SDGs: what they are and how to implement them in your company

Sustainability has moved beyond a trend to become a strategic imperative. As regulatory frameworks such as the CSRD (Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive) and ESG criteria gain weight, companies need to align their operations with globally recognised standards. The Sustainable Development Goals are the most widely used compass for achieving this.

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a key tool to help companies become socially responsible and embed sustainability as part of their strategy. More than 85% of Spanish companies say they are working on the SDGs, according to the Global Compact. In this article we explain what they are, what benefits they bring, and how to put them into practice through training and corporate culture.

What is sustainable development?

The concept of sustainable development was formally established in 1987 with the Brundtland Commission report Our Common Future, published by the United Nations. Since then, it has evolved from an environmental concern into a model of growth that balances the economic, social, and environmental dimensions. For businesses, this means creating long-term value without compromising the resources of future generations — something that investors now demand as a condition of financing.

What are the SDGs for businesses?

The SDGs are the 17 global goals approved by the UN in 2015 as part of the 2030 Agenda. For businesses, they represent a common framework to measure, communicate, and improve their social, environmental, and economic impact. It is important to distinguish between voluntary SDG adoption and growing regulatory pressure: companies with more than 250 employees or annual revenues above €40 million already fall within the scope of the CSRD, which makes reporting SDG alignment practically mandatory for many organisations.

The 2030 Agenda: the SDG framework

The 2030 Agenda is the global action plan adopted by 193 countries in September 2015. Its key milestones: in 2015 the 17 SDGs were adopted; in 2019 the first review detected delays in climate goals; in 2023 the SDG Summit found that only 15% of targets were on track to be met; and 2030 is the deadline to achieve the 169 indicators. For the business sector, the 2030 Agenda is the reference standard used by investors, public clients, and regulators to evaluate the real commitment of organisations.

What are the SDGs of the 2030 Agenda?

The 17 SDGs are built around 5 main pillars: planet, people, prosperity, peace, and partnerships. They are as follows:

• No poverty: Eradicate extreme poverty and ensure access to essential resources for a dignified life.
• Zero hunger: Ensure the availability of nutritious food and promote sustainable agricultural practices.
• Good health and well-being: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all.
• Quality education: Ensure inclusive, equitable, and quality education throughout life.
• Gender equality: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.
• Clean water and sanitation: Ensure the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation.
• Affordable and clean energy: Ensure access to affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy for all.
• Decent work and economic growth: Promote sustained, inclusive economic growth and full employment.
• Industry, innovation and infrastructure: Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive industrialisation, and foster innovation.
• Reduced inequalities: Reduce inequalities within and among countries.
• Sustainable cities and communities: Make cities and communities inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable.
• Responsible consumption and production: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns.
• Climate action: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.
• Life below water: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans and marine resources.
• Life on land: Protect, restore, and promote the sustainable use of ecosystems.
• Peace, justice and strong institutions: Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development.
• Partnerships for the goals: Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the global partnership.

Not every company needs to work on all 17 SDGs. The key is to identify which ones are materially relevant for your sector and business model. A manufacturing company will prioritise SDGs 8, 9, and 13; a healthcare services company will focus on SDGs 3 and 10. Further on you will find a framework to carry out that prioritisation.

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Benefits of the SDGs for businesses

The Business and Sustainable Development Commission report revealed that business models aligned with the SDGs could unlock opportunities worth up to $12 trillion across four key economic systems: food and agriculture, cities, energy and materials, and health and well-being. Moreover, achieving the SDGs will require creating up to 380 million jobs by 2030.

The United Nations identifies five key benefits that make SDG alignment essential for businesses:

• Improving operational efficiency across the supply chain, strengthening relationships, and reducing environmental, health, and safety risks.
• Greater interest from investors with ESG portfolios and access to green finance and sustainable bonds.
• Improved recruitment processes. Greater loyalty and talent retention, especially among generations that prioritise purpose.
• Responding in time to the regulatory requirements set by new laws and frameworks (CSRD, SFDR, European taxonomy).
• Identifying new business opportunities in emerging markets linked to the sustainable transition.

These benefits are complemented by key reputational advantages: companies aligned with the SDGs improve their employer branding and reinforce their credibility with institutional clients and major accounts that require sustainability from their suppliers.

Most common mistakes when implementing SDGs in companies

Many organisations make the same mistakes when incorporating the SDGs, which reduces the real impact of their initiatives. These are the four most frequent:

• Using the SDGs as a communication tool without real metrics. Attaching the SDG logo to the annual report without defining indicators or accountable owners turns commitment into greenwashing. The solution: establish quantifiable KPIs linked to each selected SDG.
• Selecting too many SDGs at once. Working on all 17 goals simultaneously disperses effort. The recommended approach is to prioritise between 3 and 5 SDGs with real material impact on the business.
• Not involving internal teams. Without training and awareness-raising across the whole organisation, commitments remain on paper. The active participation of employees is key to generating real change.
• Not reporting progress or measuring outcomes. Without regular monitoring, it is impossible to know whether actions are having any impact. Measurement tools by profile, department, or specific SDG make it possible to identify what works and adjust the strategy.

Obstacles when applying SDGs in companies

Which SDGs should I work on in my company? How can I achieve them? What is the most efficient methodology? These are just some of the questions that arise when starting to work with the SDGs. According to a study by Llorente y Cuenca, the main challenges are a lack of internal knowledge about sustainability, difficulty integrating the SDGs into day-to-day operations, and the absence of clear indicators. This is where training acts as a catalyst: when employees understand the purpose behind each goal and have the tools to act, obstacles are significantly reduced.

The importance of aligning business strategy with the SDGs

Aligning business strategy with the SDGs means integrating them into decision-making, not just sustainability reports. This involves reviewing the value chain, suppliers, internal processes, and the business proposition from the perspective of the selected goals.

Regulatory pressure makes this alignment urgent: the CSRD, in force since 2024, requires large European companies to publish externally verified sustainability reports. Many of the required metrics align directly with SDG indicators, which means working on these goals now is also preparing the organisation for regulatory compliance. Companies that integrate the SDGs improve their ability to anticipate risks, identify opportunities, and attract both talent and responsible investment.

How to choose priority SDGs for your company

The key lies in materiality: selecting the goals where your company has the greatest capacity for impact and where that impact is most relevant to your stakeholders. At isEazy we propose a three-criteria framework:

• Material impact: Which SDGs are most affected — positively or negatively — by the company’s current operations? A double materiality analysis (impact on the company and impact on society) is the starting point.
• Capacity for influence: On which goals can the company take concrete actions with its current resources? An SDG is a priority if the organisation can genuinely move the needle on it, not just declare its commitment.
• Sector relevance: Which SDGs are critical in your industry? The sector defines the expectations of clients, regulators, and investors. Aligning with the most relevant SDGs in your sector improves credibility and competitive positioning.

Using these three criteria, the typical outcome is a shortlist of between 3 and 6 priority SDGs on which to concentrate effort, investment, and communication. This selection should be reviewed every two years to adapt to the evolution of the business and the regulatory context.

See how Amara NZero succeeded in keeping its team trained in sustainability values. Read the case study →

How to embed the SDGs in your corporate culture

Knowing the SDGs is not enough. The real challenge is integrating them into the daily life of the organisation: into team decisions, habits, and culture. According to the Institute of Development Studies (IDS), achieving the SDGs is only possible with the active participation of people. This requires a structured approach that combines diagnosis, training, awareness-raising, and measurement.

At isEazy we work with a five-phase model that takes the SDGs from strategy to action:

1. Initial assessment

Before designing any initiative, it is essential to know the starting point. The initial assessment with isEazy ESG makes it possible to identify the level of awareness and commitment among teams regarding the SDGs, detect which areas or profiles need the most support, and prioritise the actions with the greatest potential impact. This diagnosis is also the baseline for measuring the real progress of the project.

2. Training

Once you know the level of engagement of your employees and have defined the SDGs you want to develop in your company, the training phase involves providing your professionals with the latest neuro-learning techniques and methodologies such as microlearning and gamification, so that training becomes more effective and memorable. The key is not just to transmit information, but to generate real behaviour change: ensuring that professionals know how to act day-to-day in a way that is aligned with the SDGs the company has prioritised.

3. Awareness-raising and communication

Just as important as training your workforce is helping them understand the importance of that training and the impact their actions will have within the company — especially when it comes to developing more sustainable habits at work. To achieve this, it is important to communicate transparently the rationale behind each initiative, the progress made, and the challenges still ahead. Internal communication is the glue that connects strategy to collective action.

4. From theory to action

To drive genuine change in your team, you will need to establish real commitments. isEazy ESG allows you to create concrete challenges or missions linked to each SDG so that professionals can contribute from their own role. Gamification and recognition systems help maintain long-term engagement and turn good intentions into lasting sustainable habits.

5. Measurement and analysis

To understand the real impact of your project, isEazy ESG allows you to track its progress in real time and analyse results by profile, department, or specific SDG. This brings multiple benefits: not only will you be able to identify which themes are harder to embed in your corporate culture, but you will also be able to make data-driven decisions to continuously improve your strategy.

Ultimately, it will help you position yourself as a socially responsible company, improve your non-financial reporting, and obtain official certifications such as B-Corp, Aenor, or others. The SDGs are not just an external reference framework: they are a real opportunity to transform your organisation’s culture, attract committed talent, and stand out in a market that increasingly values impact.

Get your team ready to be agents of change! Our sustainability courses from isEazy Skills help professionals reduce the environmental impact of their work, align with the SDGs, and foster a responsible culture. Help build an ethical, conscious company that is prepared for the challenges facing our planet.