Our operations & the Sustainable Development Goals

Photo credit: ERM, China

A sustainable future is aligned with the 2030 ambition of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The United Nations adopted 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, fight inequality and injustice, and tackle climate change by 2030. Achieving the SDGs will take everyone’s contribution, including government, civil society and business. The table below provides a snapshot of ERM’s contributions within our own operations. For information on the contributions we make through our work with clients and in collaborating with others, see SDG impacts of our projects and Collaborations supporting SDGs. For more details on the progress made through the ERM Foundation, visit the ERM Foundation Annual Review. A downloadable summary of our contributions to the SDGs is available in the Download center.

ERM material topic	Corresponding SDGs	SDG 2030 targets	FY21 progress
Business conduct & ethics		16.5 Substantially reduce corruption and bribery in all their forms.	Our commitment to combat bribery and corruption is fundamental to how we operate and is embedded into our key systems and programs. For more on the location of anti-bribery and corruption-related disclosures in this report, see our UN Global Compact Index, which includes details of our reporting on Principle 10 – Anti-Corruption. See the section on Business conduct & ethics for more details.
Our people		4.7 Ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including, among others, through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to sustainable development 5.5 Ensure women's full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life. 10.2 By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status. 16.7 Ensure responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making at all levels.	Through our policies, we prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, disability, veteran status or any other category protected by the laws of the communities in which we do business. We include training and skill development across our global operations at all levels within the company. Our sustainability targets include compliance with new starter and refresher training requirements. We also offer volunary training and awareness on DE&I, well-being, and a broad range of sustainability topics. In the past year, our Inclusive Culture Advisory Group has worked to increase engagement across the organization on a range of important issues for our employees. ERM is a signatory of the Women’s Empowerment Principles. The ERM Foundation includes "empowering women and girls" as an area of focus for funding projects reflecting the SDGs. We are a signatory of the Race at Work Charter and committed to taking practical steps to tackle barriers that racial and ethnic minority people face in recruitment and progression, and to make ERM representative of the societies in which we operate. See the sections on Our people and the ERM Foundation for more details.
Health, safety & well-being		8.8 Protect labor rights and promote safe and secure working environments for all workers, including migrant workers in particular women migrants, and those in precarious employment.	ERM's programs focus on the health, safety and well-being of everyone involved in and impacted by our work – including ERM employees, clients, contractors, as well as communities and the public local to our program sites. See the section on Health, safety & well-being for more details.
Climate-related risk		7.2 By 2030, increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix. 12.7 Promote public procurement practices that are sustainable, in accordance with national policies and priorities. 13.3 Improve education, awareness-raising and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warning.	We collaborate with industry, nonprofit organizations and thought leaders to raise awareness and take action to address climate change. We are implementing an ambitious strategy for net-zero greenhouse gas emissions for Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions by 2025. To underpin this commitment, we are strengthening our science-based target for emissions reductions to a 1.5° C aligned target. We are experts in wind energy and other renewable energy sources and actively help companies to build and operate more renewable projects and to help other companies transition to purchasing more renewables. See the section on Climate-related risk for more details.
Client satisfaction		8.2 Achieve higher levels of productivity through diversification, technological upgrading and innovation.	Our business strategy focuses on providing innovative solutions to our clients on the full range of sustainability issues. In particular, we are focusing on leveraging technological advances across our core services and within our own business to drive productivity. See the section on Client satisfaction for more details.
Contributing to society & local communities		5a. Undertake reforms to give women equal rights to economic resources, as well as access to ownership and control over land and other forms of property, financial services, inheritance and natural resources, in accordance with national laws. 6.1 By 2030, achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all. 6.2 By 2030, achieve access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all and end open defecation, paying special attention to the needs of women and girls and those in vulnerable situations. 7.1 By 2030, ensure universal access to affordable, reliable and modern energy services. 8.5 By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, including for young people and persons with disabilities, and equal pay for work of equal value. 12.2 By 2030, achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources. 13.3 Improve education, awareness-raising and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warning. 14.2 Sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems to avoid significant adverse impacts, including by strengthening their resilience, and take action for their restoration in order to achieve healthy and productive oceans. 15.2 By 2020, promote the implementation of sustainable management of all types of forests, halt deforestation, restore degraded forests and substantially increase afforestation and reforestation globally. 15c. Enhance global support for efforts to combat poaching and trafficking of protected species, including by increasing the capacity of local communities to pursue sustainable livelihood opportunities. 17.3 Mobilize additional financial resources for developing countries from multiple sources. 17.16 Enhance the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development, complemented by multi-stakeholder partnerships that mobilize and share knowledge, expertise, technology and financial resources, to support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals in all countries, in particular developing countries.	Through the ERM Foundation, we have supported the SDGs in numerous ways, including: - 11,400 trees planted. -1,200 hecters of forest protected or restored. -1,025 livelihoods in the "green" economy created, supported or improved. - 7,600 people with improved access to clean water and sanitation, including mestrual health and hygiene education. Across our operations, ERM employees have participated in local engagements, such as coastal cleanups, tree plantings and providing support to local communities during the pandemic. See the section on Contributing to society & local communities and the ERM Foundation Annual Review for more detail.