Business engagement will be a fundamental ingredient to the successful achievement of the ambitious agenda covered by the SDGs, be it through investment, using technology to drive innovative solutions, being an engine for growth or through adopting more sustainable business models.
We believe an important first step in the process will be for a business' management to understand which SDGs are of more relevance to their existing operations, which can then help them to make more informed decisions on where they might focus their effort and resources.
In order to help businesses to take that first step, we are in the process of developing a quick diagnostic tool that will show which SDGs are of more relevance given the countries and sectors in which a business operates, and the policies, practices and initiatives that they currently employ.
The tool has been in development mode during the summer, and will be piloted over the course of October and early November, ready to be launched formally at the end of November during the Commonwealth Business Forum, as part of the Commonwealth Business Challenge.
Aim of the tool: to give a "40,000 foot" view of the SDG relevance to a business, as a facilitation tool for an initial board room discussion the SDGs. It will be a quick, low cost analysis, designed to be the starting point for a more informed dialogue with the Board.