Unleashed in 2016, the UN Sustainable Development Goals aim to improve a wide range of humanitarian and ecological issues including poverty, hunger, health, wellbeing, education and climate change.
On face value, the goals may feel too broad and interdependent, hence way beyond the scope of an entertainment Rigging and Engineering company’s influence.
Yet, with headlines such as ‘Only 12 years to act on climate change’ or ‘Human activity causing the 6th mass extinction’, it becomes incumbent on us to act, however small our organisation or limited our impact may seem, being part of ‘Project Everyone’ means just that, a contribution to something greater.
Consequently, we have embarked on demonstrating our commitment through incorporating the principles of the circular economy within our business practise, from running on renewables (SDG 7), to ‘closing the loop’ through RFID technology on thousands of items of equipment. In a circular model, businesses aim to create an economy that is restorative by design. In our case, we aim at keeping resources in use for as long as possible, capturing the maximum value from them whilst in use, and reusing, refurbishing and redesigning to sustain their value further. These activities align directly with SDG 12 – Responsible consumption and production.
We have also embarked on exploring social sustainability from within our organisation (SDG 3), developing a wellbeing program owned and developed by the workforce, for the workforce. This has recently included providing mental health first aid training for those keen to recognise fellow colleagues who may be struggling, as well as creating a wellbeing group that meet quarterly to address opportunities for innovation and improvement.
Looking slightly further afield, out into our industry, we identify our commitment to SDG 9 through our ongoing collaboration with the Sustainability in Production Alliance (SiPA.org.uk). More recently, we have embarked on discussions with the ABTT on the value of creating a new technical standard that endorses the principles of a Circular Economy.
As a small SME focusing on doing what we do best whilst steering carefully through an increasingly volatile world, it can all too easily feel as if our impact is too small to count. Supporting some of the SDGs is a small step that contributes to an integrated whole – as global business culture continues to shift towards a regenerative economy that ambitiously aims at peace and prosperity for all; we can be just one of the many committed organisations, in a vast global ocean of SMEs, contributing towards an essential and empowering sea change.