Pakistan Stock Exchange launches a comprehensive SDGs section on its official website

The upcoming ten years have been marked as the “Decade of Action”- a nudge to every citizen, every organization and authority to play its vital role in the progress of achieving the SDG goals. This especially includes the private entities. UNDP Pakistan’s Federal SDGs Unit has held consultations, as well as sensitization, on SDGs in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad in partnership with Provincial Planning and Development departments Federal Minister of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives. After developing the National SDGs framework, six themes with 32 indicators have been identified for the private sector to report on SDGs.

The Pakistan Stock Exchange website have developed a comprehensive section for SDGs on its official website where the private sector, registered with the Pakistan Stock Exchange, is asked to report on these 32 indicators. Its landing page displays all the requisite information about the SDGs in the context of Pakistan, while the scroll down sections are dedicated for Limited Companies and how SDGs can be aligned with their ongoing activities.

The relevancy of the baseline targets and their prioritization is summarized in the informative document. It also mentions the obstacles and problems that can hinder the achievement and implementation of the SDGs. The methodology to report or publish online the status of the progress of SDGs is also available.

A reporting mechanism present on the website clearly explains the essential data calculations and input methodologies to be done by companies. Meanwhile, the annual progress that must be shown, is available as a template on the website. This proper guide, with step by step infographics and documents, will be able to assist many private entities to streamline their objectives regarding SDGs.

The timeline for 2030 agenda; to achieve the SDGs, has worried some while curiosity still prevails in many forms. Some are at the learning phase while some seek the meanings of the indicators and targets in the current status quo. While the agenda is to “leave no one behind”, the bigger problem is to establish who is even a part of the SDG Marathon yet.

The year 2020 has marked the upcoming ten years as the “Decade to Action”, a nudge to every citizen, every organization and authority to play its vital role in the progress. A conventional need of communication and ideation of the SDG mapping is already the onus of the nation. Some organizations are showing a Fast Track Approach while prioritizing the SDGs, others tend to localize it for a better routine implementation.

Despite the greater responsibility, a proactive approach in implementing the SDGs and its reporting is the need of the hour. The weakest link in the chain is the process to tag and show the actual progress on SDGs. Formation of the Pakistan’s SDGs National framework has outlined a proposition to carry the process further. The urge and responsibility of the organizations to play their part has become essential and one such example is readily available at the Pakistan Stock Exchange website.

UNDP Pakistan following the NEC approved National SDGs framework developed by the Federal SDGs unit chalked out 6 themes and 32 indicators. Private sector registered with the Pakistan Stock Exchange is asked to report on those 32 indicators. The consultations as well as sensitization on SDGs were done at Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad in partnership with Provincial Planning and Development departments Federal Minister of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives.

The PSX has uploaded a comprehensive section for SDGs on its official website(https://www.psx.com.pk/psx/resources-and-tools/sustainable-development-goal).

UNDP Pakistan Official Link to Story

About Author:

This Story is written by Zuhair Shabbir. A Communications Professional currently working with the Ministry of Planning Development & Special Initiatives and UN Pakistan on the 2030 Agenda of Sustainable development goals. Zuhair has been a thorough Communications expert and has designed the National Communications Strategy for the SDGs for Pakistan. His experience includes 15 years of Communications, Marketing and Digital growth roles with various Development Sector Organizations and Private Companies/Brands. He has comprehensively developed various programs and designs for organizations to achieve better awareness and advocacy of Sustainability.