Herbert Smith Freehills has signed a letter, sent to the Prime Minister today, which calls on the UK Government to ensure Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are at the heart of the UK’s Covid-19 recovery plans.
The letter has been signed by more than 100 leading companies, charities, universities, and trade associations and has been coordinated by the UK Stakeholders for Sustainable Development (UKSSD) and the United Nations Global Compact Network UK (GCN UK).
The firm and other signatories are asking that SDGs be used to consolidate and future-proof recovery plans and recommends that they are used to:
- Prioritise the most vulnerable in our society and level-up regional and societal inequalities;
- Build coherent policies for a healthy planet and to aid the transition to net zero; and
- Unite all sectors behind a plan to build a stronger and more resilient economy
The SDGs are part of the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and give a “shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future”. There are 17 Goals at its centre, encompassing climate action, education and health.
Herbert Smith Freehills Executive Partner Alison Brown, who signed the letter on behalf of the firm, said:
“We hope that the Prime Minister will use these SDGs as a foundation for the UK's post-Covid recovery plans. We have an opportunity to make sure our recovery from this crisis is fair and just so that people and places across the UK can prosper.”