Sustainable
Development Goals
Sustainability is at the core of Wildlife Drones’ values.
As a business, we understand that our success is intricately intertwined with the diverse needs of the community and the natural environment itself. However, sustainability is not just an ethos. But something that ought to be deeply embedded in how we operate in the real world.
Whilst we are continuously striving towards greater sustainability, it is important to recognize our progress and how it compares against international targets and goals. To this end, the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) prove a useful guide. Adopted by all member states in 2015, the SDGs stand as a large part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The SDGs embody a worldwide commitment from a wide array of actors to achieve specific, measurable and positive change across a variety of domains.
Wildlife Drones have been committed to making a meaningful contribution towards the SDGs, notably that of SDG 5,8,13 and 15:
SDG 5
Gender Equality
Founded in 2016 by conservation ecologist turned CEO Debbie Saunders, Wildlife Drones has always been a female-led company that values both diversity and equality. As a company fundamentally driven by innovation, encouraging a diverse range of voices is essential for continued growth and value creation. The company continues to foster this environment across its business, with women holding key positions in governance, management and operations. Target 5.5 of the SDGs describes ensuring full and effective participation of women in leadership positions and Wildlife Drones continues to lead by example in making this target a reality.
SDG 8
Decent Work and Economic Growth
Whilst much of the SDGs pertain to growth in developing countries, a key global concern remains stagnating productivity levels in developed countries. With technology universally recognised as the closest thing to an economic panacea in this regard, start-up companies such as Wildlife Drones contribute greatly to this goal of economic sustainability. Innovation is especially key in labour-intensive sectors such as government and service which traditionally have struggled to develop technology. Wildlife Drones not only produces economic value through its operations, and the full-time work it provides its employees, but also through its technology itself.
SDG 13
Climate Action
Wildlife Drones’ world-first radio tracking technology has the capacity to significantly reduce carbon emissions in conservation and in commercial agriculture. Drones can substitute for more carbon-intensive alternatives involved in animal tracking including heavy vehicles and helicopters. Few goals are truly as universal in nature as that of action on climate change, which requires commitment from all actors in private and public sectors. This goal is integral to the operations of Wildlife Drones, as commercial success goes hand in hand with projects defined by their successful tracking. Furthermore, radio-tracking technology also strengthens the capacity of various actors, particularly the government, to respond to climate-related disasters such as bushfires. The company’s involvement in tracking bushfire affected koalas in Queensland is a key example of this.
SDG 15
Life on Land
Wildlife Drones’ founding vision is built around fostering a sustainable relationship between humanity and the natural world. This vision fuels Wildlife Drones’ operations, born from the necessity to track endangered animals and the biodiversity they represent. Only through greater technological accountability and access to data can communities do their best to promote sustainable use of various ecosystems. Wildlife Drones significantly contributes to this through world class animal tracking technologies. Furthermore, by successfully integrating such practices within a growing commercial enterprise, Wildlife Drones demonstrates the economic as well as social value of sustainability.
On a practical level, we are partners with GreenFleet to offset any carbon emissions accrued from the shipping of our systems for customer projects and events. We contribute to the circular economy through the hiring out, servicing and continual reuse of our equipment. We have also committed to constant review of our operations to find ways of diminishing our environmental impact, from ink use to reduced travel.
