Driving Sustainable Progress

Every year the Dutch government invites different sectors of society to reflect on where the Netherlands stands in regard to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Eighth National SDG report published by the outgoing government shows which successes and obstacles governments and sectors encounter when working on prosperity and well-being in which everyone can share, now and in the future.

Through our contribution to Chapter D of the report, which covers businesses and financial institutions, it was found that sustainability is increasingly becoming a core activity for organisations. Companies formulate concrete objectives more often and achieve success in areas such as climate change and more opportunities for people at a labour market disadvantage.

Developments in the financial sector and new legislation are driving progress further, however the pace has been slower than before with companies indicating a need for a government that stays the course. As Vincent van den Berg, senior researcher from AMSIB highlights, ‘Our SDG Barometer 2022 and 2024 consistently show that eight out of ten participating companies are in favour of an active role for governments in encouraging the adoption of the SDGs by organisations’.

There is also a shared belief that the climate of investing in sustainability needs to be strengthened with a clear long-term vision from the government that provides guidance for processes that require long-term investments. The new European reporting regulations (CSRD) can positively influence the commitment to the SDGs, provided it is not seen solely as a short-term reporting requirement.

Some of the most important recommendations from the Eighth National SDG report are:

• Creating an attractive shared vision of the future of the Netherlands together with partners in society
• Ensuring clear long-term frameworks and coherent policy guidelines to support this vision
• Preventing negative transfer effects of our prosperity across borders
• Strengthening the preconditions for a sustainable economy
• Supporting partnerships across themes and organisations
• Strengthening the involvement of citizens and younger generations