05 Ing-Objetivos de desarrollo sostenible

The United Nations established the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development to address global challenges like poverty and climate change. One of the goals, number 12, requires large corporations to adopt sustainable practices and report on their progress. This reflects their influence on the global economy. The agenda recognizes the need for a holistic approach to overcome economic, social, and environmental challenges. Large corporations have a responsibility to adopt sustainable practices due to their impact on supply chains and consumers. This requires changes in operations and stakeholder relationships. Measures include transitioning to low-carbon processes and ensuring safe working conditions. Reporting on sustainability is crucial for transparency and monitoring progress. The adoption of sustainable practices benefits companies and helps achieve the agenda's goals. Large corporations play a key role in driving global sustainability efforts. The United Nations adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in 2015, an ambitious roadmap to build a more equitable and prosperous future for all. This agenda consists of 17 Sustainable Development Goals that address urgent global challenges such as poverty, inequality, and climate change. One of these goals, number 12, places large corporations at the center of action by requiring them to adopt sustainable production and consumption practices and publicly report on their progress. This imperative reflects the enormous influence these companies exert on the global economy and their capacity to lead the transition to sustainability. The Context of the 2030 Agenda The 2030 Agenda represents a global consensus on the need to transform current development models. It acknowledges that economic, social, and environmental challenges are interconnected and that a holistic and integrated approach is required to overcome them. The 17 SDGs form a roadmap with concrete goals for 2030 in critical areas such as poverty reduction, food security, gender equality, decent work, industrial innovation, and climate action, among many others. The Responsibility of Large Corporations Large corporations play a leading role in achieving these goals due to their significant weight in the global economy and in goods and services markets. Their decisions impact millions of people through their supply chains, the communities where they operate, and the consumers who purchase their products. Therefore, SDG 12 imposes on them the responsibility to adopt environmentally sustainable consumption and production modalities. This requires profound changes in their operations, business models, and stakeholder relationships. Concrete Sustainability Measures The implementation of SDG 12 requires bold sustainability measures, both environmental and social. On the environmental front, transitioning to low-carbon and resource-efficient processes is key, including intensive use of renewable energies, optimization of logistics routes, and implementation of the circular economy through recycling and reuse. On the social aspect, it is crucial to ensure safe, dignified, and non-discriminatory working conditions throughout the value chain, promote diversity and inclusion in the workforce, and establish respectful dialogues with local communities to drive their economic and social development. Reporting on Sustainability As important as implementing sustainability actions is transparently reporting on progress and challenges in this area. This is achieved through sustainability reports, with quantitative data on the environmental, social, and economic performance of the company. There are international standards such as those of the Global Reporting Initiative that provide these reports with comparability, credibility, and comprehensiveness. Sustainability reports are key to monitoring progress, assessing gaps, and strengthening the trust of investors, consumers, and other stakeholders. The adoption of sustainable practices by the business sector is indispensable to meet the 2030 Agenda and lay the foundations for a more prosperous and inclusive future. While it involves significant transformations, this transition also generates reputational benefits, improves access to markets, and mitigates risks for companies. Sustainable Development Goals 12 encapsulates this imperative for change and places large corporations, due to their enormous social and environmental influence, at the forefront of global action for sustainability. Their leadership is crucial to realizing the more equitable and resilient future demanded by humanity. See you next time!