In September 2015, those present at the UN Sustainable Development Summit announced: ‘We resolve, between now and 2030, to end poverty and hunger everywhere; to combat inequalities within and among countries; to build peaceful, just and inclusive societies; to protect human rights and promote gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls; and to ensure the lasting protection of the planet and its natural resources. We resolve also to create conditions for sustainable, inclusive and sustained economic growth, shared prosperity and decent work for all, taking into account different levels of national development and capacities.’

This bold statement is to be delivered by 2030 through the accomplishment of seventeen ‘Sustainable Development Goals’ (SDGs). The SDGs provide a simple set of key issues for any organisation wanting to understand its impact in a global context, while the 169 targets that sit below provide clear means of engaging more proactively in contributing towards their achievement.

We continually review our business against the SDGs to ensure we are helping to drive forward these goals. We highlight here just a few examples of how we as a business are addressing many of them through our social impact work, diversity and inclusion initiatives, direct operations and also our client advice.