The anniversary of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals is celebrated on 25 September as SDG Flag Day. The message of the day is simple: goals only become meaningful when they are translated into action.
As part of Ilmatar’s sustainability commitments, every employee carries out a charity or social responsibility activity during the year. This year, SDG Flag Day coincides with the Finnish Red Cross Hunger Day fundraising campaign, in which Ilmatar’s Inka Hirvonen and Anton Sihvonen will participate as volunteer fundraisers.
Although the Sustainable Development Goals are often discussed at the global level, their achievement is built on individual actions and people’s willingness to get involved. Taking part in the Hunger Day campaign is one concrete example of this.
“Ultimately, the Sustainable Development Goals are shared goals for all of us. That is why it is important that companies, communities and individuals all contribute to advancing them. The Hunger Day fundraising campaign is a concrete and relatively easy way to take responsibility and make a positive impact,” says Inka.
For companies, the UN Sustainable Development Goals are no longer just a sustainability framework. Increasingly, they are also linked to the conditions for doing business. Today, companies’ impact on society extends far beyond their core operations. At Ilmatar, sustainability is reflected both in the production of clean energy and in the actions of employees themselves.
At Ilmatar, sustainability begins with our core mission of producing clean energy, but it also extends to contributing to the wellbeing of the communities around us.
“Companies have an important role to play in promoting sustainability, but it is equally important to give employees opportunities to contribute themselves. Moments like these make sustainability visible in a truly tangible way,” says Anton.
SDG Flag Day reminds us that the Sustainable Development Goals do not achieve themselves. They are built through the actions of companies, communities and individuals, one step at a time.
