Sustainable development goals are the basis for ensuring future economic and business growth, poverty eradication and environmental protection. For the company, sustainable development is not a compromise between environmental friendliness and economic growth. It is a way to improve people’s lives and health, preserve the environment and increase responsible consumption through business development. Sustainability is a priority that does not depend on pandemics or other sociopolitical phenomena.
It is impossible to have a powerful and successful business in a world where inequality and poverty are growing, and the climate is changing. Members of the UN Global Compact in Ukraine have a unique opportunity to adopt the Sustainable Development Goals program and make it the driving force behind their business strategies, innovations and, investment decisions. This will give them an advantage over competitors and bring them to the level of international priorities.
Businesses and society can find approaches that will simultaneously promote movement in three areas – environmental protection, social welfare and economic development. There is no doubt that a healthy economy and a favorable working environment are in the interest of any enterprise in Ukraine. At the global level, a growing and sustainable economy in developing countries provides the best opportunities for market expansion.
Implementing the principles of sustainable development in the business processes of each company is not an easy task. The partnership itself helps us share the best global and regional practices for rapid and effective change. Through a partnership, the limited resources of small business could be offset by the profitable cooperation with other participating companies.
In Ukraine, more than 100 companies have already joined the UN Global Compact. It is gratifying to see that more and more organizations are declaring their intention to improve the world and choosing a sustainable vector of development in their business processes, in the products they manufacture or the services they provide, and in partnerships that reinforce action to create a better future for all of us.
Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals requires leadership from the business environment, as well as commitment to principles, and continuous improvement. Taking responsibility for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, we are changing market standards and restructuring our own business strategies for the benefit of all humankind.
Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the UN Global Compact in Ukraine,
Vitalii Vereshchagin