The United Nations has set out the 17 Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs) to deliver the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The 17 goals are extraordinarily ambitious with a variety of objectives:

People
End poverty and hunger, in all their forms and dimensions, and ensure that all human beings can fulfil their potential in dignity and equality and in a healthy environment.

Planet
Protect the planet from degradation, including through sustainable consumption and production, sustainably managing its natural resources and taking urgent action on climate change, so that it can support the needs of the present and future generations.

Prosperity
Ensure that all human beings can enjoy prosperous and fulfilling lives and that economic, social and technological progress occurs in harmony with nature.

Peace
Foster peaceful, just and inclusive societies which are free from fear and violence. There can be no sustainable development without peace and no peace without sustainable development.

Partnership
Mobilize the means required to implement this Agenda through a revitalised Global Partnership for Sustainable Development, based on a spirit of strengthened global solidarity, focussed in particular on the needs of the poorest and most vulnerable and with the participation of all countries, all stakeholders and all people.

Find out more about the United Nations Sustainability Development Goals

How does Scotwest Contribute?

At Scotwest, our activities support many of these goals and we have identified four SDG targets which match our core activities or ethos:

 

	SDG Goal/Target	How does Scotwest contribute?
End poverty in all its forms everywhere	By 2030, build the resilience of the poor and those in vulnerable situations and reduce their exposure and vulnerability to climate-related extreme events and other economic, social and environmental shocks and disasters	Our vision is to build better financial lives. Taking individual circumstances into account, we will develop people’s financial resilience though: Encouraging people to join Scotwest Encouraging members to build up a savings buffer Providing members with affordable, non-exploitative loans
Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all	Strengthen the capacity of domestic financial institutions to encourage and expand access to banking, insurance and financial services for all	Scotwest maintains “open membership criteria” i.e. everyone within our common bond* is free to join. We will both expand our potential membership by enlarging our common bond and encourage increased take up within that potential. *This includes: Argyll & Bute, East Ayrshire, East Dunbartonshire, East Renfrewshire, Glasgow, Inverclyde, North Ayrshire, North Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire, South Ayrshire, South Lanarkshire and West Dunbartonshire.
Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels	Develop effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels     Ensure responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making at all levels	Scotwest is a mutually owned financial institution with a core value of “openness and honesty”.   Scotwest is a mutual organisation governed by a Board of members who are elected by their peers, operating inclusive employment practices and participates in national and regional government initiatives on behalf of our members

 

We have further identified fourteen targets which match Scotwest’s ancillary activities or we achieve through our business practices. You can find out more about these here.

Can Scotwest Help Your Organisation Contribute Towards the Sustainability Development Goals?

In order to support the achievements of the UN’s ambitious aims, organisations cannot work in isolation. We seek opportunities to participate in partnerships that share expertise, technology and financial resources to help meet the goals set by the SDGs.

Do not hesitate to contact us in order to examine how working together we could help make the world a better place by 2030.