Check out which are the most popular global goals amongst companies thanks to the UNGC progress report! Such report features current trends in terms of sustainability management and reporting. The UNGC is a set of ten principles to which more than 12,000 organizations adhere. Since the release of the Sustainable Development Goals, the UNGC also monitors the progress of companies towards them. The SDGs, also called the Global Goals, are 17 worldwide sustainability goals set up by the United Nations from 2015 to 2030. In this article, we present you the top 3 global goals for 2018, which are focused on labor/social issues.
First addressed global goal: Decent work and economic growth
Such goal aims to promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all [1]. In this context, the UNGC reports that there are still 6,000 deaths per day due to work related accidents or diseases, that 24.9 million people were in situation of forced labor in 2016 and that 6000 million of jobs are needed by 2030 to keep pace with growth of working age population.
Companies reports to have:
Source: UNGC progress report https://www.unglobalcompact.org/library/5637
What can you do as a business?
- Commit to prohibit forced labor and child labor
- Implement related measures (awareness training, audits, whistle blowing to report cases, HR processes, collaboration with local NGOs….)
- Implement health and safety measures (risk assessment, audits, controls, provision of protective equipment, trainings….)
- Measures to anticipate and reduce impacts of layoff
Second global goal: Gender equality
The goal 5 wants to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls [2]. Some progress still needs to be done: for a dollar earned by men, women earn 82 cents. In addition, in 18 countries, men can legally prevent their wives from working. The UNGC also reports this alarming trend: seven out of ten women experience physical and/or sexual violence in their lifetime. However, companies report that they are addressing such issue.
Source: UNGC progress report https://www.unglobalcompact.org/library/5637
How can companies ensure gender equality and the safety of women at work?
- Commit to non-discrimination policy
- Implement related actions: training of employees, audits, controls, whistle blowing system, sanctions in case of proven case
- Diversity program: dedicated projects to empower women
- Monitor KPIs such as share of men/women, especially in management positions
Third global goal: Good health and well being
The goal 3 wishes to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages. What the goal wants to change: 400 million people lacking access to essential health services globally, or 576 Billion USD lost to employee illness (in the USA). Organizations reported:
Source: UNGC progress report https://www.unglobalcompact.org/library/5637
How can you do you share as a company, to make this goal progress?
- Set up dedicated health and safety policies and communicate them to employees
- Implement health and safety program
- Reduce stress at work, also with satisfactory conditions or with innovative measures for work-life balance like flexible working times or home office possibilities
- Make sure the workplaces are adapted and ergonomic
- When applicable, provide company specific health care program to your employees as part of their compensation package.
To summarize, sustainability challenges are still ahead of us. The good news is that organizations also report to work on them, which means that businesses have positive impacts and help the global goals progress.
If you want more guidance on how you can address the global goals, please go to our webpage or contact us at
Let’s move the global sustainability agenda forward!
[1] https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/sdg8
[2] https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/sdg5
