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The Board of Water Utilities Australia (WUA) today resolved to support the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) where possible throughout the business. The 17 SDGs were established at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development in 2012, replacing the Millennium Development Goals. The SDGs were established to address the challenges the world faces related to poverty, climate, inequality, health, economic development, environmental degradation, peace and justice.

WUA’s CEO, Graham Dooley, has spent time in both the public and private sectors and sees the role private business can play in addressing some of the most pressing issues facing the world today. Graham said, “The 17 SDGs set ambitious targets to be met by 2030. It is not just the responsibility of government to address these issues, but a role we can all contribute to in our own ways. We see Water Utilities Australia as being a good global citizen and will do what we can to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030”. Graham also realises that good business and being sustainable are not mutually exclusive, saying, “Being conscious of sustainability practices and supporting the SDGs is not just good for global development, but is good for business”.

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Some of the SDGs such as SDG 6, ‘Clean Water and Sanitation’, and SDG 14, ‘Life Below Water’, are logical fits to WUA’s activities, but Risk & Compliance Officer, Brad Rea, says, “Some less obvious goals that WUA is in a position to contribute towards including SDG 11 which is to enhance inclusive and sustainable urbanization of cities. WUA contributes towards this goal by supplying sustainable recycled water for irrigation of parks and sporting fields ensuring that urban communities have green spaces to enjoy year-round and combating urban heating. Other goals WUA contributes to include SDG 9 which includes a target to develop quality, reliable, sustainable and resilient infrastructure to support economic development. The Willunga Basin Water Company is a good example of how WUA contributes towards this target by building long-term irrigation infrastructure in the McLaren Vale wine growing region which supports economic development”.

Progress of WUA’s contributions towards meeting the 17 SDGs will be published in WUA’s inaugural.

Sustainability Report which will be published on its website in November 2019.

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