The ESG Impacts and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) toolkit presents a case study on the environmental, social and governance (ESG) challenges faced by an international beverage company introducing a new product into the global market. Organized as two group activities, students are introduced to the structure and guidelines of the Sustainable Development Goals and are given the opportunity to apply these guidelines to the external impacts (externalities) caused by the company’s business practices.

The ESG Impacts and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) activities are accompanied by a PowerPoint presentation that provides a simple and engaging way to embed ESG (sustainability) into the academic experience. The presentation includes an examination of corporate consequences to the environmental and social elements of sustainability as well as governance challenges and ethical dimensions of business decisions.

This toolkit employs group interaction that leads to students engaging in self-reflection about ethical decision-making in terms of the effects of corporate decisions on our environment, our communities and our economic systems. 

Target Audience:

Since the SDG’s focus in on global goals instead of accounting metrics or theory, the material is agnostic to all majors/disciplines. The concepts are easily digestible for all students at all levels of education, from freshman year to the final semester in a master’s program. Using the framework developed by the United Nations (UN), the SDG’s can offer students an informed understanding of the challenges facing corporations and society globally. Furthermore, the introduction of the sustainability related material may generate a greater interest in the field of accounting or accounting related majors. 

Learning Objectives:

The ESG Impacts and SDG’s Toolkit of the KPMG Ethical Compass is intended to provide students with an opportunity to:

•       Introduce the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) focusing on the four dimensions.

•       Understand the purpose of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s).

•       Identify the relationship between SDG’s and corporate ESG impacts.

•       Appreciate the current trends in ESG/sustainability reporting practices.

•       Develop critical thinking regarding nonfinancial information challenges pertaining to risks and opportunities associated with ESG impacts.

•       Recognize corporate, social and environmental responsibilities and a corporation’s impact on society.

•       Understand The United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) principles as they relate to the SDG’s operationally for human rights, labor standards, environmental actions, and anti-corruption.

The Ethical Compass – A Toolkit for Integrity in Business

This multi-part toolkit of classroom learning materials was developed in collaboration between KPMG’s Ethics and Compliance group and Dr. Barbara Porco of Fordham University. The Ethical Compass Toolkit provides a comprehensive review of the issues related to ethical behaviors in business as well as interactive learning materials and exercises for your students. Each of these modules can be easily integrated into an accounting, auditing, or business ethics curriculum individually, or the multi-part toolkit can serve as the foundation for a complete ethics program within an accounting, auditing or other business curriculum.