Sustainable Development Goals
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were established in 2015 – setting 17 goals to tackle poverty, inequality and climate change by 2030 – which created a sustainability framework for businesses globally. Below is a summary of Lewis Media Group’s initiatives and targets to support the goals.
Priority areas
As a small-medium enterprise operating from one Sydney based location our ability to address individual SDGs varies, so we’ve focused on those most relevant to our operations as outlined below.
People
Initiatives to support the goals:
- Initiatives relating to anti-discrimination, human rights and modern slavery including in our supply chain.
- Initiatives which promote gender equality and the empowerment of women at all levels, including full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership.
- Initiatives to promote sustainable economic growth and productivity.
- Initiatives to ensure a safe and inclusive workplace environment.
2025 measurable targets:
- 100% of our Tier 1 (direct) suppliers provided with our supplier code of conduct providing an overview of our anti-discrimination, human rights and modern slavery policies and expectations – ACHIEVED.
- At least 30% female representation in management level roles – ACHIEVED.
- 100% of employees to have participated in our workplace health and safety, anti-discrimination, human rights and ethics training programs which promote gender equality and a safe and inclusive workplace – ACHIEVED.
Product
Initiatives to support the goals:
- Initiatives which significantly reduce or eliminate waste through responsible manufacturing, reuse and recycling.
- Initiatives to adopt sustainable practices including tracking and reporting progress.
- Communication which encourages customers to embrace circular thinking and partner with us in carbon reduction by choosing products with lower environmental impacts where possible.
2025 measurable targets:
- Eliminate general waste bins throughout all office and production areas ensuring all waste streams are separated and measured, with target to recycle 95% of all waste – ON TRACK.
- Partner with Trace to track and report sustainability progress annually – ACHIEVED.
- Compile information and develop a communication strategy to educate clients on environmentally friendly alternate products.
Planet
Initiatives to support the goals:
- Initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to limit global warming to 1.5°C in line with the UN Paris Agreement to avert the worst impacts of climate change and preserve a liveable planet.
- Initiatives to support sustainable forest management including purchasing FSC certified paper stocks, planting trees, and funding certified carbon offset projects which sustain and restore forest ecosystems.
2025 measurable targets:
- Absolute scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emission reduction strategies on target to achieve 45% reduction by 2030, from 2015 baseline levels – ON TRACK.
- Maintain annual carbon neutral status (commenced 2021) funding certified carbon offset projects which protect and restore forest ecosystems – ON TRACK.
Broader support for the goals
To expand our support to include each of the 17 SDGs Lewis Media Group contributes to various social and environmental impact projects. The projects most recently funded are outlined below.
Manyatta Development, Kenya
The Manyatta development project seeks to expand the life opportunities and wellbeing of impoverished Kenyans in the Manyatta community and includes education, medical, food, clean water and waste recycling programs.
Cool Fire Traditional Land Management, Australia
This project combines the knowledge and skills of the traditional owners with contemporary technology to reduce fire risk, landscape damage and carbon emissions across a 80,000 km2 area of Arnhem Land.
Rimba Raya Peatlands Conservation, Indonesia
This project is one of the most highly regarded and ranked in the world. In September 2020, Rimba Raya was audited and achieved the highest possible rating of contributing to all 17 UN SDSs.
Katingan Peatlands Conservation, Indonesia
The Katingan project is the world’s largest emission reduction forest project, preventing the release of 7.5 million tonnes of CO2 on average annually while protecting and restoring the peat swamp ecosystem home to many endangered species.
Coorong Lakes Biodiversity Conservation, Australia
This project protects and restores the native landscape and connecting habitat of the South Australian Coorong region, in partnership with the traditional owners.
Efficient Cookstoves, Nepal
This project provides clean and efficient cooking stoves to marginalised communities in Nepal, reducing CO2 emissions and firewood consumption, while providing local employment opportunities and empowering women to pursue activities other than collecting wood for cooking.
Mytrah Clean Energy Project, India
This cross-state initiative generates clean energy from wind power for the communities of India. Not only does the project have a huge impact environmentally but economically and socially too, providing stable jobs and income as well as initiatives which provide clean water and sanitation to the community.
