Chances are, you’ve come across the acronyms SDG and ESG more frequently in recent times. This reflects the increasing importance that the business community is putting on sustainable development goals (SDGs) and environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG). These concepts are becoming more important for companies, as they are starting to include them in their plans. Mediation supports sustainable development and here is how.
What are SDGs
Think of SDGs like a to-do list for the planet. They were created by the UN to tackle big problems like poverty, inequality, and climate change. The 17 goals encompass such issues as promoting peaceful and inclusive societies, building sustainable infrastructure etc. They also were established by the UN to combating the complex nature of these problems.
Understanding ESG
ESG is like a scorecard for companies. It checks if they’re doing good things for the environment, society, and how they’re managed. It’s kind of like asking, “Is this company making the world a better place with its products/services and how it runs thing”. Examples:
- Enhancing Employee Relations
- Supporting Ethical Business Conduct
- Promoting Diversity and Inclusion
- Stakeholder Engagement
- Resolving Social Impact Issues
How Do They Interconnect?
SDGs and ESGs work together. SDGs give guidelines to businesses on how to help with big problems, while ESGs help measure how well they’re doing. So, if a company is doing “good things” / positive impact on environment and society, it’s likely also helping with SDGs.
Concrete Examples
As I worked 15+ years within the global business events industry, I want to use an example from there: Let’s consider an event organiser in the exhibition industry. If this company adopts sustainable practices like using recyclable materials for booth construction, minimising waste generation, and reducing carbon emissions during transportation, it aligns with ESG principles. Additionally, by ensuring accessibility for people with disabilities, promoting gender equality in participation, and supporting local communities through their events, they contribute to social responsibility (ESG).
Moreover, if this company actively engages in raising awareness about environmental conservation and social issues during their events, they’re directly contributing to SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities), and SDG 13 (Climate Action), among others.
Mediation supports Sustainable Development
Using the same example: In the event industry, conflicts can arise between exhibitors, attendees, or even within the organising team itself. Here, mediation plays a crucial role.
By employing professional mediators, event organisers can facilitate peaceful resolutions to disputes, ensuring that conflicts don’t escalate and disrupt the event, harm relationships or affect the work flow. This contributes to the social aspect of ESG by promoting inclusivity, and cooperation within the event community.
Mediation fosters a culture of social responsibility, inclusivity, and collaboration
Mediation, moreover, can be directly linked to several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Here’s how:
- SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions: Mediation contributes to SDG 16 by promoting peaceful conflict resolution within the event industry. By effectively managing disputes and fostering dialogue between conflicting parties, mediators help prevent conflicts from escalating into more significant issues. This supports the development of strong, inclusive institutions at both local and global levels, which are essential for promoting peace, justice, and stability.
- SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities: Effective mediation can also help address inequalities within the event industry. By providing a fair and impartial platform for resolving disputes, mediation ensures that all stakeholders, regardless of their size or influence, have an equal opportunity to voice their concerns and reach mutually beneficial solutions. This contributes to reducing inequalities within the industry and promotes a more inclusive and equitable environment for all participants.
- SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals: Lastly, mediation fosters partnerships and collaboration among stakeholders within the event industry. By facilitating constructive dialogue and cooperation between different parties, including exhibitors, attendees, and organisers, mediation strengthens partnerships aimed at achieving common goals and objectives. This aligns with SDG 17, which emphasises the importance of partnerships and cooperation in addressing complex global challenges and promoting sustainable development.
In summary, mediation not only plays a crucial role in resolving conflicts within and across industries. It also contributes to achieving broader sustainable development objectives outlined in the United Nations’ SDGs. In particular those related to peace, justice, equality, and partnership building. Moreover, by promoting fair and inclusive dispute resolution processes, mediation aligns with the Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) criteria, fostering a culture of social responsibility, inclusivity, and collaboration.