Boards and Sustainable Development
By Johnson Manyakara I’m unaware of any research carried out on Boards awareness of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and responses thereto in Southern Africa. According to the Global Opportunity Report 2016, a report on the results of a survey carried out on CEOs on both dimensions, 32% of CEOs surveyed were aware of SDGs and 23% of them were reported as planning a response on the SDGs. Although the survey was not directed at Board members, most CEOs are Executive Directors on their organisation’s boards and, therefore, the survey results can be safely representative of Board members in terms of level of awareness of SDGs and planned responses to the goals. What Is Sustainable Development? The World Commission on Environment and Development (1987) defines Sustainable Development as – “Development which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”. Clearly, organisations