“The integration of sustainability issues across the whole company is an important part of SSAB’s business model, vision and strategy,” said SSAB’s CEO Martin Lindqvist. “Sustainability is also becoming an increasingly clear competitive advantage in the contact with our customers worldwide. It is an approach that helps to increase profitability for all the parties, while simultaneously generating more sustainable development in the global perspective.


In this national network in Sweden, we hope to contribute actively to the exchange of experience between businesses and the Swedish Government, and also raise issues more distinctly on the private sector’s agenda.

Swedish Leadership for Sustainable Development is a network of around twenty leading Swedish companies and NGOs with Swedish links. The network was initiated in 2013 and is coordinated by the Swedish aid agency Sida. SLSD has become a forum for learning and a platform for new partnerships, specific projects and collaborative models for reducing poverty and for sustainable development.

The UN´s new global goals fo sustainable development (Sustainable Development Goals, SDG) are the basis of the network’s activities, which largely involve building partnerships that involve national governments as well as the private sector and civil society. The private sector already accounts for the majority of the investments in the world’s low and middle income countries. Committed businesses that take long-term responsibility are therefore crucial to creating jobs, strengthening markets and building sustainable communities.

In conjunction with the adoption of the SDGs, the network members agreed on a shared commitment – through their core businesses and in cooperation – to contribute to the achievement of these goals by:

  •  Reducing their environmental impact and using resources more efficiently
  •  Creating jobs with decent conditions 
  •  Combating corruption and unethical conduct 

The network meets once a year at CEO level to evaluate the work conducted during the year and to set frameworks and guidelines for the next fiscal year.

Link to Sida’s website