Novo Nordisk: Our Take On The Sustainable Development Goals
By Global Opportunity Network
Originally Published on GreenBiz.com
The world adopted what will become the new global job description last week. The list of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will impact the way we do policy and business.
Global Opportunity Network asked Novo Nordisk, a Danish-based global healthcare company with more than 90 years of innovation and leadership in diabetes care, about what the SDGs means to its work and how they may represent an opportunity.
We sat down with Susanne Stormer, vice president of corporate sustainability and chief sustainability officer at Novo Nordisk.
Do the SDGs = more reporting?
Novo Nordisk was a first-mover when it came to dropping production of an annual sustainability report and instead fully integrating sustainability into the company’s annual report. According to Stormer, the company has not regretted this decision for a moment.
"Over my dead body" was Stormer's response to whether Novo Nordisk would revert to creating a stand-alone annual sustainability report. Instead, reporting on progress with regards to adopting the SDGs will find its place as an integrated part of the company’s future reporting strategy.
It’s not as if Novo Nordisk isn’t capable of creating world class reports. Stormer’s comment came a day after Novo Nordisk was recognized with awards for "Best Integrated Report" and "Best Annual Report" in Denmark.
It’s fair to say that Novo Nordisk’s efforts will not be focused on reporting on the SDGs in the coming 15 years, but rather on taking action. The company is prepared to use the SDGs as a compass and integrate them into its current and future business activities.
"The 17 goals are interconnected, and all of them are relevant for any business to consider. Companies shouldn’t necessarily throw equal resources behind their commitments to each of the SDGs, but I would suggest that they consider how their business activities may contribute to achieving the global goals," Stormer said.
“For example, SDG No. 6 related to water is not where we have our core competencies but we do use fresh water to produce our products, so we need to think about how we can use it most sustainably.”
