Incorporating UN Sustainable Development Goals into the Daily Routine at a One Water Utility

摘要

In 2015, world leaders, through a historic United Nations summit, adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which built on earlier Millennium Goals, but called for action by all countries to promote prosperity while protecting the planet. Strategies were focused on economic growth while addressing a range of social needs (such as education, health, social protection, poverty, and job opportunities), and tackling climate change and environmental protection. In the 2019 SDG Index and Dashboards Report (Bertelsmann Stiftung and Sustainable Development Solutions Network, 2019), Denmark was ranked number 1 (85.2) in terms of progress towards achieving the SDGs by 2030, moving to the top rank (from number 2 in 2018), followed by Sweden and Finland. This is the story of how one Danish wastewater and water utility is contributing to SDGs (even before they were created) because of a corporate culture that values social responsibility. Driven by excellent leadership and opportunities to innovate within the water industry, VCS Denmark's Beyond Energy Neutrality program, aimed at improving resiliency and sustainability at the Ejby Molle wastewater treatment plant (WWTP), aligns with SDGs 6,7,9,12, and 14, and demonstrates the utility's commitment to 'talking the talk and walking the walk".