Sustainable Development Goals - Inspiration bingo for a better world

Newspeak or new direction? The Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) formulated by the United Nations in 2015 can be both. The seventeen objectives that must be achieved by 2030 are in any case concrete enough to get started.

Less poverty, more biodiversity, sustainable production, reliable rule of law, gender equality, access to just and good governance. Left and right they are part of the lives of citizens, companies, governments and non-profit organizations. And the reality is that they are becoming inescapable, especially for organizations in the public and private sectors that want to be relevant.

Precisely because of the concrete interpretation of the goals, the SDGs are both a great source of inspiration and a practical tool for a multi-year strategy. Because take the 'bingo card' with the 17 colored SDG areas with the underlying sub-goals, look for the goals that appeal to you most and match them with the strengths of the organization and the social ambitions.

But if only management or the communications department work with it, it quickly becomes newspeak. For a long-term new direction, an organization that takes itself seriously seeks the connection between management, its own employees, share and stakeholders. This dialogue results in involvement in the choice and implementation of the SDGs, and the associated joint network of partners.

Good communication is indispensable for this strategy to succeed. Successes and personal stories inspire enthusiasm, but honesty about the road to that success inspires. You can read the SDG targets numerically, but they are about people.

The SDGs are still sometimes the domain of 'insiders' and 'believers', but that is changing. Your customers, employees, governments, investors, NGOs – they all demand more sustainable and social organizations. If more than half of the 250 largest companies, pension funds, development banks and others have already chosen, then the sustainable goals are reality.

Issuemakers can help you with your strategy with tailor-made support. Please contact us via our SDG Desk, contact person Pieter Idenburg,