“11 Ways the Integration Business Will Change This Decade” is a wide-ranging analysis by NSCA board members of the future of integration, originally published in the special Pivot to Profit+ section of the Q3 2021 edition of our quarterly trade journal, Integrate. This column discusses the importance of corporate social responsibility.
Integrators have an opportunity to embrace the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, which provide a blueprint for our integration industry.
From climate change to growing income inequality, the next 10 years will challenge our economy, industry, and businesses in ways profound and widespread. The good news is: NSCA members have the power to affect meaningful change in ways that align with our business models. And we have a detailed plan to guide our efforts.
As a sponsor of the Commission on Voluntary Service and Action (CVSA), a U.S.-based NGO, ClearTech has joined in CVSA’s Community Education Campaign for the Implementation of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the United States. The 2030 SDGs consist of 17 goals with 169 specific targets for economic, social, and environmental progress and were adopted by all 193 member nations of the United Nations, including the United States.
Understanding the need for public- and private-sector participation, my leadership team and I studied the agenda, identified the goals and targets that most apply to our business, and are incorporating them into our strategic planning. Our commitment will also figure into our marketing plan and become even more integrated into our brand.
Sustainable Development Goals
What can NSCA members do to implement the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals and boost corporate social responsibility? Let me share the goals that ClearTech plans to act on:
- Goal 4: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all. We will promote Target 4.4, which addresses increasing the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills for employment, decent jobs, and entrepreneurship.
- Goal 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls. ClearTech will address two targets: Target 5.5, which advances women’s opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making, and Target 5.b, which uses enabling technology to empower women.
- Goal 8: Promote sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth; full and productive employment; and decent work for all. We will promote Target 8.3, which supports productive activities, decent job creation, entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation, and promoting the growth of micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprises.
- Goal 12: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns. We will implement Target 12.5 to substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling, and reuse.
Watch our website for details as we translate our commitment to corporate social responsibility into formal action. In the meantime, I encourage you to download the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and begin your own planning efforts. Don’t hesitate to contact me for advice and assistance. We’re all in this together.
Christina DeBono is president of ClearTech and an NSCA board member