Sustainability: Going green through the red light

In this time of flux, it is opportune for businesses to focus on wellbeing and sustainability. Bridget Williams from Bead & Proceed unpacks how weaving sustainability through your business during the pandemic is essential for solving the challenges we face.

It’s all connected

They say hindsight is a beautiful thing, but the ugly truth is we knew a pandemic of this nature was coming for us. As stated by the United Nations Development Programme, “scientists have warned for years that unrestricted deforestation, the illegal wildlife trade, and diseases that cross from animals to humans would unleash an uncontrollable pandemic”, which is why investing in green economies is essential to restoring the balance between people and planet and helping communities recover.

These issues echo the three impact areas of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): social, economic and environmental. In fact, the connection between the SDGs and the COVID-19 pandemic response has been likened to a double helix because tackling the goals and the virus is so intertwined, and both require a cohesive approach.

Since COVID-19 was introduced, the SDGs have faced dramatic setbacks towards the targets:

• SDG 3 – Good Health and Wellbeing: the pandemic threatens health across the globe, and there are adverse knock-on effects due to vaccination breaks and further mental health issues due to impact on livelihoods

• SDG 2 – Zero Hunger: the virus has affected the production, distribution and availability of food pushing further people into distress

• SDG 1 – No Poverty: poverty has increased for the first time in decades, with Oxfam estimating the crisis could push half a billion people back into poverty

• SDG 8 – Decent Work and Economic Growth: the International Labour Organization reports that more than onein-six young people have lost their jobs, and, according

to Stats NZ, the New Zealand unemployment rate is at 5.3 per cent

• SDG 4 – Quality Education: the pandemic re-emphasised the ‘digital divide’ and the right to internet access, and, according to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, about 1.25 billion students have been affected by lockdowns

• SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions: due to various national referendums being postponed, there’s an increasing risk of unrest and an increasing need for governments to deliver digital services and social protection.

These are just a few examples, but the truth is every SDG has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sustainability is the strategy for the ‘new normal’

With alert levels and traffic light changes, there’s a growing desire for familiarity and ‘getting back to normal’ but ‘normal’ got us here in the first place. Therefore, getting ‘back to normal’ is simply not feasible nor sustainable. The crisis has also illustrated how deeply connected people, planet and prosperity are and the growing need to align businesses with sustainable values, making the SDGs and environmental, social and governance (ESG) goals a must throughout business.

As explained in my previous articles, all 193 UN Member States, including New Zealand, have adopted the SDGs, making it the largest globally recognised framework for sustainability. Because the COVID-19 pandemic is a global crisis and requires action from all nations, it makes sense to use the SDGs to trump COVID-19. SDGs are also one of the leading ESG frameworks and, with the 169 targets, the goals are an effective tool to help measure and report on ESG developments. The integrated effects that the COVID-19 pandemic has caused parallel the integrated solutions needed to build back a greener and more inclusive future to not only rid us of the pandemic but prevent another from occurring.

The time is now

While listing the negative effects of COVID-19 seems counterintuitive to making a positive impact, there is no better time to create change. As Albert Einstein said, “in the midst of every crisis, lies great opportunity”. Multiple organisations are using the COVID-19 pandemic as the catalyst to kick-start or strengthen sustainable practices. Why? Because the pandemic has forced us to take stock of our values and re-examine what we care about.

We’re seeing businesses retain flexible working policies, going paperless and limiting national travel because virtual is more accessible and cost-effective. Many are introducing mental health allowances for staff due to an appreciation of stressful and strange times. In my mind, I see there is no better time than now to use these efforts to achieve the SDGs:

• the COVID-19 crisis has given the world a glimpse of where we will be if the SDGs are not achieved, thus giving us further motivation to reach the 2030 deadline

• the crisis has proven we can move fast and hone our efforts to make an impact

• awareness is growing of how interconnected these issues are

• this is also the first time in 100 years the world has worked towards a common goal: proof that we can put energy and resources into collective action.

I appreciate for some businesses and organisations the reality is survival, and through the traffic-light system it is easy to just see red. However, going green doesn’t have to begin with massive changes because even the smallest actions are a step in the right direction.

Bridget Williams is the founder of the social enterprise, Bead & Proceed, which exists to educate people about the 17 UN SDGs and inspire action towards them. Her passion for sustainability and using creativity as a tool for innovation has made her a recognised SDGs expert, helping organisations with sustainable strategy and SDG reporting. Bridget is a selected World Economic Forum Global Shaper and member of the Asia New Zealand Foundation Leadership Network, which has led her to become a creditable global change maker. Her efforts have been recognised and endorsed by the Rt Hon Helen Clark and the JCI Osaka Outstanding Young Person’s Programme.