Business is fast becoming the most important driving force in addressing societal issues. It is imperative that corporations work together, to ensure outside pressures on growing economies are alleviated, and to generate sustainability models for the future.

Developed by the UN in September 2015, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), also known as the UN Global Goals, aim to marry environmental, economic and societal objectives in a model of future sustainability for the global market.

In their most recent incarnation, the SDGs included 17 varying objectives, with 169 targets set to ensure the goals are achieved by 2030. Instrumental for achieving equality in global living, the goals range from gender equality, to access to clean energy, to achieving an equitable justice system and stamping out political corruption. Its current focus is on achieving gender equality.

Yet, the UN also acknowledges that these goals will not be achieved through a purely solo effort.

The importance of cooperation in achieving the SDGs has been recognised by international consumer goods company Unilever which, along with a plethora of other corporations and charities, has become involved in efforts to achieve the UN Global Goals.

Named Paragon, the initiative is fronted by Unilever but includes other large corporations and charities, including PepsiCo, Save The Children, Sapient Nitro, among many others. An open online platform has been created, whereby all involved organisations will combine their market research efforts and contribute to current understandings on how to achieve the SDGs while accessing any information required in order to develop programmes and initiatives.

Stan Sthanunathan, ‎senior vice president for consumer & market insights, Unilever says, “In a rapidly changing world, we cannot operate in silos. The past year has set the precedent with highly ambitious goals and frameworks created to address the global sustainability and development challenges that we all face.”

“It is time to accelerate efforts to move towards achieving these goals and Paragon will allow us to share learning, data and insight, and encourages other businesses and industries to address these critical challenges affecting us all. By building a network of partners and working together, we can look for solutions which have greater scale and impact globally to address development and societal challenges.”

Despite relative wealth increasing and, thanks to global health efforts, the general life expectancy of most populations growing steadily over the past decade, the populations of many regions are prevented from achieving sustainable development for political, environmental or economic reasons.

Paragon aims to ensure not only the possibility of a brighter future for a large proportion of the world’s population, but also that market opportunities should also emerge where trading relationships may previously have not been possible.