ASTANA – The United Nations (UN) Global Compact launches the SDG Ambition program, aimed at expediting the integration of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into the strategic and operational activities of businesses, reported the press service of the UN in Kazakhstan.
Photo credit: sdghelpdesk.unescap.org.
This six-month educational course, designed by UN experts and partners, marks the first dedicated educational track for Central Asia. It is open to companies from Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. The program, conducted in Russian, will commence in October and is free for UN Global Compact participants. During the training, participants will receive full support in Russian, Kazakh, and Uzbek languages.
According to the UN Global Compact’s 2000-2020 Progress Report, approximately 84% of the Global Compact’s nearly 20,000 member companies are taking steps to achieve the SDGs. However, less than half have successfully integrated the SDGs into their core business activities, and only 37% have the necessary support tools to realize these goals.
The report also notes that while action is essential, measuring its impact is equally crucial. Only 57% of companies measure the effects of their actions on the SDGs, and merely 13% extend this assessment to their suppliers and partners.
Dinara Seijaparova, UN Global Compact Coordinator in Kazakhstan, emphasized the significance of the SDG Ambition program for Kazakh companies.
“The SDGs represent a vast market, estimated at $12 trillion, but not all companies are aware of how to capitalize on these opportunities. The accelerator program will assist companies in integrating the SDGs into their operations, ultimately improving their financial performance,” she said.
Currently, 22 companies from Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan have registered for the program.
Shokhrukh Pulatov, UN Global Compact Coordinator in Uzbekistan expressed his confidence that the SDG Ambition program holds a pivotal role in achieving the SDGs in Uzbekistan.
He believes that it will provide innovative approaches and strategies to accelerate progress, enabling Uzbek companies to become agents of change and contribute to the country’s sustainable future.
The Accelerator will also be launched in 36 other countries, including Argentina, Brazil, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Portugal, Serbia, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, the United States, Uruguay, and numerous others.
Interested participants can submit their applications online through the program’s official website. The application deadline is Sept. 30.
The United Nations Global Compact, established in 2000, stands as the world’s largest corporate sustainability initiative. It urges companies to align their strategies and operations with the Ten Universal Principles regarding Human Rights, Labor, Environment, and Anti-Corruption and to promote the SDGs. The Global Compact brings together over 21,000 businesses and nearly 3,000 non-profit organizations from more than 165 countries.
