Unleashing Innovation with UN Sustainable Development Goals

By Professor Jay Friedlander
Chaired by Dr Majella Giblin

This lecture provides senior leaders, social innovators and sustainability champions in small and medium enterprises (SMEs), a framework to embed sustainability firmly in their organisation. It aims to systematically remove the barriers preventing sustainable innovation.

A gap exists between the aspirations and implementation of the U.N. SDGs. Research shows that while most business leaders agree that sustainable development is important, few understand how to make sustainability strategic. As a result, sustainability efforts happen in an ad hoc fashion rather than a systemic approach – reducing impact and wasting valuable resources. Those enterprises aligning the UN SDGs with their strategy are reaping substantial benefits. Sustainability initiatives have been transformed from a focus on legal compliance and disjointed efforts with marginal performance, to a force driving innovation.

The lecture covered topics such as:

- Linking Values and Prosperity: Demystifying the SDGs and discovering how to strengthen financial results by improving social and environmental performance.

- Rapid Innovation: Reimagine your organisation by employing the proven tactics embraced by global leaders and disruptive start-ups alike.

- Insights to Action: Leverage the insights you gained and chart your implementation using the Abundance Cycle, a virtual canvas, to seamlessly align sustainability and strategy.

Видео Unleashing Innovation with UN Sustainable Development Goals канала Whitaker Institute, University of Galway