4.3.2. Scientific Targets within the UN SDGs

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were also being used to define which aspects of responsibility were most important to the organization. One respondent felt that the SDGs helped to bring 'new life and new understanding into a stale organization' (R2) and to encourage managers to think about where the business could add value. It was acknowledged that the current business climate was 'nervous' (e.g., R2, R3) with concerns about Brexit and government debt, and there was a need for 'courage' in business (R2). Where business was struggling with 'change, uncertainty, and complexity' [87] from all directions, the SDGs were felt to be helpful in addressing the challenges that brought forward decision making. The SDGs could help these challenges in four principal ways: (i) assessing strategic alignment, (ii) partnership development, (iii) scientific targets, and (iv) communication.

(i) Strategic alignment: Respondents felt that using the SDGs as a framework enabled employees at all levels of the business to think about potential positive and negative contributions and organizational activity against each of the 17 main goals. This

encouraged a more strategic approach where opportunities to make the greatest difference could be identified and enabled greater 'collective responsibility' (R9) within the business as a way forward;

