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Sustainable Development Goals for Business
The Sustainable Development Goals give businesses a framework for choosing actions and tracking progress. Start with one goal connected to your actual work, describe what you do and keep evidence of the result.
In this guide
What the SDGs mean for a business
The 17 goals at a glance
SDG for small business: choose a manageable starting point
A five-step action worksheet
Sustainable development goals business examples
Write your SDG statement
Keep sustainability and origin claims distinct
Your questions
What the SDGs mean for a business
The United Nations' 17 Sustainable Development Goals cover social, environmental and economic priorities. They provide a shared framework, but a business still needs to choose relevant actions, decide who is responsible and explain how progress will be assessed.
For our Kiwi trademark licensing, businesses provide a statement about how they are meeting one of the 17 goals. A useful statement is specific to the business. Begin with an activity you can explain and support, then connect it to the relevant goal rather than collecting as many goal icons as possible.
The 17 goals at a glance
1. No Poverty; 2. Zero Hunger; 3. Good Health and Well-being.
4. Quality Education; 5. Gender Equality; 6. Clean Water and Sanitation.
7. Affordable and Clean Energy; 8. Decent Work and Economic Growth; 9. Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure.
10. Reduced Inequalities; 11. Sustainable Cities and Communities; 12. Responsible Consumption and Production.
13. Climate Action; 14. Life Below Water; 15. Life on Land.
16. Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions; 17. Partnerships for the Goals.
Read the targets beneath a goal before deciding it fits. A broad goal title can sound relevant to almost any business; the targets help you make a more precise connection. Choose the activity first, then explain that connection in plain language.
SDG for small business: choose a manageable starting point
Look at the work you already control: how you train people, buy materials, use energy, handle offcuts or design products for repair. Ask which activity is significant enough to measure and practical enough to maintain. Include the people who do the work in deciding what will change.
Illustrative activity | Possible goal connection | A record to consider |
|---|---|---|
Structured staff training | Goal 4: Quality Education | Training completed, participants and follow-up |
Reducing production offcuts | Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production | Material purchased and offcuts measured on a consistent basis |
Reviewing electricity use | Goal 7: Affordable and Clean Energy | Meter readings or invoices with a defined comparison period |
Making spare parts available | Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production | Parts offered and repair enquiries handled |
Working with a local project partner | Goal 17: Partnerships for the Goals | The agreed activity, responsibilities and completed work |
These are illustrative starting points, not claims about Buy NZ Made or a particular licensee. The appropriate goal and measure depend on the activity and the relevant UN target. A good measure should describe what happened, not merely what you intended.
A five-step action worksheet
Choose the issue: describe the part of your business you want to improve.
Connect it to a goal and target: explain the relationship in one sentence.
Set the action: name the activity, responsible person and timeframe.
Choose evidence: decide which records will show the action and its result.
Review and report: compare what happened with what you planned, then decide the next step.
Keep the scale realistic. If you have not measured a baseline, make that the first task instead of claiming a percentage improvement. If output changes, consider whether a total figure or a per-unit figure gives a fairer comparison. Record the method so the next period can be compared consistently.
Sustainable development goals business examples
Illustrative workshop example: a furniture workshop wants to understand its timber offcuts. It first records the amount of material purchased and the offcuts produced over a defined period. The team then tests a revised cutting layout and compares the results using the same method. Its statement can describe the activity and evidence without claiming that every product is environmentally superior.
Illustrative service-business example: a small team creates a training plan, assigns a supervisor and records completed sessions. At review, it describes the skills covered and what staff can now do. Attendance records support a training statement; they do not automatically prove wider social outcomes.
In both examples, the useful story is specific: what the business did, when it did it, how it checked the result and what it will do next. Keep future plans separate from completed work.
Write your SDG statement
Use this structure as a worksheet, replacing each prompt with your own facts:
Our chosen goal is [goal and relevant target]. We address it through [specific activity]. During [period], we [action completed]. We record [evidence or measure], reviewed by [responsible role]. Our next step is [action and timeframe].
If an activity is still planned, say so and describe the work already completed to prepare it. Check that every number has a source and that the statement matches the period being described. Ask someone unfamiliar with the project to read it: can they understand the action without needing to know your internal terminology?
Keep sustainability and origin claims distinct
A product's manufacturing location and its environmental or social effects are different questions. Our origin guide explains the manufacturing question, while product provenance records help support specific supply-chain statements.
For further planning, the UN Global Compact business blueprint connects the goals with business action. Use precise statements about your own work in applications and customer communications, and keep the supporting records with the person responsible.
Your questions
Do we need to address all 17 SDGs?
For our licensing statement, explain how your business is meeting one of the 17 goals. Choose a relevant activity that you can describe and support clearly.
Can a small business use the SDGs?
Yes. Start with a practical activity within your control, assign responsibility and keep a consistent record of what happens.
Can we use a future target as a completed achievement?
Describe future targets as plans and completed actions as results. Keep dates and supporting records clear so readers can tell the difference.
Your next step
Choose the goal that fits your work, prepare a specific statement and keep the evidence behind it. You can then bring that information into your Buy NZ Made application.
