The Business Value of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Over the past 30 years, the world has seen huge social improvements and technological progress. We have experienced unprecedented economic growth and lifted hundreds of millions of people out of poverty. We’re benefiting from a life-changing digital revolution that could help solve our most pressing social and environmental challenges. Yet despite these successes, our current model of development is not sustainable.

“Achieving the Global Goals creates at least US$12 trillion in opportunities.”

Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (or also known as SDGs or Global Goals) opens up US$12 trillion of market opportunities in the four economic systems examined by the Business and Sustainable Development Commission. These are food and agriculture, cities, energy and materials, and health and well-being. They represent around 60 percent of the real economy and are critical to delivering the Global Goals. To capture these opportunities in full, businesses need to pursue social and environmental sustainability as avidly as they pursue market share and shareholder value.

This Better Business, Better World report is a call to action for current and future business leaders. It explains why they should go for growth in line with the Global Goals and how to lead that change, in their own businesses and beyond.

For more about the report by the Business and Sustainable Development Commission, visit http://report.businesscommission.org/.