Overview

SDG Ambition is an accelerator initiative that aims to challenge and support participating companies of the UN Global Compact in setting ambitious corporate targets and accelerating integration of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into core business management. SDG Ambition enables companies to move beyond incremental progress and step-up transformative change – unlocking business value, building business resilience, and enabling long-term growth.

The need for SDG Ambition today is clear. The world is not delivering progress towards the SDGs at the pace and scale needed. While it is still possible to shift the world towards a 1.5°C trajectory and achieve the SDGs by 2030, it will take urgent, scalable and multi-stakeholder action to dramatically accelerate progress. Companies must take a clear stand and demonstrate bold leadership to transform business models and economies so they become more just and inclusive – leaving no one behind. This is our starting line as we launch SDG Ambition.

Led by the UN Global Compact in partnership with SAP and Accenture, SDG Ambition will empower and equip participating companies of the UN Global Compact to develop and implement innovative business strategies that significantly increase their positive impact on the SDGs. Through the Global Compact Local Networks in 60+ countries, participating companies will assess current performance, identify risk areas, discover new opportunities across business units and functions and take ambitious business action towards achieving the SDGs.

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN

How to strategically prioritize actions that will accelerate your company’s contribution to the 2030 Agenda.
How to set targets aligned with absolute benchmarks that today may seem aspirational but are critical to spearhead the transformation of economies and societies.
How to hardwire SDG-related business goals and outcomes into core processes and management of business, to materially.

WHAT YOU WILL GAIN

An understanding of baseline impacts across the business in creating a comprehensive sustainability strategy.
The ability to achieve ambitious goals aimed at galvanizing business action with what is actually required to achieve the SDGs.
An overview of how to integrate and mainstream ambitious sustainability goals across business units by pioneering a performance integration approach that utilizes enabling technologies.
An opportunity to communicate and track progress over time aligned.

Interested in Participating?

Join your peers in kickstarting a Decade of Action!

In-country track: Available in 25 Local Networks, the in-country track will be facilitated in local language and local time zone. It will offer a series of live and on-demand sessions, hands-on support, workshops, and peer-to-peer networking opportunities. Participants of the in-country track get access to global track sessions and in-country sessions.

Global track: Facilitated in English, the global track will offer the same curriculum content as the in-country track delivered through a series of live and on-demand sessions. This global track will be available in countries where an in-country programme is not available.

Participating companies of the UN Global Compact based in the countries below have the opportunity to sign up to the in-country track through their Global Compact Local Network. If you are not located in one of the countries below, you can still apply to the global track.

The following Local Networks have confirmed their participation in 2020:

Bangladesh	Georgia	Malaysia	Russia	Thailand
Belarus	Germany	Mexico	South Africa	Ukraine
Brazil	India	Morocco	Spain	United Kingdom
Croatia	Indonesia	Netherlands	Sweden	United States
Finland	Lebanon	Portugal	Switzerland	UAE

To get started, fill out the application form.

Timeline

Company registration: Deadline – November 2020

Programme begins: January 2021 (Please check exact dates with your Global Compact Local Network)

Kickstart a Decade of Action

Ambition Guide: Setting Goals for the Decade of Action

This publication establishes the initial set of SDG Ambition benchmarks that challenge organizations to set more ambitious goals and targets in the areas in which business is positioned to have a substantial impact. Business leaders can use this document to support their strategy and set goals ambitious enough to deliver the SDGs by 2030.

Integration Guide: Designing Business Systems for the SDGs

This publication presents the approach through which the ten SDG Ambition benchmarks can be integrated into core business processes and systems to enable effective measurement & management of sustainability performance. Business leaders can use this publication to identify the system opportunities to integrate the SDGs into core business processes.

SDG Ambition Benchmark Reference Sheets (for consultation)

These documents provide illustrative details regarding the steps to integrate each of the SDG Ambition Benchmarks into a company’s business systems, as well as the key design decision required to engage technology partners.

SDG Ambition – Scaling Business Impact for the Decade of Action

This publication is an introduction to SDG Ambition — a new initiative of the UN Global Compact. By raising ambition, deepening integration, and embracing new technologies we believe business can become a leading actor in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). With the launch of SDG Ambition, the UN Global Compact is proud to share its new SDG Implementation Framework, which aims to guide companies to deepen integration of the SDGs and Ten Principles into business strategy, operations, and stakeholder engagement.

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