Aligning with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015 the United Nations updated its Millennium Goals to define a set of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to be shared by communities globally. In addition to the challenges related to the planetary boundaries, the SDGs include social challenges ranging from poverty to education and economic prosperity. The SDGs are intended to enable nations and corporations alike to identify common purposes and opportunities for action.
ICL’s core commitment – to provide certain essential needs to humanity – is well aligned with a number of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. ICL is also deeply committed to identifying the technologies, products and processes that ensure that, as a society, we do not exceed, environmental boundaries, while recognizing that this is an especially formidable challenge in the chemicals and mining industries in which ICL operates.
In past reports published since the launch of the SDGs initiative, we highlighted programs and activities that ICL launched to address the SDGs that emerged as the most significant elements in our materiality analysis. Last year, ICL expanded the internal discussion surrounding the SDGs to include executives well beyond those dealing with sustainability on a regular basis and explored how SDGs can inform ICL’s strategic perspective. This year, the internal discussion was expanded further, to include sales and marketing personnel, that are in direct contact with clients, and learn their perspective on the issue. The collected feedback is included in the Materiality Analysis.
The SDG that emerged as the most significant is directly connected to ICL’s core business – Zero Hunger. Other SDGs with a strong connection to ICL activities were found to be Clean Water and Sanitation; Decent Work; Good Health; and Responsible Consumption and Production. The findings also indicated that many of ICL’s business leaders see a direct connection between zero hunger and ending poverty. Other SDGs mentioned by some participating in the discussions were Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure; Affordable and Clean Energy; Climate Action; Life on Land ; and Sustainable Cities and Communities. ICL will continue this discussion with purpose of strengthening its alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals.
