The SDGs question the significance of the corporation’s existence in society

Lately, we often hear the term SDGs being talked about around us. However, it seems that many people see them as only lofty ideals enhanced by beautiful phrases.

The essence of SDGs is instead to serve as concrete guideposts to solve acute problems we may have.

With this understanding, you will be able to see that SDGs can become an integral part of our lives and can also lead us to think about and take actions necessary to us as well as the earth.

Officially, SDGs stand for “Sustainable Development Goals.” However, I view them as “sustainable evolving goals.” In other words, these goals are not something that can change our situation with outsiders’ policies or funds, but are instead something that each one of us puts effort into as a person concerned with our own growth.

Moreover, today’s society is not sustainable, and unless each one of us works together on these goals, there will be no future for us.

This was first pointed out in the “Limits to Growth,” a report published in 1972 by the Club of Rome, which consists of global intellectuals.

The report pointed out that as the global population continues to grow exponentially, the permissible number on this planet will reach a limit and suggested that we think about what we can do before reaching that limit.

In 1987, the concept of “Sustainable Development” was defined by the United Nation’s (UN) Brundtland Commission.

This “sustainable development” advocated the importance of environmental consideration that does not compromise the ability of future generations, as well as the necessity of meeting the needs of the current generation’s poor.

It clarified that “sustainable development” means to work toward solutions for both current and future issues concurrently instead of choosing only one or the other.

Following the UN’s move, the Earth Summit was held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, where twin treaties concerning the environment, the Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Convention on Biological Diversity were adopted, and the Rio Declaration was proclaimed.

Furthermore, in 2000, the UN established the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which aimed to end poverty in particular.

In 2015, the SDGs, which upgraded and replaced the MDGs, were adopted at the UN Summit. The SDGs consist of 17 goals and 169 associated targets, including economic and environmental goals.

As seen above, humankind has steadily embodied the ideas of “sustainable development” and established and shared the specific goals we should aim to achieve.

Meanwhile, unfortunately, the climate change issue is far from being solved, and has fallen into such a crisis situation that a state of emergency has been declared. Although one of the MDGs, to halve the world’s poor population, was achieved, the situation for the people that are still left behind is serious.

We have realized that just continuing what we have been working on is not sufficient to bring an end to this situation. In other words, we cannot save our “present” and “future” this way.

To take a wider perspective and bring forth transformational changes in the entire structure of society, social and economic systems, and human behavior – this is what the SDGs aspire to.

Here again, when I think about what transformation is required of a corporation to achieve the SDGs, I can say it is the restructuring of its business model.

For example, a leading chemical manufacturer in Japan developed and donated mosquito nets infused with insect repellent to curb malaria infection in Africa and other countries. Since these nets had superior performance and were very useful, they received large orders and started selling them at a price almost as low as the cost.

This effort can contribute to poverty eradication, which is a goal of the SDGs.

We are inclined to associate poverty only with financial deficiency such as low income. However, poverty has many facets such as water and food security issues, poor living conditions including sanitation, and medical and educational issues, and these factors are intertwined in a complex manner.
Many Japanese companies are inclined to think they can contribute to resolving environmental problems but are at a loss what to do with poverty. However, there are a variety of ways to address poverty issues.

Malaria prevention is a critical measure in fighting poverty. For this reason, the effort made by the Japanese chemical manufacturer was commended by the United Nations.

Currently this chemical manufacturer has established an internal committee to certify a product line that can contribute to SDGs in an attempt to visualize and expand SDG-related business size.

They are trying to internally establish a new management system for their SDG efforts to formulate new business and growth areas.

Although this chemical manufacturer is one of Japan’s leading major businesses, small businesses can also create new SDG-related business models by utilizing their own unique characteristics.

The important thing is that you need to acknowledge that SDGs provide opportunities for starting a new business. You should not be engaged in SDGs on orders from your supervisor or as a corporate image strategy.

In setting SDGs, as many as 5 million comments were sent across the globe in response to a call for opinions.

Based on those comments 169 targets have been set and they are, so to speak, the concrete goals in which global needs for the “present” and “future” are condensed. In short, they are a collection of valuable clues for new businesses.

I think that corporations capable of utilizing these clues can initiate transformation within their corporations that will lead to transformation on a global scale.

In collaboration with the Japan Institute for Social and Economic Affairs, an organization of the Japan Business Federation, I organized a course themed on the “SDGs and Corporate Strategies” at Meiji University. In that course we learned about actual examples of corporate situations shared by guest business people. Because the course attracted a great deal of interest from students, we needed to change the venue to accommodate a large audience.

This indicates that there is a growing awareness among even the younger generation that SDGs involve their “present” and “future,” and are not just the concern of other people. As a university faculty member, it is extremely rewarding to respond to such a level of student interest.

* The information contained herein is current as of November 2019.
* The contents of articles on Meiji.net are based on the personal ideas and opinions of the author and do not indicate the official opinion of Meiji University.
* I work to achieve SDGs related to the educational and research themes that I am currently engaged in.