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It was with this in mind that the United Nations (UN) climate action, clean water and sanitation, affordable and
had issued 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) clean energy, sustainable cities and communities, and
back in 2015 as a “blueprint to achieve a better and more responsible consumption and production, apart from
sustainable future for all”. It had called for action by all providing decent work and economic growth, industry
countries – rich, poor and middle-income – to achieve all innovation and infrastructure, and peace, justice and
the goals by 2030 to “promote prosperity while protecting strong institutions.
the planet”.
In addition, there is the life below water and life on land
Governments, corporate houses and even individuals goals to conserve the oceans and marine resources as also
across the globe have since responded to the call and manage forests, combat land degradation and conserve
initiated various measures to promote growth while biodiversity. And the final SDG is to revitalise the global
reducing the environmental burden on the planet. But partnership for sustainable development.
they’ve barely touched the surface, as yet. In India, the
Tata Group has taken the lead by committing to attaining With just a decade left to achieve the goals, there is a
leadership on the SDGs. Accordingly, Tata Consulting growing urgency to meet these targets and raise the
Engineers Limited (TCE) has undertaken many projects in standards of human development. At the UN’s recent SDG
line with the SDGs ranging from the conversion of waste Summit in September 2019, world leaders called for urgent
to energy to reducing air pollution to clean water and collective action over the next ten years on the goals.
sanitation, besides researching on solutions in the areas of
sustainable transportation and construction. As the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals Report 2019
points out, the natural environment is deteriorating at an
The SDGs explained alarming rate with the past four years being the warmest
The 17 SDGs enunciated by the UN cover every aspect of on record. Moreover, global hunger is on the rise, at
human development – from no poverty, zero hunger and least half of the world’s population lacks essential health
good health and well-being to quality education, gender services, and more than half of the world’s children do not
equality and reduced inequalities. They also include meet standards in reading and mathematics. And that’s
not even considering the growing social inequity and
injustice worldwide.

India and the SDGs
The Tata group is India has an important role to play in the achievement
of the SDGs, given that the country is home to 28%
committed to integrate of the world’s poor, according to the annual Human
Development Index 2019 report. The NITI (National

environmental, social Institution for Transforming India) Aayog, which is the
government’s nodal agency for implementing the SDGs,
and ethical principles has initiated various steps in this direction in keeping with
India’s commitment to the UN.
into its business” as this Nevertheless, the government faces an uphill task in

is “central to improving ensuring that no one is left behind and that economic
growth trickles down to the poorest of the poor, even

the quality of life of as it balances development with the protection of the
environment while upholding human rights. Given the
the communities we enormity of the task, it is essential that corporate India
steps in and commits to achieve the goals.
serve globally and Leading the way

enhancing long-term The Tata Group, which has a long history of working
towards the SDGs even before they were enunciated by

stakeholder value”. the UN, has formalised its commitment by forming the
Tata Sustainability Group (TSG). The TSG is partnering with
all Tata companies to embed sustainability in their core