Innovation

The innovation involves assessing a sample of the world’s largest companies, looking at their commitments and actions on the Global Goals, and reporting annual research since 2015, when the SDGs launched. The research is done by sending questionnaires to all clients or potential clients at Corporate Citizenship and asking them what they did for SDGs during the year and what they did not do well in achieving the goals. This annual report is public and posted on their website.

The report applies the TAME framework, first developed in 2015, to assess how companies Think, Act, Measure progress, and Engage on the Global Goals. According to Simon, "The data we selected was based on publicly available information found in sustainability reports, annual financial reports and accounts, and corporate websites." For example, in the "Think" part, the research found that 41% of the 240 companies they assessed have done some form of mapping or prioritization of the Goals to which they most contribute.

The SDGs annual report initially emerged in combination with the mission and purpose of this company. As Simon said: "We are helping to realize effective corporate citizenship and providing services like benchmarking to let businesses compare with other businesses in the way of achieving the SDGs.” The report has emerged because the company realizes this innovation is as important as other factors and is a way to encourage people to contribute to a sustainable world.

The initial members involved in this task were the founders and the board, who realized the importance of the SDGs after 2015, and the goals consisted of the mission of the business. After making a decision to realize the innovation, many people have been involved in this innovation. For example, the staff need to send a survey to clients or businesses, the investors also need to respond, and practitioners are involved from across a variety of sectors, especially those have a strong social corporate responsibility.

Inspiration

The original inspiration came from the original founder, the London office. The SDGs had not launched when the company started its business in 1999, but its founders foresaw the importance of sustainable development in the future. After the release of the SDGs in 2015, the company felt that the annual report could let more enterprises know the importance of the SDGs, and through this report find out which enterprises are not strong enough in the process of achieving their goals. The original idea also came from the business operations of this company, as Simon said: "We are helping businesses to be better corporate citizens [by understanding] what they are doing for SDGs and what they did not do well in SDGs and how they can increase the corporate social responsibility.“

The purpose of the annual report is the same as that of achieving the goal. As Simon said, "Drive for leadership, drive more positive response for SDGs, and profile SDGs." (Communicate SDGs to More Enterprises)

Overall impact

Innovation has a huge and multifaceted impact on companies. It has both short-term and long-term effects. Although this impact is not clear for the business to achieve the SDGs directly, it indirectly helps many enterprises to achieve these goals. As Simon said: "With this annual report, other companies can see their shortcomings here, see where the same company is doing better than their own. If they want to contribute to SDGs, then they may come to our company to consult." From the company's point of view, this annual report on SDGs analyzes the extent and aspirations of the surveying enterprises to achieve the goals, which helps other enterprises to follow the steps of SDGs and indirectly helps enterprises to attract more revenue and more customers to help them achieve the SDGs.

This influence is enormous, and for society and the environment, it can motivate more companies to contribute to SDGs if they see the shortcomings mentioned in the report. In other words, the 2018 report says, "Only 10% of the largest companies are adapting or creating new products, services, or models to support the SDGs." Compared with 240 companies, that means only 24 companies have met several of these goals, such as Goal 9, Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure. Simon says: "Today, companies are no longer alone." When a company starts to fulfill its social responsibility, investors, customers, and employees will be more loyal than those of other companies that fail to fulfill their responsibilities. This is also the impact of this report: through this precise number to tell where we can improve and where we are much worse, so as to enhance the sense of social responsibility in this way.

Business benefit

The benefits of this innovation to business can be seen not only in terms of short-term profits, but also in terms of long-term social responsibility. Helping enterprises to assume social responsibility and achieve SDGs is the goal of the enterprise. "In today's society, financial benefits are already the most basic benefits, and more are now more recognized by society," Simon said. This annual report is updated every year to make more people realize the importance of SDGs, and the company is committed to corporate social sense, leading many companies to come to the company to consult on how to improve corporate responsibility and meet a series of goals. However, the specific number is uncertain: how many customers are driven because they see this is about sustainable development? The report of the exhibition was chosen for consultation.

However, although there are no exact figures for the increased profits, Simon said: "This innovation has made our employees, investors, and customers more positive and loyal to us." Because employees are more willing to work in a company that fulfills social responsibility, investors are more willing to invest in companies that satisfy SDGs. These companies also have a higher understanding of social responsibility and energy conservation.

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Social and environmental benefit

The impact of this innovation on society is undoubtedly positive and motivates other enterprises to join in the implementation of SDGs. For the influence of society, we cannot say that it has a direct impact, but it does have an indirect impact on the whole society. "This report serves as a monitor for society as a whole," Simon said. The company uses the analysis of data and the number of achievable goals to determine whether these enterprises and customers have met the goal of creating sustainable development. This report is like a report card to mark many enterprises in the past year, and then publish it to urge companies to do better and better. Nowadays, no one monitors enterprises even if they have actions or innovations to implement SDGs. Therefore, it is believed that innovation of Corporate Citizenship promotes the progress of SDGs.

Interview

Simon J. Robinson, Director