ABE launches sustainability audit

As an organisation, ABE is committed to supporting UN sustainable development goals (SDG).  In recent years we have achieved much, but this does not mean we cannot improve further and we are not complacent. We have challenged the ABE team to look at their area of work and consider ways in which we can go further towards meeting the SDG agenda. 

Here are some of the things we are doing right now:

• Supporting sustainable cities and climate action (SDG 11 and 13) – greenhouse gasses and harmful pollutants are caused by transport, we have created a business model which does not require staff to travel to work on a daily basis thereby reducing pollution and lessening carbon emissions, as well as improving work/life balance for many.
• Responsible consumption and production (SDG 12) – large scale paper production can cause deforestation and uses high amounts of energy and water.  In recent years we have dramatically reduced printed resources and invested in mobile-friendly software to ensure softcopies are more accessible on different devices, reducing the need for the end-user to printout information.  We have also cut back on office space with shared desks – this reduces the amount of land and resources we consume as an organisation. In addition, the introduction and adoption of open-book exams in many countries also means we have reduced the need to print and ship large volumes of paper around the world. 
• Quality education (SDG 4) + decent work and economic growth (SDG 8) –  It goes without saying that providing routes to quality education that enable people to find or generate decent work is at the heart of everything we do.    Gender equality (SDG 5) is central to this and we are proud of the high proportion of women entrepreneurs who are amongst our alumni.

Plus, we have a strict Code of Conduct which sets out the standards we expect not just from ourselves but also from our organisation’s partners and suppliers. These are based on UN Sustainable Development Goals and lay out the expectations of social responsibility and respect for human rights.

All of this is part of our commitment to embrace a fragile world and build something stronger, the ABE way. #ABEway