Uniting leaders of today and tomorrow around the Sustainable Development Goals

Accelerating SDG implementation

DAVOS, Switzerland, January 26, 2018 - Companies, Governments and NGOs urgently need trusted metrics and relevant indices to understand and drive progress toward implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. The 17 SDGs include economic, nutritional, health and education-related goals aimed at helping to build a better society. At the same time, the next generation urgently needs to be included in the global dialogue about how to achieve SDG implementation. Today, the Global Sustainability Impact Institute Foundation (UNGSII Foundation) and United Way announce a new strategic partnership for SDG implement-tation that creates synergies reaching both goals.

UNGSII will provide United Way and its 60,000 corporate members with access to UNGSII’s SDG research data and related content and will promote United Way as one of its four primary Global partners across all of its activities worldwide, including its Global Schools Program, Global Goals Concert Series, Global Youth Run, and Global Goals Conference. “Since we only have one planet to live on, we need smart partnerships in order to achieve SDG implementation by 2030 and save this one. With United Way as our partner, we are convinced this deadline can be achieved given United Way’s global footprint and their more than 130 year track record of success improving people’s lives” said Roland Schatz, Founder of UNGSII Foundation.

United Way will promote the UNGSII SCR300 Investment Fund Index and UNGSII Events to its corporate donors and local United Ways and will promote participation in the UNGSII Schools Program and Global Youth Poll throughout its global community network. United Way Worldwide President and CEO Brian Gallagher said, “United Way fights for the health, education and financial stability of every person in every community and this partnership with UNGSII will allow us to positively impact more lives in a measurable way. We want to send a strong message to all of our partners and supporters that the Sustainable Development Goals are key to building stronger communities and a more successful future for all.”

About the SCR300 Report and Investment Fund

UNGSII has spent the last 3 years analyzing the SDG commitment of the world’s top 400 companies, representing a combined market cap of 25 trillion USD. This ongoing analysis focuses on 4 main pillars: 1) Company statements in annual reports directly and indirectly referencing their commitment to sustainability 2) How these companies are framed in the general media 3) Financial analyst statements and 4) Company performance as measured by stock/bond price, sales, Net Pro Score and employer rankings. In 2017, the SCR300 Fund returned 27.63% to investors, outperforming all major indices as well as all comparable sustainability-based products.

About the Global Youth Poll

The next generation urgently needs to be included in the global dialogue about how to achieve SDG implementation. The new UNGSII Global Youth Poll asks SDG related questions to 1,000 kids in each of 120 countries. It is the most comprehensive effort ever undertaken to identify key trends and issues in a systemic and transparent way that will serve to drive policy and decision making today that will directly impact tomorrow’s reality.

About United Way

United Way fights for the health, education and financial stability of every person in every community. Supported by 2.9 million volunteers, 9.8 million donors worldwide and $4.7 billion raised every year, United Way is the world’s largest privately-funded nonprofit. We’re engaged in 1,800 communities across more than 40 countries and territories worldwide to create sustainable solutions to the challenges facing our communities. United Way partners include global, national and local businesses, nonprofits, government, civic and faith-based organizations, along with educators, labor leaders, health providers, senior citizens, students and more. For more information about United Way, please visit UnitedWay.org. Follow us on Twitter: @UnitedWay and #LiveUnited.

About Global Sustainability Index Institute

The Global Sustainability Impact Institute Foundation (www.ungsii.org) was initiated in May of 2014 by academics, experts from the finance sector as well as Senior Officials of the different UN institutions to support all sectors in life by providing impact measurement data in real time. UNGSII’s unique research approach delivers valuable insight into the SDG implementation process. These results are taught in 72 Countries reaching 3 Mio Children. The impact is monitored once per quarter till 2030 by the global Youth Poll.

For further information please contact:

Zuzana Beluska, Director Media Relations, UNGSII Foundation

(This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. tel: +41-79-2555353)

Southerlyn Reisig, Director of Public Relations, United Way Worldwide

(This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) tel. 703-836-7100 ext. 321