The UN Sustainable Development Goals have grown widely popular over the last couple of years.

And with good reason! They are an excellent tool for companies who work or want to work on developing their business in a sustainable direction.

But how exactly do you use them?

We have gathered our dos and don’ts for working with the SDGs, to help you make the best of them and avoid SGD-washing.

How you shouldn’t use the SDGs:

For marketing purposes only

This should be a given, but unfortunately it is not, so let’s just set things completely straight. If you decide to use the Sustainable Development Goals in your marketing or communication, remember that you also have to actually use them within your company.

Just working with the headlines

Do not just like at the 17 Sustainable Development Goals and pick the ones that sound like they match what you want to communicate or do. There is much more to the goals than just their names, so read into what the goals really include.

Working with all the SDGs

No one can do it all. We’re sorry to break it to you, but that includes your company as well. We can all agree that all the goals are worthy of attention and commitment, but no company can wholeheartedly work with all of them. This means that just because something can be slightly related to a goal it does not mean you should start communicating that you work with this goal.

Phew… That was a lot of don’ts and no-nos. Don’t be discouraged, we will of course also tell you how to use the goals.

How to use the SDGs:

Get to know the subgoals

Before you start to decide which goals, you want to work with, it is a great idea to do a little research. All the sustainable development goals have subgoals and objectives that clearly define the purpose of the goal. Some are actually now what you would expect.

Pick 3-4 goals that relate to your challenges and brand

Everything you do, when it comes to sustainability, should be related to your own challenges and the impact your company has on the world. It won’t make much sense to fix one problem that has nothing to do with your company, if you are continuing to cause other problems by way of your business. So based on the research you did in step 1, you should pick 3-4 goals that are naturally related to your impact.

Implement the goals in your strategy

Now it’s time to get to work. After picking your 3-4 sustainable development goals, it’s time to implement them in your strategy. Assign responsibilities, set objectives, KPIs and deadlines (very important). Follow up on your progress and communicate wins and setbacks.