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Sustainable development

Design for Good: A Global Alliance for Sustainable Development

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

In a collaborative effort to tackle the world's biggest challenges, Koninklijke Philips N.V. has co-founded a non-profit organization called Design for Good. The alliance brings together multinational companies, institutions, and a volunteer design community to help achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). By working closely with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and local communities, Design for Good aims to create open-source solutions that will have a real impact on disadvantaged populations. This year's efforts are focused on SDG 6: Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.

Key Takeaways:

  • Design for Good is a non-profit organization that aims to positively impact people's lives across the world by helping to achieve the SDGs.
  • The alliance has a volunteer design community of over 5,000 strong and will focus on one SDG per year, with this year's efforts directed toward SDG 6.
  • Philips has a clear purpose to improve the lives of 2.5 billion people a year by 2030, including at least 400 million people in underserved communities or in resource-constrained environments.
  • The organization aims to ideate, prototype, and scale open-source solutions that are supported by the collective power and creative talents of the world's designers.
  • Design for Good has already developed tools, techniques, and ideas on how to identify needs and challenges and bring together people who can do something about it.
  • Philips has a decade-long history of designing solutions that improve people's lives, including the low-smoke Chulha cooking stove and the double-headed fetoscope.

Statistics:

  • More than 5,000 designers are part of the volunteer design community supporting Design for Good.
  • Philips aims to improve the lives of 2.5 billion people a year by 2030.
  • At least 400 million people will belong to the target group for Philips' purpose.
  • The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) have collaborated with Philips on design solutions.
  • The low-smoke Chulha cooking stove has been successful in improving indoor air quality for people in underserved communities.
  • The double-headed fetoscope has helped identify high-risk pregnancies and saved lives.

Sources:

  • "Netherlands: Koninklijke Philips N.V. has issued the following news release: Design for Good non-profit alliance aims to deliver measurable impact on society's biggest challenges, on a scale only possible through global collaboration" (no specific date provided)

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