies of GNCL, annually report what and how they contribute to the 17 SDGs. The 17 SDGs collectively construct the world agenda until 2030 for the worldwide challenges regarding climate, energy, food, poverty, health, and more. Chairman Jan-Willem Scheijgrond:“Increasingly more Dutch companies embrace the SDGs. The number of members who work on the SDGs increased from 68% in 2016 to 89% in 2017. Members include Philips, Unilever, KLM, Akzo Nobel, but also smaller companies and NGO’s, knowledge institutions, and local communities, among many more. The participating Dutch cooperate culture remains rapidly growing. We expect that this will remain growing over the next several years. Nevertheless this is highly necessary, wanting to have realized the 17 SDGs in 2030”.
The progress report shows that companies indicate to contribute most frequently to SDG 8 (decent work and economic growth), 13 (climate action) and 12 (responsible consumption and production). They increase their activity regarding the realization of the SDGs. Even though this fact, a big contribution is necessary to realize the SDGs, inside and outside of The Netherlands. Transitions and breakthrough-innovations are necessary for climate and energy, circular economy and digitalization. This means that companies are requested to align their business strategy with the SDGs and increase their ‘impact’, also through partnerships, with as goal a sustainable world.
During the event, which GCNL organizes in collaboration the Netwerk Groene Groeiers of VNO-NCW, the Dean of the Rotterdam School of Management (RSM), Steed van de Velde and the chairman of GCNL, Jan-Willem Scheijgrond, signed an ‘Alliance’, focused on expediting sustainable development and centralize the necessity for intensifying the collaboration between businesses and knowledge institutions.
You can find the report here: