Business relationships in difficult times
Introduction
As highlighted in the Sustainability and business — The call to action: build back better report, AICPA® and CIMA® started a programme of thought leadership to explore accountancy and sustainability. This is part of a series of briefs exploring the topic of sustainability, business and the finance professional’s key role. These briefs will help organisations consider the sustainability issues, how to integrate them into their long-term decision-making and how to incorporate these issues into internal and external reporting.
This brief details the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGS) and offers practical guidance on integrating them into your organisation.
The themes in this brief are based on a CIMA webcast given by Professor Ian Thomson FCMA CGMA, Director of the Lloyds Banking Group Centre for Responsible Business at the University of Birmingham. Held on the fifth anniversary of the ratification of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) the webcast answered the questions: ‘where are we and how can management accountants help move us forward?’1
Organisations and finance professionals have an important role to play in understanding their business impact and the opportunities for change across the three elements of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) that the goals encompass: 'that ending poverty must go hand-in-hand with strategies that build economic growth and address a range of social needs including education, health, equality and job opportunities, while tackling climate change and working. to preserve our ocean and forests'.2
