Material ESG Outcomes and SDG Externalities: Evaluating the Health Care Sector’s Contribution to the SDGs

2020 ◽  
Vol 33 (4) ◽  
pp. 511-533
Author(s):  
Costanza Consolandi ◽  
Himani Phadke ◽  
Jim Hawley ◽  
Robert G. Eccles

The 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have created a framework for environmental and social impacts, which institutional investors and corporations are using to guide resource allocation or highlight SDG-aligned investments already in place. We argue that the SDGs have clarified certain elements predominantly missing or implicit in many environmental, social, and governance (ESG) standards, specifically focusing on companies’ E and S externalities. Methodologically, we analyze how health care companies contribute to SDG 3 on health and well-being as a case, mapping the goal’s targets to the Sustainability Accounting Standard Board’s (SASB’s) 30 generic ESG issues and considering both financially material and immaterial ESG issues, based on SASB. Using an innovative data set, we highlight where private sector firms contribute to SDG impacts and where their financial priorities might lie. Where firms are either not contributing or perhaps unable to, we point to the need for public sector activities.

2021 ◽  
pp. 89-112
Author(s):  
Jennifer E. Lansford ◽  
W. Andrew Rothenberg ◽  
Sombat Tapanya ◽  
Liliana Maria Uribe Tirado ◽  
Saengduean Yotanyamaneewong ◽  
...  

This chapter uses evidence from the Parenting Across Cultures (PAC) project to illustrate ways in which longitudinal data can help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs.) The chapter begins by providing an overview of the research questions that have guided the international PAC as well as a description of the participants, procedures, and measures. Next, empirical findings from PAC are summarized to illustrate implications for six specific SDGs related to child and adolescent development in relation to education, poverty, gender, mental health, and well-being. Then the chapter describes how longitudinal data offer advantages over cross-sectional data in operationalizing SDG targets and implementing the SDGs. Finally, limitations, future research directions, and conclusions are provided.


Author(s):  
Mustapha Masud ◽  
Abdul-Rahman Olagunju ◽  
Salum Salum

Abstract Education has been acknowledged to be a human right, a public good and a public responsibility. Without inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong opportunities for all, nations will not succeed in achieving gender equality and breaking the cycle of poverty that is leaving millions of children, youth and adults behind (UNESCO, 2020). In the labour of attaining the sustainable development goals, quality education, good health and well-being - Goals 3 and 4 respectively - have been placed as the central dogma in achieving the global goals. The aim of this paper is to demonstrate the role of university research through the implementation of quality assurance in attaining quality education, good health and well-being for sustainable development in East Africa. The paper examines the heart of the sustainable development goals (SDGs) - Quality Education & Good health and well-being - in the context of how university researchers can get it delivered. This paper perceives promoting interdisciplinary and collaborative research, linking research outputs into teaching as well as commercialization of science as the leeway in assuring and achieving quality education, good health and well-being through higher institutions (universities) in East Africa. The paper concludes that achieving the ambitiously adopted sustainable development goals by United Nations in quality education, good health and well-being can be achieved by adopting, implementing and practically applying quality research outputs from universities done under quality assurance measures. The paper recommends amongst other measures that implementation of research-tutored system by designing curriculum that emphasizes learning focused on students writing and discussing research papers or essays. Key words: Sustainable Development Goal (SDG), Education, Health, Well-being, University research, Quality Assurance


2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S75-S76
Author(s):  
Toni C Antonucci

Abstract The United Nations has identified 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) designed to improve the health and well-being of the world’s most vulnerable populations. This presentation will review the potential role psychology, in particular, illustrative theories and research, in achieving the SDGs of reducing poverty and achieving gender equality and empowerment. We consider life span (individual) developmental and life course (environmental structure) theories as useful for explaining how poverty and inequality influence the individual and community at one point in time and over time. Further, we use research evidence to illustrate how naturally occurring resources can be garnered to better explain, understand, identify and create successful intervention programs. We emphasize the importance psychology to achieving SDGs and emphasize that the application psychology to changing the behavior and expectations of individuals and societies to achieve sustainable development that contributes to a world that celebrates optimal and sustainable development for all.


Author(s):  
Suhad Daher-Nashif ◽  
Hiba Bawadi

Background: In 2014, United Nations member states proposed a set of sustainable development goals (SDGs) to help further the millennium development goals that they had proposed in New York in 2000. Of these 13 SDGs, Goal 3 (i.e., SDG 3) was titled “Good Health and Well-Being.” This goal highlighted women’s health and well-being via two key objectives. The first, SDG 3.1, aimed to reduce maternal mortality rates (MMR) and the second, SDG 3.7, aimed to ensure access to sexual and reproductive health care services. Drawing on all the latest reports, which have been released by Gulf Cooperation Council states (GCC), this paper sheds light on GCC states’ work on women’s wellbeing through SDG 3. Aim: the paper aims to review GCC states’ work on women’s wellbeing in SDG3, which achievements they obtained, which tools they used and which gaps still exist. The paper aims to explain the socio-cultural background behind these achievements, tools, and gaps. Methodology: For the purpose of this study, we used narrative review approach through which we reviewed reports from 2017 and 2018 on SDGs published online by the Ministry of Development and Planning of each GCC state, and latest reports of the WHO on the same states. Findings: the study found similarities and differences between different GCC states, which in turn reveals gaps and areas that are not meeting women’s needs. The findings show that MMR in GCC countries has declined by nearly half. The main strategies they adopted to address SDG 3.1 included awareness campaigns, improving access to healthcare systems and training professionals. The tools used to meet SDG 3.7 included training health professionals and raising awareness of consanguinity. The study reveals several gaps, such as a lack of discussion around challenges and barriers, and a lack of linkage between an SDG and the targets contained within it. Conclusion: The paper concludes that there is a much greater emphasis on reducing MMR, compared to providing access to sexual and reproductive healthcare. This difference is due to different socio-cultural framing of each of these two issues.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 141
Author(s):  
Jonas A. S. Schwartzman ◽  
Paola Zucchi

In 2015, about 190 United Nations Member States proposed an ambitious agenda, to be worked on by different actors in society, which was entitled 2030 Agenda. The document was divided into 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are broken down into 169 targets aiming to eradicate poverty and promote a decent life for all. This study aimed to evaluate the perception of healthcare managers about SDGs, especially SDG 3, which addresses Good Health and Well-Being. This cross-sectional observational study identified and analyzed the participants’ profilesthrough online forms with questions about the general perception of the SDGs, and questions related to SDG 3. The quantitative analysis of the results was performed, in percentage terms, and the qualitative analysis was performed using the five-point Likert scale. Twenty-one technical directors of healthcare services participated in the survey. According to the results, 14 (66.6)  of the participants presented medium to highknowledge regarding SDG. In addition, 18 (85.7%) of these professionals understand that the SDGs are of high/very high importance to guide public policies. In general, there is a low expectation for the achievement of the 17 SDGs in Brazil, but it was highlighted that it should be a priority, which SDG could contribute to the achievement of SDG 3: Good Health and well-being as well as the vision of policy recommendations to achieve the SDG 3 targets. This analysis allows contact with SDG and enables a deeper discussion on the topic in healthcare services.


2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Salman Ahmed Shaikh ◽  
Abdul Ghafar Ismail

In this paper, we explore the potential of the institution of Zakāt to meet the development challenges, especially in the Muslim world. We discuss the interlinkages between the institution of Zakāt and Maqasid-al-Shari’ah. We also discuss the economic potential and effects of Zakāt by reviewing theoretical and empirical studies. Finally, we also provide our analysis which suggests that Zakāt can play an important role in meeting sustainable development goals related to poverty, hunger, global health and well-being, quality education, decent work and economic growth and income inequality. Keywords: Zakāt, Sustainable Development Goals, Poverty, InequalityJEL Classification Code: E6, H2, H3


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (14) ◽  
pp. 5829 ◽  
Author(s):  
George H. Ionescu ◽  
Daniela Firoiu ◽  
Anca Tănasie ◽  
Tudor Sorin ◽  
Ramona Pîrvu ◽  
...  

In this period of extreme changes in our society, issues related to the health and well-being of citizens are considered essential for the future of a united and prosperous Europe. Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at EU level by 2030 requires hard work done in a transformative way in order to implement a set of coherent, evidence-informed policies that address health, well-being and all their determinants throughout the course of life and across all sectors of government and society. The objective of this paper is to assess the stage of fulfillment of all SDG targets in relation to health and well-being at EU level, based on the current trend of each indicator, for each EU member country. Based on the Eurostat SDG data set for 2007–2018, the individual trends were forecast using the AAA (Holt-Winters) version of the exponential smoothing (ETS) algorithm. The research results are surprising, on the one hand showing the possibility that some targets will be reached, but also indicating that a large percentage of targets will not be reached if the current trend is continued, especially due to disruptive change generated by the current pandemic. There is a need to increase the involvement of all member states, but also ensure a deeper involvement at the level of EU institutions, to provide full support for meeting the targets proposed by the 2030 Agenda, ensuring prosperity and health for all European citizens, and becoming a model for all the states of the world.


2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S76-S76
Author(s):  
Toni C Antonucci

Abstract The United Nations has identified 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) designed to improve the health and well-being of the world’s most vulnerable populations. This presentation will review the potential role psychology, in particular, illustrative theories and research, in achieving the SDGs of reducing poverty and achieving gender equality and empowerment. We consider life span (individual) developmental and life course (environmental structure) theories as useful for explaining how poverty and inequality influence the individual and community at one point in time and over time. Further, we use research evidence to illustrate how naturally occurring resources can be garnered to better explain, understand, identify and create successful intervention programs. We emphasize the importance psychology to achieving SDGs and emphasize that the application psychology to changing the behavior and expectations of individuals and societies to achieve sustainable development that contributes to a world that celebrates optimal and sustainable development for all.


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