The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) consist of 17 key principles intended to help governments, stakeholders and our wider society achieve the UN’s goal of transforming the world for good. Since their creation in 2015, they’ve provided a shared framework for addressing some of the most pressing challenges of our time, encompassing everything from climate change and biodiversity loss to social inequality and economic growth. As a result, the use of UN SDGs in business has become an increasingly common reference point for companies looking to demonstrate responsible practice in their corporate strategy. Despite this, it’s not uncommon for businesses to struggle to translate these concepts into practical applications. Without clear direction, many organisations risk either disengaging altogether or adopting the goals in a way that lacks focus, credibility and impact.
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, often referred to as the UN SDGs or SDGs, are a set of 17 interconnected goals adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015. They form part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and are supported by 169 specific targets.
The goals address a wide range of global challenges, including:
According to the United Nations Global Compact, the Sustainable Development Goals provide “a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future”. For businesses, the UN SDGs offer a common language for sustainability. They allow organisations to align their environmental, social and governance activities with internationally recognised priorities, rather than creating bespoke frameworks that lack external credibility. This way, an organisation can directly show how they are contributing to the UN’s objective of a better future for all.
Credibility in sustainability is built on three pillars: relevance, evidence and transparency. The use of UN SDGs in business supports all three when applied correctly.
Relevance to global priorities
Aligning sustainability strategies with the UN SDGs demonstrates that a company understands its role within broader global challenges. Rather than focusing solely on internal initiatives, organisations can show how their activities contribute to internationally agreed goals such as climate action, responsible production or reduced inequalities. The World Economic Forum has highlighted that businesses aligning with the SDGs are better positioned to respond to systemic risks, including climate disruption and supply chain instability.
Evidence-based sustainability narratives
The UN SDGs provide structure. Each goal is supported by targets and indicators, which helps organisations move away from vague commitments and towards measurable action. This is particularly important as sustainability reporting standards such as the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive and the European Sustainability Reporting Standards increasingly demand evidence over aspirational goals.
Transparency and comparability
Because the SDGs are globally recognised, they enable external stakeholders to compare progress across organisations and sectors. Companies following UN SDGs are therefore judged against a shared benchmark, which increases both accountability and trust.
In recent years, expectations around the UN SDGs for business have evolved rapidly. Initially, many organisations treated the goals as a high-level reference point. Today, stakeholders expect a much deeper level of engagement. According to the United Nations, progress on the UN SDGs is currently off-track globally, with less than 20% of targets expected to be achieved by 2030 if current trends continue. This places increased pressure on the private sector to play a more active role.
Organisations that successfully embed the SDGs follow a structured, materiality-led approach. Implementing UN SDGs effectively requires more than symbolic alignment.
Step 1: Identify material SDGs
Not all 17 goals will be equally relevant for a company. Credible organisations assess which Sustainable Development Goals intersect most strongly with their operations, value chain and impacts.
For example: A manufacturing business can prioritise responsible consumption and production, climate action and clean energy. A construction and infrastructure organisation may focus on sustainable cities, climate resilience and biodiversity protection.
This targeted approach strengthens the use of UN SDGs in business by demonstrating relevance rather than breadth.
Step 2: Align SDGs with business strategy
Once priority SDGs are identified, they should be embedded into corporate objectives, risk management and investment decisions, ensuring sustainability is treated as a strategic issue and not just a reporting exercise. The World Economic Forum emphasises that companies should “make the SDGs their own” by integrating them into decision-making rather than treating them as external obligations.
Step 3: Translate goals into actions and metrics
Each priority SDG should be linked to:
This supports meaningful progress on the UN SDGs and enables transparent reporting.
A credible UN SDGs commitment also requires engagement across departments, including procurement, operations, finance and leadership. Effective internal integration includes:
This ensures that the Sustainable Development Goals influence daily decision-making, not just annual reporting.
Measuring long-term impact and value creation
The ultimate test of the use of UN SDGs in business is whether it drives real-world impact. Beyond inputs and outputs, any credible organisation that’s committed to adopting the SDGs will also track outcomes over time. This long-term strategy supports:
According to the United Nations, closing the global SDG financing gap will require significant private sector engagement, reinforcing the role of business in delivering measurable progress.
The UN Sustainable Development Goals offer businesses a globally recognised framework for addressing some of the most complex challenges currently facing our society and the planet. However, credibility is only earned through relevance, evidence and transparency. When applied strategically, the use of UN SDGs in business can strengthen trust with stakeholders, support regulatory alignment and drive meaningful environmental and social outcomes. Otherwise, it risks undermining confidence and exposing organisations to reputational harm. The SDGs provide a powerful roadmap for embedding sustainability into core business strategy and demonstrating genuine progress on the UN SDGs.