The Rainbow Paper

Linking the United Nations’ SDG’s and LGBTI Inclusion in the Workplace

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) form an important framework in the world of sustainability and have grown into a new language for investors, companies, and governments. With all the advantages of the SDGs, we see that some topics are insufficiently covered by these 17 goals. For example, the SDGs contain no explicit reference to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual, and intersexual (LGBTI) rights in their goals and targets. Several countries did not want ‘gay rights’ to be included; this subject was “off the table”. Nevertheless, everyone agreed with the SDG’s motto: leave no one behind.

This is why we joined forces with Workplace Pride and Alliander to draw up the very first SDG LGBTI Manifesto, which has now been signed by various companies. With this manifesto, companies underline the importance of LGBTI inclusion in the workplace. We ask organizations to stand strong together for inclusion and diversity and to include LGBTI in the organization’s SDG approach.

This white or ‘Rainbow’ paper was created to provide organizations guidance on how to determine their maturity on LGBTI inclusion, how this is linked with the SDGs, and to provide them with an overview on possible next steps and goals. How and to what degree can LGBTI inclusion be integrated in their management approach? How do you get insight into where you stand and how you can improve and take your efforts further? In this light, we have developed a maturity model, for which the SDG Compass (developed by GRI), the UN Global Compact, and the WBSCD form the basis.

The SDG LGTI Manifesto and Rainbow Paper is a joint effort of Workplace Pride, Alliander, and Sustainalize and with the kind support of Shell.

Would you like to know more about this topic, or are you looking for support in integrating LGBTI inclusion into your management approach? Please contact our expert Nick.

Nick de Ruiter

Partner, Sustainalize

Published on: 17 November 2020

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