How the UN Sustainable Development Goals are driving climate action

How the UN Sustainable Development Goals are driving climate action

Wednesday February 21, 2018

On January 1, 2016, the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development came into force. This was a hugely important event because it signalled the priorities that would drive governments, organizations and businesses around the world to improve life for people and the planet.

Until 2030, the SDGs will shape policies and actions to take on many of the world’s most pressing problems, from poverty (Goal 1) to climate change (Goal 13).

Companies across Canada are helping the world work towards the Sustainable Development Goals

The UN SDGs are so inspiring because governments and, more recently, businesses have taken up the challenge to act as a force for good by addressing one or more of the 17 goals.

At Bullfrog Power, we work with companies from a wide cross-section of industries that are looking to make their operations more sustainable. Recently, we’ve noticed that our customers are aligning their sustainability initiatives with the SDGs.

As an article in GreenBiz points out, “Businesses that incorporate the Global Goals usually begin by using them as outputs, as a way to highlight what they are already doing, that aligns with one or more of the 17 goals.”

Unilever Canada—one of the most significant supporters of green energy with Bullfrog Power—is a partner on the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA), which addresses Goal 2 (Zero Hunger) and Goal 13 (Climate Change).

In February 2019, Bullfrog Power customer Sodexo Canada earned the highest marks in SAM’s “Sustainability Yearbook” for the twelfth straight year. This award recognizes companies whose CSR efforts are helping to “realize the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.”

How can your business contribute to the SDGs?

First, look to each of the SDGs to find connections between one or more of the goals and the ways in which your business operates. At Bullfrog Power, we know that Goal 13, Climate Action, is one that any business in Canada can work towards by choosing green energy for its facilities.

For example, Sodexo Canada took action on climate change by bullfrogpowering three offices and one warehouse with green electricity as part of Sodexo’s global mandate to reduce its carbon emissions by 34% by 2024, compared to a 2011 baseline.

This works in conjunction with other sustainability efforts such as the recently launched WasteWatch program, which provides real-time feedback identifying where food is being wasted and why. The data-driven program will help Sodexo Canada reduce food waste by 50% in order to achieve Goal 2 (Zero Hunger) targets by 2025, ahead of the United Nations’ 2030 timeline.

Choosing renewable energy for your business is an easy and impactful way to align your business with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and contribute to the global effort to address the world’s most pressing problems.

Want to know how your business can contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals by partnering with Bullfrog Power? Contact us at business@bullfrogpower.com.