SDGs – Entreps.org

London, UK – 14 February 2026

This week marks the official launch of SDG:Zero, an initiative designed to recognise and promote the sustainability efforts of small and medium-sized enterprises worldwide.

At its heart is the Sustainable Business Directory, a platform optimised for local SEO and designed to give start-ups, micro-businesses and SMEs the visibility they deserve for the work they are doing in relation to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

It offers businesses a simple way to showcase their many and diverse commitments, with the aim of attracting customers and partners who value responsible business practices, while also connecting them with a growing community of like-minded organisations.

“SMEs are the backbone of every community, and they have an important role to play in supporting the SDGs,” said founder Neville Gaunt. “But sustainability can often feel overwhelming or out of reach. SDG:Zero is designed to make that journey more accessible.

“We are building an accessible platform that helps businesses communicate what they are already doing, and this directory is the first step. For many forward-thinking businesses, it offers a practical and valuable opportunity to increase visibility and demonstrate commitment.”

The SDG:Zero Directory offers four tiers of access:

Starter Free Tier: A simple listing for any SME or any person committed to the SDGs.
Featured £50 Tier: Enhanced visibility for the price of a coffee a month.
Premium £100 Tier: Premium storytelling tools and priority placement.
Elite £300 Tier: Leadership recognition and co-creation opportunities.

SDG:Zero also recognises how difficult it can be to start and run a business in a challenging and changing commercial climate. For that reason, it includes the SDG:Zero Resources Vault, focused on helping start-ups, business owners and employees adapt and grow in a new world shaped by AI and changing customer buying behaviours.

If you have not yet started a business, the Starter Free listing will also provide access to the Resources Vault, which includes practical guides aimed at helping people improve their prospects, including useful resources for students seeking employment.

Early adopters can also secure Founding Member status, which includes priority placement, locked-in pricing, and an exclusive badge to use as part of their company branding.

SDG:Zero aims to partner with local authorities, community influencers, SME networks, universities, charities, sustainability consultants and membership organisations to help ensure the directory is accessible to every business.

All partners will enjoy co-branding opportunities, recognition across all channels, and priority access to future tools.

More Than a Directory

The mission of SDG:Zero is to help SMEs take practical steps towards sustainability by making their efforts more visible, easier to communicate and better connected to a wider business community.

“Most SMEs are already doing more for sustainability than they realise — they just need a place to tell their story,” added Neville Gaunt. “Wherever they are in the world, SDG:Zero gives them that platform.”

The SDG:Zero Sustainable Business Directory is now open for SME listings worldwide.

Businesses can join at: https://sdgzero.com/join/

Media Contact

SDG:Zero Communications Team

Email: hello@sdgzero.net

Website: www.SDGZero.com

Note on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals

The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a UN-adopted framework aimed at ending poverty, protecting the planet, and supporting prosperity. They are intended to be achieved by 2030 through global, national and local action on a range of social, economic and environmental issues, many of which are relevant to the small business community. The full list is as follows:

Goal 1: No Poverty – End poverty in all its forms everywhere.

Goal 2: Zero Hunger – End hunger, achieve food security, improve nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture.

Goal 3: Good Health and Well-being – Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all.

Goal 4: Quality Education – Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education.

Goal 5: Gender Equality – Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.

Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation – Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation.

Goal 7: Affordable and Clean Energy – Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy.

Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth – Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth and productive employment.

Goal 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure – Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive industrialisation, and foster innovation.

Goal 10: Reduced Inequality – Reduce inequality within and among countries.

Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities – Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.

Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production – Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns.

Goal 13: Climate Action – Take action to combat climate change and its impacts.

Goal 14: Life Below Water – Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas, and marine resources.

Goal 15: Life on Land – Protect, restore, and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt biodiversity loss.

Goal 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions – Promote peaceful and inclusive societies, provide access to justice, and build effective, accountable institutions.

Goal 17: Partnerships for the Goals – Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the global partnership for sustainable development.

I am Yuri Hirayama from Japan. I work as the Director and Global Section Chief for the Nakayoshi Gakuen School in Japan led by our CEO Yuichi Nakamura. I am passionate about education and sustainability. I teach math, science, and languages to children and adults from home while studying for my MBA at EGADE Business School.

The Nakayoshi Gakuen School generates activities around Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Recently, the focus has been on assisting Africans to learn about disaster prevention, food, sports, fashion, and science in connection with sustainable Goal 12, Responsible Consumption and Production. We do this by making durable sandals from used tires, climbing ropes, and clothes. These are for Africans who have to walk long distances on a daily basis to get water.

Let me explain how our story started. In 2021, a volcano erupted in Goma, DR Congo. Thousands of people fled their homes on foot. Unfortunately, many of them did not know how to deal with the natural disaster. They needed food, water, houses, shoes, and medical care. Since the devastation created an immediate need for action, we decided to build a Disaster Prevention School in Goma to offer knowledge to local people and protect their lives.

While our activities there helped a lot, water scarcity is still a big issue. Many women and children are required to walk long distances to get water while wearing cheap and dirty sandals or walking barefoot. Consequently, illnesses and infections from open cuts and wounds are frequent. To prevent this, we came up with the idea of making sandals ourselves from recycled materials such as tires, mountain climbing ropes, and clothes.

In Japan, there are approximately 1.5 million tires manufactured each year. Those tires once no longer safe to use are put into our waste management system, which will create more environmental harm. Our ZapSap project is to recycle the tires by making eco-friendly products. I found one motorcycle store which could give me used motorcycle tires for free. By using an electric cutter, scissors, tires, climbing ropes, and second-hand clothes, we are making sandals both for children and adults. The used tires become soles, and ropes or clothes are used as straps. Some recycled sandal designers gave me hints to improve the quality. To gain continuous improvement, we held running marathon events in Tokyo and asked Japanese eco-conscious people to wear our original tough sandals. The questionnaire that we conducted showed that out of 100 people, most of them agreed that our original sandals were durable, creative, and comfortable.

The next step is to teach Africans how to make their own sandals by using their local tires, clothes, and reusable items so that they can become self-reliant. If the local people master how to make sandals using the materials that they can get within their communities, they can reuse them and sustainably produce footwear and elevate their quality of life.

Tire and apparel industries generate large amounts of waste, which must be repurposed. In advanced countries such as in Japan and the United States, people keep throwing away tires and clothes although they are still usable. There are still some aged people who experienced poverty during the war and keep using the same materials for many years with a sense of “mottainai”, which describes how sad, unfortunate, and regrettable it is to throw some usable things away. I consider this sense of “mottainai” to be one of the Japanese virtues that should be valued and inherited.

We have shared this initiative with others, and people in Japanese communities started to give us a lot of valuable ballet costumes, dresses, and kimonos in addition to tires.

We wish to bring joy and smiles to a world with suffering and difficulties. We will continue to provide education for the people in developing countries to build self-reliance by repurposing recycled materials, creating jobs, and attaining a sustainable world.

ZapSap is at an early stage. Our plan is to save the environment and help the African people by repurposing tires and clothing and creating sandals. This initiative has a wider impact. We are creating experiences for Japanese students to teach classes and contribute themselves in Uganda and DR Congo by helping them increase sensitivity, global awareness, and self worth. We are uniting the world with great traditional craftsmanship to help realize a sustainable world.

Posts

The World’s Only Sustainable Business Directory Set to Empower SMEs

More Than a Directory

Media Contact

Note on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals

ZapSap Project: We are uniting the world with great traditional craftsmanship to help realizea sustainable world.