The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are 17 global goals established by the United Nations in 2015 as a blueprint for a better and more sustainable future. These goals address worldwide challenges such as poverty, inequality, climate change, and ensuring well-being for all. Each goal serves as a call to action to create a positive, sustainable impact globally by 2030.
The MARUG sees the implementation of the SDGs as an essential step in contributing to a responsible and sustainable world. By integrating these goals into our activities, we aim to inspire our members to engage more thoughtfully with sustainability and make a positive impact in the field of marketing and beyond.
At MARUG, we focus on the SDGs that are most relevant to our mission and where we can make the greatest impact. The SDGs we will focus on are:
SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
At MARUG, the well-being of our members is a top priority, and we are dedicated to creating a supportive and inclusive environment. To ensure our members feel secure and heard, we actively promote the availability of both male and female confidential advisors. These advisors will be highlighted more frequently across our social media, newsletters, socials, and during the Board of Advisors meetings with each committee. By doing this, we aim to foster a culture where every individual feels comfortable seeking guidance, knowing that help is always at hand.
In addition to offering emotional support, we also recognize the importance of physical and social well-being. Last year, we took a significant step in enhancing physical well-being by introducing standing desks in our office. This year, we’re excited to take it further by organizing an additional wellbeing-focused activity for our members. This extra activity aims to not only encourage our members to stay active but also provide a relaxed setting to bond and build lasting connections. As part of this effort, we also organize welcome drinks and appreciation dinners for each committee at the beginning and end of their committee. These gatherings help us strengthen our bonds with every committee, ensuring that each member feels valued and connected.
This year, we have also signed the Code of Conduct from the University of Groningen, underscoring our commitment to fostering a safe, inclusive, and respectful environment within our association. In addition, we have partnered with Oma Soep Groningen, allowing us to make a meaningful contribution to society. Through this collaboration, the MARUG can participate in monthly volunteer activities aimed at reducing loneliness among the elderly. With these efforts, we hope to positively impact the well-being of our members and the broader community.
SDG 4: Quality Education
The MARUG is committed to promoting sustainability through education. In collaboration with Enactus, we are looking at the possibility of providing our sustainability officers of each committee a sustainability training. This training will empower our sustainability officers with the knowledge and tools to incorporate sustainable practices into their activities and events. By doing so, we not only reinforce our dedication to sustainability but also ensure that our members are equipped to contribute meaningfully to the global movement towards a more sustainable future. Through these initiatives, MARUG continues to emphasize the importance of quality education in creating lasting, positive change both within our community.
SDG 5: Gender Equality
At MARUG, we recognize the importance of gender equality in all aspects of our organization. We therefore want to provide free menstruation products in the restrooms at our events and activities, if possible. This small, yet significant, action is aimed at removing any barriers or discomfort that individuals who menstruate might experience during our events and activities. By offering these products, we hope to promote an inclusive atmosphere where all our members feel comfortable and supported, regardless of their gender-specific needs.
In addition to this, we are placing a stronger focus on improving gender balance within our committees. We are working towards achieving fair representation between men and women in these leadership and organizational roles. By ensuring that our committees are more gender-diverse, we aim to create an equitable environment where all voices are heard and valued. This balance will not only enrich the perspectives within our committees but will also strengthen our ability to address the diverse needs and aspirations of our members.
SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy
Energy efficiency is one of our key priorities as we continuously seek to reduce our environmental footprint and promote sustainable practices. Within our daily operations, we take deliberate steps to minimize energy consumption. One such measure is ensuring that all computer screens are turned off whenever our office is not in use. This simple, yet important action helps reduce unnecessary energy usage and reinforces our commitment to responsible resource management. Additionally, during colder months, we make it a point to keep windows mostly closed to retain heat, reducing the need for excessive heating and making our office more energy-efficient.
Our dedication to sustainability extends to the organization of our largest event, the annual MARUG Conference. For the last two years, the venue of this event has been powered in part by solar energy, meaning a significant portion of the event’s energy needs will be met through renewable sources. This year, we decided to host our event at this venue as well. This decision is a reflection of MARUG's broader commitment to integrating sustainability into all facets of our operations, from daily practices to high-profile events.
SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
This year, we have established partnerships with several sustainable companies, such as Zonneplan, reflecting our dedication to working with environmentally conscious businesses. These collaborations are a testament to our dedication to working with businesses that prioritize sustainability and align with our values of environmental consciousness and responsible growth. By partnering with these forward-thinking companies, we not only support their sustainable initiatives but also create opportunities for our members to engage with organizations that are making a positive impact on the planet.
Besides partners, we also want to include sustainability within MARUG by featuring speakers who are also very focussed on sustainability during our events. These speakers offer valuable insights into how their companies focus on environmental responsibility and well-being.
SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
Sustainability is a core value at MARUG, and this extends to how we travel. For both international and domestic trips, such as the Ski Trip and inhouse tours, we deliberately choose buses as our primary means of travel. By opting for this lower-emission option, we actively work to reduce our carbon footprint and contribute to a more sustainable future.
In addition to sustainable group travel, we encourage our members to adopt eco-friendly transport on an individual level. We will consistently promote cycling through our social media channels, highlighting it as a preferred method of transportation for members attending our events. To further motivate this behavior, we’ve integrated using the bike into our committee competition, offering points to committees whose members choose this sustainable transportation.
SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
Last year, we took a significant step toward internationalization by transitioning all of our communication, both internal and external, to English. This change was pivotal in making MARUG more accessible to international students and ensuring that no one is left out due to language barriers. As we move forward, we will continue to build on these efforts, refining our communication strategies and creating equal opportunities for all members, whether they are local or international. By fostering an inclusive culture, we aim to ensure that every student, regardless of origin, can fully participate and thrive within MARUG.
SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
At MARUG, we are committed to minimizing waste and promoting responsible consumption in as many aspects of our operations and events as possible. This year, we have taken significant steps to reduce unnecessary production, starting with our active members' clothing. Instead of ordering new apparel, we will be reusing last year's clothing, thus decreasing the need for new production. In line with this, each committee will not receive its own set of clothing; instead, there are a few shirts from last year that all committees will share whenever they need to wear them for an event or promotional day. Additionally, when it comes to active member gadgets, we have shifted to a more mindful approach by producing items only based on direct member requests if possible. This on-demand production helps us avoid excess and aligns with our goal to reduce material waste. Moreover, we try to provide gadgets that are crafted from sustainable materials, ensuring that our promotional items resonate with our environmental values.
For events like the Active Member Weekend and our annual Active Member Barbecue, we are meticulously planning food and drink purchases based on confirmed registrations to prevent overstock. Any leftover food or drinks will be either shared among our members or donated, for instance, to a local food bank, ensuring nothing is wasted and simultaneously supporting our community.
To further encourage sustainable practices, we have integrated various initiatives into our competitions. Within our committee competition, members earn points for donating clothing to charity and within our MARUG Masterchef competition, participants will earn extra points for incorporating near-expiry products into their recipes and minimizing their food waste at the end. Furthermore, to reduce our environmental impact, most of the food served at our events and activities is vegetarian, underscoring our commitment to sustainability in every aspect of our organization.
SDG 13: Climate Action
Within the MARUG, we are continually finding ways to engage our members in the fight against climate change through creative and impactful initiatives. This year, we want to do that by introducing the monthly "Climate Challenge". These challenges will range from reducing personal energy consumption to adopting more eco-friendly lifestyle habits, with the aim of inspiring members to make small but significant changes that collectively make a difference. We will actively promote these challenges during our social events and newsletter.
In addition to the monthly challenges, our committee competition includes a special focus on climate action, because members can earn points for planting trees. Tree planting is a direct and tangible way to combat climate change, and by incorporating this into our competition, we are motivating our members to take real, impactful steps that benefit the planet.
SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
MARUG is placing a strong emphasis on building meaningful partnerships with B-corporations, which are organizations that meet the highest standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. At our Sustainable Marketing Event we are already primarily using B-corporations, highlighting our dedication to collaborating with purpose-driven companies. We are also exploring opportunities to involve B-corps in other events, reinforcing our commitment to sustainability and ethical business practices. These partnerships not only align with MARUG's vision for a more responsible and impactful future but also offer our members valuable insights into the world of socially conscious enterprises.