Sustainable business July 14, 2021 It has been more than six years since governments around the world adopted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and almost five years to the day since they signed on to the Paris Climate Agreement. Big corporations said they would align their business practices towards sustainability. How have they done? There has been a lot of talk but not enough action. Despite growing sustainability commitments by companies and investors, direct emissions from corporations increased by more than 10 percent between 2015 and 2019. Ninety-eight percent of plastic packaging is single-use and more than a third is not recyclable. The global gender pay gap is still reportedly at 16 percent – despite the recognition that gender equality can stimulate growth and support environmental sustainability.