Slaughter and May Responsible Business Director recognised by United Nations Global Compact for advancing the Sustainable Development Goals

The UN Global Compact Network UK has named Slaughter and May’s Responsible Business and Inclusion Director, Uzma Hamid-Dizier as a 2023 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Pioneer.

Each year the UN Global Compact Network UK, part of the world’s largest corporate sustainability initiative, recognises SDG Pioneers who are corporate leaders using business as a force for good to advance the 17 SDGs.

Uzma has been recognised for the progress she has made against one or more of the SDGs while also contributing to business success inside the firm and by mobilising other businesses to do the same.

This work includes leading the firm’s responsible business strategy, central to which are ambitious commitments to contribute to the SDGs. After conducting a materiality assessment, six priority SDGs were identified where the firm could make the greatest impact, with implementation across the business to upskill employees to embed the SDGs in the firm’s day-to-day operations. An SDG working group was put in place to work across the firm to turn the commitments into action, to make an increasingly positive impact on the economy, environment, and society.

To drive change across the sector and society in general, Uzma spearheaded a collaboration with seven other founding firms to launch Legal CORE and co-chairs this, cross-firm leadership collective aims to tackle the underrepresentation of ethnic minority groups across the UK’s legal sector. She is also a member of the Social Mobility Commission’s Employer Advisory Group, which is sponsored by the Cabinet Office to drive social mobility in the workplace.

Uzma Hamid-Dizier comments: “I am honoured to be named as an SDG Pioneer. It is satisfying to see that Slaughter and May’s commitment to responsible business and what we are doing to make an impact by using the SDGs as a framework is being recognised. This work is a true team effort with colleagues across the firm and beyond paving the way for real change.”

Executive Director of the UN Global Compact Network UK, Steve Kenzie, says: “Uzma epitomises what is means to be an SDG Pioneer. By embedding the Sustainable Development Goals and UN Global Compact Ten Principles into the heart of her responsible business approach, Uzma has been able to enact positive change and drive progress. Her commitment to shifting the legal sector towards better social mobility and race equality is truly inspiring.”

For more information on responsible business at Slaughter and May click here or for the full list of SDG Pioneers visit https://unglobalcompact.org/sdgs/sdgpioneers.