Sustainable Development Goals [SDGs] have continuously been gaining importance in the past years. In 2015, 193 countries from all around the world agreed on 17 common goals. These goals have affected and continue to do so progressively governments, supranational organizations, multinational corporations as well as the everyday life of most people. The changes are altering the way the society and economy of each nation operate. To achieve these common goals, it is necessary to promote sustainable awareness.
Recognizing this need, Get Involved decided to carry out two studies to determine if our knowledge affects our Sustainable Perspectives and if yes, to what extent. These studies were carried out via an online questionnaire. The sample were young Greeks aged between 18 and 29 from various academic backgrounds. Moreover, the impact of demographic factors, such as age, gender, and scientific background, on our perspectives on Sustainability was examined.
The first study was named “Sustainable Literacy and Perspectives” and was conducted from the 12th of April to the 11th of June 2020, with a sample of 442, and was published on the 16th of November, 2020. The sample’s responses brought forth some noteworthy results as cognitive gaps were observed, in the total sample regardless of age, gender, and scientific background, on contemporary global issues and on current social and economic dynamics. Moreover, a concentration on specific answers was found when the sample was asked about its perspective, while this was not the case when asked about its beliefs on the progress of the SDGs.
The second study named “Sustainability Literacy and Perspectives II: The Emerging Role of SDGs in the Greek educational system and everyday life” was conducted from the 13th of May to the 25th of June 2021, with a sample of 506, and was published on the 18 of January 2021. Once more, the sample’s responses highlighted cognitive deficiency in domestic socio-economic issues. Moreover, a remarkable difference was recorded on the level that Universities are informing and educating their students on the topics of Sustainability and the level that the sample believed that they should be informed and educated.
After considering the results of these studies, Get Involved decided that there is a need for better and higher quality information on topics regarding Sustainability and the developments that are taking place in this sector. For this reason, the launch of ESG Insights: Impactful Awareness was decided, firstly by publishing an index that would educate on concepts and agreements on the sectors of ESG and Sustainability, and secondly by the monthly publication of noteworthy developments in the ESG ecosystem, domestically as well as internationally.