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A few days ago, the United Nations Development Program, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and the China Chamber of International Commerce jointly released a baseline survey report on companies’ perceptions of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This is the first report of this kind in China. It aims to let business leaders understand how Chinese companies participate in SDGs, key areas, and future trends; and how companies can better face the "new normal" caused by the COVID-19 disease Resist the risks, so as to get out of the strong impact brought by the global crisis.

This groundbreaking "Sustainable Development Goals Practice Research Report for Chinese Enterprises-Baseline Survey of Chinese Enterprises and Sustainable Development" was jointly completed by the United Nations Development Program, PricewaterhouseCoopers (China) and the China Chamber of International Commerce. The report uses online questionnaire surveys and case interviews to comprehensively analyze the current awareness and practice of sustainable development of nearly a hundred companies in China (including foreign companies operating in China) in different industries. The report puts forward effective suggestions for companies on how to further participate in the SDG, and also points out the urgent challenges on the way forward.

The release of the report comes at a critical moment when countries all over the world are fully responding to the COVID-19 disease. To this end, the report has added a special chapter to focus on the innovative measures of Chinese companies in the fight against the "epidemic" through the SDG. These include: establishing an epidemic information management system, helping government departments to track contacts (corresponding to SDG 3: good health and well-being), and using drones to provide medical supplies (corresponding to SDG 11: sustainable cities) And the community) and the further popularization of online education (corresponding to SDG 4: Quality Education), etc.

The report pointed out that about 89% of Chinese companies understand SDG and recognize that a sustainable development model can not only increase the company’s brand value, but also bring positive social, economic and environmental impacts. At the same time, sustainable development is accompanied by many business opportunities. By 2030, the global economic growth driven by SDG will reach US$12 trillion. Aligning with SDG at the strategic level will bring many benefits to the company, such as improving efficiency, increasing employee retention, boosting brand influence, and enhancing the company's risk management capabilities.

The survey results show that at present, about 10% of companies in China have taken actions that help SDG, and 38% of companies are planning related measures. However, 42% of companies still do not know how to measure their contribution to sustainable development and how to conduct impact assessment from the SDG dimension.

In addition, the report also found that the priority selection of SDGs by Chinese companies is different from international practices. Chinese companies pay more attention to health (Goal 3) and education (Goal 4); however, on a global scale, companies as a whole are more inclined to decent work (Goal 8) and climate action (Goal 13).

The report reflects the current Chinese private sector's understanding of SDGs, and has laid a baseline for the current strategic direction and business practices of Chinese companies. This will help inspire more initiatives and initiatives, promote companies to keep pace with SDGs, and ultimately promote corporate governance in the 21st century to achieve influence from corporate social responsibility (CSR) to clear indicator-oriented sustainable development goals (SDG) Management transformation.

In this regard, the report also provides important suggestions. For example, from the top-down overall consideration at the strategic level, the board of directors and decision-makers directly and deeply participate in the establishment of a clear framework to integrate the impact of corporate operations on SDG into the company's core business and investment decisions, while using clear evaluation indicators The system regularly reports and discloses non-financial information to stakeholders.

The report emphasizes that maintaining a high degree of consistency with the SDG can help companies better avoid potential long-term risks and make long-term plans; therefore, corporate decision-makers should identify risks, seize opportunities, and set up a dedicated team to coordinate and integrate inter-departmental collaboration within the company , Clarify the division of labor among various departments, understand and effectively implement SDG benchmarking strategies and influence management.

Source: Official WeChat of the United Nations Development Programme