New Australian SDGs Website Set to Launch
5 June 2018 at 5:43 pm
A new Australian-based Sustainable Development Goals website is set to be launched, as a platform to celebrate the work of Australian organisations and inspire further action.
The Global Compact Network Australia (GCNA) will launch the Australian SDGs website on 15 June, at a Banksia Ignite event at Vivid Sydney.
The 17 United Nations’ SDGs are a “universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity”.
The website, which GCNA developed with the support of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), has already started receiving case study contributions from major companies and organisations across Australia.
Cate Harris, the executive director of GCNA, told Pro Bono News that the organisation was “really excited” to launch the website, which was developed in response to a need for a platform to promote the SDGs in Australia.
“It’s in response to a call out from industry and key stakeholders involved and associated with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals’ implementation in Australia,” Harris said.
“Over the inaugural SDG summit held in 2016 and subsequently at the follow up summit held this year in March down in Melbourne, stakeholders were keen to have a centralised platform where this knowledge sharing of case studies and examples of action being taken could be openly shared.
“And it’s to further the agenda and inspire additional action and create new conversations and potentially new partnerships to further the cause.”
Harris said the website would include a number of features including case studies and resources.
“A core fundamental feature of the website is a case study section, which enables any organisation to interact with the website and upload their case studies and actions against the SDGs, in a really simple and quick and easy to use format,” she said.
“And it gives a chance to celebrate their work and also the partners that they’ve been working with in terms of delivering that action. [It will] enable people to refer to – through the case study template – additional information on those case studies.
“There is also a resources section that we think will be useful for people working in the space. There’ll be a news and updates feature, to put news and events and promote SDG related activities in the space across Australia [and] also additional information about what the SDGs are and their contact within the Australian market.”
Harris said Australia had made good progress on the SDGs so far, but she hoped further progress could be made through this platform.
“We’re ever hopeful that a tool like this platform will help spark and inspire new conversations, innovation, and really create opportunities for people to push themselves beyond a ‘business as usual’ approach to the SDGs and really try and accelerate our progress against them,” she said.
“There has already been some fantastic work and some pockets of excellence across the Australian landscape over the past couple of years.
“And we’re hoping that the website will help consolidate some of that and help cause a bit of a ripple effect with some of the great programs and activities that have been implemented.”
She added that the Ignite event with the Banksia Foundation would further develop the implementation of SDGs in Australia.
“We’ve been working with the foundation to help reshape their [sustainability] awards to align with the Sustainable Development Goals and also to ensure future entries will align perfectly to the case study template on the Australian SDGs website,” Harris said.
“So those who are looking to enter each year will have ready to go case studies to upload on the website and share.
“And those who are active in terms of sharing that information and case studies on the site will also have ready to go for submissions for the Banksia Awards which is really exciting.”
