09 Jul HOW CAN YOU HELP TO ADDRESS THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS?

Established by the United Nations, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are an urgent call to action for all countries to put an end to poverty and protect the planet, to create a better world for everyone, everywhere.

You can think of the SDGs as the blueprint to build a more sustainable future. It encompasses 17 goals, all of which are interconnected but are important and essential in their own right. We’re talking fundamental and critical issues, from zero hunger to good health, clean water to climate action and quality education to gender equality.

Sounds easy, right? How does one person go about tackling such a complex and ambitious agenda? Can an individual really make a difference?

The answer is yes. And we’re going to share a few ways how. We know everyone is busy and juggling multiple priorities. Some people may only be able to contribute a little bit of time right now, while others may be in a position to lend more effort or resources. There’s no judgment here. Every little bit helps.

So, whether you’re looking to support at a personal level, as a startup team or large organisation, here are some ways you can get involved:

INDIVIDUALS

• Request to have your bills sent via email and opt out of paper statements.
• Turn the lights off when you leave a room. Not only is this better for the planet, you’ll save on the bills we mentioned above.
• Shop locally and consider getting your fruit and vegetables from farmer’s markets. This helps to keep regional people employed and prevents trucks from driving long distances to get goods to you.
• Brand new isn’t always best. See what you can repair, repurpose or get your hands on second-hand before making a purchase.
• Stay informed. Keep in touch with us by subscribing to EarthTech news and updates and make a point of learning more about the Global Goals by following #globalgoals

ENTREPRENEURS & STARTUPS

At EarthTech, we are passionate about building and enabling scalable, high-impact social ventures which help people and the planet. We believe young entrepreneurs have an especially important role to play in addressing the 2030 agenda — as many have experienced critical issues first-hand, and are already developing user innovation solutions to respond to the pressing challenges in their life. More mature professionals or established businesses may also be considering ways to pivot towards a more sustainable future and how to incorporate more innovative practices into their business operations. Everyone on this spectrum of innovation is important, valued, and has a crucial role to play if we are to meet the 2030 goals in time.

Change-makers, no matter how smart, skilful, or driven can’t embark on this innovation journey alone – particularly those operating in the impact space. These individuals face the usual entrepreneurial hurdles and challenges, while at the same time are pushing for rapid change and major transformation on humanitarian and institutional levels as well. It’s a huge undertaking.

That’s why we have designed and developed a unique entrepreneurial ecosystem and impact-focussed business engine, to help impact innovators thrive and get their businesses operating and scaling sooner.

The EarthTech ecosystem was not created overnight; it has been developed thoughtfully and strategically over the course of years and is built upon decades of knowledge and experience from experts across industries. This truly supportive innovation ecosystem involves hundreds of different stakeholders who have all come together to support a common, long-term agenda. Our ecosystem is embedded in trust and illuminated by shared passion. We are so grateful for our growing tribe and welcome anyone who would like to join.

The launch of Together In Action in September 2020, will see some of the best and brightest entrepreneurs from around the world come together to register and share their social innovations. Powered by Earth Tech, the online platform has been custom-built to support and scale grassroots innovations that will have a positive impact on the SDGs.

Startup teams will go through a unique impact-focussed developmental program helping them to address core components from product market fit, to financial planning and strategy though to sales. From there, finalists will participate in the EarthTech Impact Engine.

The Impact engine will enhance the capacity of young social entrepreneurs, to accelerate their business journey, and get them investment-ready sooner. By working with our network of global contacts and organisational partners, our EarthTech entrepreneurs will be able to go from concept to commercialisation much faster and more efficiently than if they tried to tackle the multiple, mulit-faceted challenges alone.

Together In Action will showcase the importance of social entrepreneurship to our global network and beyond. Your involvement as an entrepreneur or startup team is an important driver to help achieve the SDGs, and to get more people engaged in this decade of action. Mark September 25th in your calendar, share the news with your peers and get excited for what is to come!

ORGANISATIONS

As an organisation, we invite you to come on board with Together In Action and support change-makers to refine and scale their businesses and make a greater impact. There are several ways you and your company can help support the cause:

• Help entrepreneurs by making introductions to your relevant industry contacts.
• Share your knowledge, skills and expertise with our young innovators so they can side-step common mistakes and accelerate their learning.
• Contribute volunteers or resources from your organisation to help lighten the load and help our teams get their strategy in action sooner.
• Connect innovators with particular operational tools, systems or research they need for their business.
• Become a financial partner and help EarthTech to sustain this crucial service offering and play a role in building an even bigger and better social venture innovation platform now as well as in the years to come.

Achieving the SDGs by 2030 requires concerted actions from everyone; from businesses to peak international bodies, individuals to investors. To find out more about how you can become involved in EarthTech and the Together In Action initiative, visit: www.earthtech.io/together-in-action

We look forward to achieving great things with you,
The EarthTech Team.