UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, the United Nations launched 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), calling on governments, businesses and other stakeholders to take action to tackle the biggest issues facing the people and our planet by 2030.
We're committed to creating a more sustainable future and doing our part in supporting the SDGs.
Using the SDGs as a guide, we mapped the challenges facing society against our business capabilities to understand how we can make the greatest difference.
This led to the development of our People & Planet Plan to create a more inclusive and sustainable future for our communities, our planet and each other.
Through our People & Planet Plan, we’re making a meaningful contribution to several lead and supporting SDGs mapped on this page, while our foundations support a wider range of SDGs. We're working closely with partners to further shape our contribution over the next decade.
People
Why these SDGs are important to us
When different thoughts, experiences and skills come together, we can create innovative solutions that energise a greener, fairer future for everyone. That’s why by 2030, our goal is to build a team that reflects the full diversity of the communities we serve while recruiting 3,500 apprentices and providing development opportunities for under-represented groups. At the same time, we're inspiring colleagues to give 100,000 days to build inclusive and sustainable communities.
Find out more about our People plan.
Examples of how we supported the SDGs in 2023
- Continued to create a more diverse and inclusive team – from listening to our Shadow Board of diverse colleagues who meet regularly with leaders to drive colleague-centric decisions, to providing talent and development opportunities for over 150 people from under-represented groups to grow a more diverse talent pipeline.
- Inspired more diversity in engineering with 14% of our Smart Energy Apprentices being women – this is much higher than the 0.2% of gas safe registered engineers in the UK that are women, and our ambition is to achieve gender parity by 2050.
- Made a big difference in our local communities by volunteering over 7,200 days which was more than double what we did the previous year.
Breakdown of specific SDG targets supported
- 4.3 By 2030, ensure equal access for all women and men to affordable and quality technical, vocational and tertiary education, including university
- 4.4 By 2030, substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship
- 4.5 By 2030, eliminate gender disparities in education and ensure equal access to all levels of education and vocational training for the vulnerable, including persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples and children in vulnerable situations
- 5.5 Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life
- 5.C Adopt and strengthen sound policies and enforceable legislation for the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls at all levels
- 8.5 By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, including for young people and persons with disabilities, and equal pay for work of equal value
- 8.6 By 2020, substantially reduce the proportion of youth not in employment, education or training
- 10.2 By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status
- 10.3 Ensure equal opportunity and reduce inequalities of outcome, including by eliminating discriminatory laws, policies and practices and promoting appropriate legislation, policies and action in this regard
Planet
Why these SDGs are important to us
Climate change is one of the greatest challenges facing society. We’re well-placed to reduce energy’s impact on the climate and contribute to national and international targets. We’re doing this by supporting every customer to live more sustainably by providing services and solutions that will help them be net zero by 2050 at the latest, while working to become a net zero business ourselves by 2045.
Find out more about our Planet plan.
Examples of how we supported the SDGs in 2023
- Produced nearly 70% less carbon than we did a decade ago following our strategic transformation away from most of our carbon intensive energy assets, to focus on providing energy, services and solutions that energise a greener, fairer future.
- Provided a route-to-market for renewables with 13GW under our management – that’s enough to power around 12 million homes.
- Installed around 3,000 heat pumps in the able to pay market and via the Energy Company Obligation. Our ambition is to ramp this up to 20,000 heat pumps a year by 2025 as set out in our Climate Transition Plan.
- 7.1 By 2030, ensure universal access to affordable, reliable and modern energy services
- 7.2 By 2030, increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix
- 7.3 By 2030, double the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency
- 9.4 By 2030, upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable, with increased resource-use efficiency and greater adoption of clean and environmentally sound technologies and industrial processes, with all countries taking action in accordance with their respective capabilities
- 11.6 By 2030, reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special attention to air quality and municipal and other waste management
- 13.2 Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning
Relevant pages
Our People Plan
Supporting every colleague to be themselves to better serve our customers and communities
Performance & Reporting
Access reports and explore our Data Centre to find out more about our responsible business performance