On September 25, 2015, all 193 member states of the United Nations adopted 17 new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and 169 related targets as a plan to tackle the economic, social, environmental and governance-related challenges of our time by 2030, providing a clear vision and framework for the future to all nations and businesses. The SDGs call on all businesses to apply their creativity and innovation to solving sustainable development challenges. All governments have approved the SDGs, yet their success heavily relies on the action and collaboration of all actors.
The Sustainable Development Goals are built on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) adopted in 2000, aimed at an array of issues that included slashing poverty, hunger, diseases, gender inequality, and access to water and sanitation. The new SDGs, and the broader sustainability agenda, go much further than the MDGs, addressing the root causes of poverty and the universal need for development that works for all.
UNDP Administrator Helen Clark noted: “If we all work together, we have a chance of meeting citizens’ aspirations for peace, prosperity, wellbeing and the preservation our planet.”
At Bank Audi, we decided to adopt the following 5 goals, and we plan to focus all our efforts towards achieving them, as part of our CSR strategy:
- Goal 4 – Quality Education - Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.
- Goal 5 – Gender Equality - Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.
- Goal 8 – Decent Work and Economic Growth - Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all.
- Goal 9 – Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure - Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation.
- Goal 13 – Climate Action - Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.
Our pledge to providing quality education came as a result of our efforts to promote financial literacy and quality education through our various programs and businesses such as Profamily, Global Money Week, the new SME business line as well as our KidzMondo events. Bank Audi also focuses on equality and empowering women and girls by focusing on equal remuneration, employment ratio and return to work as well as providing fair parental leaves and opportunities for women to lead.
Our endeavors to bolster our corporate social responsibility is also translated through our focus on economic growth by providing access to financial services, employee training, energy efficiency, etc. which will reap great results in terms of building a resilient infrastructure, sustainable industries and shoring up small and medium-sized enterprises.
Furthermore, we have pledged to combat climate change as seen through our Carbon Footprint program that encourages children and teenagers to keep track of their CO2 emissions.
Bank Audi once again asserts its firm commitment to contributing to a sustainable future for all the community and all stakeholders over the coming years.