CalGreen's Board Permanently Implements the Sustainable Development Goals in all Governance

The Goals’ full integration into governance reaffirms CalGreen’s commitment to the global initiative.

SACRAMENTO, Calif.–With its mission to advance systems thinking and the Triple Bottom Line, and in celebration of the 73rd annual “United Nations Day,” the California Green Academy’s (“CalGreen”) Board of Directors (“Board”) has adopted a new “Sustainable Development Goals” campaign (below), significantly grounding the United Nations’ landmark initiative into CalGreen’s governance foundation.

Adopted by the U.N. General Assembly in September 2015, the Sustainable Development Goals (“SDGs”) are, “the blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all. They address the global challenges we face, including those related to poverty, inequality, climate, environmental degradation, prosperity, and peace and justice. The Goals interconnect and in order to leave no one behind, it is important that we achieve each Goal and target by 2030.”

Developed following the success of the U.N.s’ Millennium Development Goals, and as a part of the “2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,” the 17 goals address the need to limit the rise of global temperatures, offering participants a multitude of venues and actions. Since January 2016, with the Paris Agreement on Climate Change entering into full force, governments, business, and civil society have found all parties must work aggressively together, mobilizing efforts to achieve the SDGs by 2030. Collectively, the SDGs (listed below) are complimentary to CalGreen carrying-out its mission of “promoting systems thinking and the Triple Bottom Line in business, energy, and transportation.” Goal 01: End poverty in all its forms everywhere. Goal 02: End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture. Goal 03: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages. Goal 04: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all. Goal 05: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls. Goal 06: Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all. Goal 07: Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all. Goal 08: Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all. Goal 09: Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation. Goal 10: Reduce inequality within and among countries. Goal 11: Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable. Goal 12: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns. Goal 13: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts. Goal 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development. Goal 15: Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, halt and reverse land degradation, and halt biodiversity loss. Goal 16: Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels. Goal 17: Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development.

The Board’s adoption of this campaign creates a system of analyses and procedures, reconciling CalGreen’s governance, administration, operations, and programs with the SDGs. With such implementation in all matters, the Board can fully track their SDG support and conformity; thereby, furthering CalGreen’s actions in the letter and spirit of “thinking globally, acting locally,” and contributing to a ‘better’ world.

“I am incredibly proud of the Board’s campaign enactment, as CalGreen has been devoted to the SDGs, since day one; so much so, we have changed CalGreen’s official logo, proudly reflecting our greater SDG integration and commitment to this very monumental global initiative,” stated Greg Justice, CalGreen’s Chief Sustainability Officer (CEO/ED).

Because the Board sees all 17 goals as imperative to sustainable development and a better future, overall, the SDGs are placed into three groups, based upon their relation to CalGreen’s work: 1. “Principle” Goals: 07, 09, 11, 13, 17–SDGs were CalGreen has the most impact with. 2. “Secondary” Goals: 03-06, 08, 10, 12, 16–SDGs that CalGreen has some impact on, but not as directly and profoundly, as with the primary goals. 3. “Tertiary” Goals: 01, 02, 14, 15–SDGs that CalGreen does not have immediate influence over, but are still recognized as vital for a sustainable world.

The campaign’s outcomes and overall conformity will be placed in CalGreen’s annual report. For more information, please visit CalGreen’s campaign webpage or the U.N.’s official SDGs website.

A PDF of this release can be downloaded here.