Private sector urged to participate in achieving SDGs
Guiness Ghana Breweries Limited (GGBL) has presented its role in achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through its corporate social responsibility to its stakeholders.
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The event, put together by the Centre for CSR West Africa, was aimed at discussing what the SDGs meant for Ghana and the key actors, and their role in achieving the goals.
At the event, the Communications and Engagement Manager of GGBL, Ms Rita Agyeiwaa Rockson, said: “GGBL plays in 11 of the 17 SDGs through our three thematic areas. These include building thriving communities and reducing our environmental impact.”
“We have maintained our zero waste to landfill target, continuously recovered carbon dioxide from our production process and encouraged a segregation culture among employees. Our traditional CSR programmes have, however, been in the areas of provision of access to clean drinking water to vulnerable communities and our local raw material initiative,” he added.
She reiterated the impact of the company’s CSR programmes on the agriculture value chain and socio-economic developments of communities.
“This wide-ranging impact affects various targets of the SDG,” she said.
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) National Coordinator of SDG and Philanthropy, Ms Pearl Darko, spoke on the role of the international body and their expectations of corporate organisations.
She stated that “Governments cannot achieve the SDGs alone. Private sector and philanthropists come with innovation, partnership and development. It makes good business sense to impact the bottom line through sustainable programmes that affect the planet, people and profit.”
“We, however, need a holistic mapping of all companies involved in strategic philanthropy to know what everybody is doing in terms of the SDGs. It all starts with us,” she said.
Other speakers
Other members from academia and international partner agencies also spoke about their role and how to move the SDGs in a more pragmatic way.
The Head of the Centre for CSR West Africa, Mr Kodjo Williams, lauded the efforts of GGBL and other corporate bodies in the achievement of the SDGs.
He encouraged the companies to participate in the CSR awards, expressing the belief that that would give them the desired recognition across the country.