PODCAST | UN SDGs likely won’t be achieved by 2030 — what now?

The United Nations’ (UN) 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is an ambitious framework that includes 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) designed to address global challenges, from poverty and inequality to climate change.

However, a 2023 UN report revealed that progress on achieving these SDGs by the 2030 deadline had been severely hampered by factors such as the Covid-19 pandemic and geopolitical tensions, resulting in a global economic contraction that threatens to reverse years of hard-won gains.

In SA, the story is no different. The latest Sanlam ESG Barometer report highlights that many organisations are struggling to align their strategies with the SDGs, with only 35% of surveyed companies integrating these goals into their core business strategies. This disconnect raises the question: what actions can be taken to reverse this trend?

In the fifth episode of the Sanlam ESG Barometer podcast, which unpacks the key insights from this report, host Andile Khumalo discusses the current state of the SDGs, the challenges faced, and potential pathways forward to make meaningful progress.

Joining Khumalo for this important discussion are Teboho Makhabane, head of ESG and Impact at Sanlam Investments, and Dr Achieng Ojwang, executive director at the UN Global Compact Network SA.

Listen now:

About the Sanlam ESG Barometer report

Researched by Krutham and presented in collaboration with Business Day, the annual Sanlam ESG Barometer report examines evolving ESG dynamics and how listed companies in SA and Kenya are enhancing environmental and social outcomes through their operations.

Click here to download the 2024 edition now.

This article was sponsored by Sanlam.