Those who offer solutions will be the winners

Siviglia Berto, Managing Director of B-Tonic, explains why the SDGs are so important for B-Tonic’s ‘why’ and for a sustainable future of all companies.

The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) offer the people of our planet an excellend opportunity to transform in such a way that everyone can benefit from it. Pretty much the whole world is searching for ways to live, to work and to grow with less negative impact. We need a comprehensive look, where we connect the local and the global level to generate a positive impact. The SDGs provide the roadmap and guidance to achieve those common goals successfully, mostly through an integrated and transforming approach within our companies.

‘Be an optimist, not because the future looks brilliant. But because brilliant people are working on a better future’, says Wayne Visser, economist and expert in Sustainable Transformation. ‘I’ve been working on sustainability for thirty years and at first, it did not receive a lot of attention.

Today, I can barely keep up with all the innovation. The forces are now strong enough so that those who bring the solutions will also be the winners.’[1]

This realistic optimism, particularly in terms of well-being, is the driving force behind B-Tonic, a start-up and subsidiary of Baloise. This is because, as a key player in the Belgian insurance market, Baloise is committed to a sustainable future. I like to compare it to an umbrella. People open it up to protect themselves from fire, damage to the house, their lives, etc. But under that umbrella you mainly stand alone. And if you lack confidence, the umbrella is vulnerable to strong winds and heavy rain. Which means any insurance policy is of secondary importance. Therefore, the best insurance is to feel good. While we cannot cover this feel-good factor with an insurance policy, we can facilitate it with a health platform like B-Tonic. More and more companies are realising that employees remain active and productive for longer if they feel good in their job and at work. When personal aspirations, competences and values are consistent with the work content and the working environment, and are supported by healthy leadership, employees feel they are doing something meaningful and are making an effective contribution.

‘The SDGs provide a road map for our enterprises to live, work and expand while exerting less of a negative impact’

Thus the SDGs are deeply embedded in our DNA. Sustainably improving the mental and physical well-being (SDG 3) of employees so that they remain motivated and committed (SDG 8) is our raîson d’être. Our thought leadership is supported by an easily accessible e-learning platform (SDG 4) and demonstrates its measurable impact on companies through our unique SDG company scan (SDG 9). It reveals the most effective and efficient way towards a sustainable future for businesses. Lastly, everything we do is scientifically substantiated That is why we surround ourselves with a select number of partners (SDG 17) who jointly translate and disseminate the B-Tonic quality label.

The time to act is now

In short, we have reached a positive point of no return. Not only physical health, but also care for mental well-being has evolved – initiated by the Covid-19 crisis – into a fundamental pillar of sustainable entrepreneurship. And we must seize this momentum if we want to have an impact, both as an employer and as an employee. Entrepreneurship in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals or SDGs is no longer an option, but a must if you want to remain relevant as an organisation. Now and in the future. To such an extent that ever more governments, from the European to the local level, are obliging companies and organisations to make their strategy and policy ESG-proof. In plain language: make sure that your company contributes to the environment and operates in an environmentally friendly manner (Environment), that you treat your human capital with care (Social) and that you manage your organisation in a decent manner (Governance).