Ride-hailing app puts social justice in drive – Digiday

inDrive’s Strategic Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals through “Positions of Purpose” Initiative

Introduction: Integrating Social Impact into Corporate Governance

The ride-hailing platform inDrive has launched a global hiring campaign, “Positions of Purpose,” to structurally embed its mission of challenging injustice within its executive leadership. This initiative demonstrates a direct commitment to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by creating senior roles dedicated to social impact. The company, which operates in approximately 1,000 cities across 48 countries, aims to positively impact 1 billion people by 2030, aligning its corporate growth with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Core Focus Areas and Alignment with Specific SDGs

The campaign seeks to recruit executive-level leaders for newly created positions, each directly corresponding to a key Sustainable Development Goal. This signals that social impact metrics are considered as central to the business as traditional financial performance indicators. The key roles include:

• Global Director of Education Policy and Systems Strengthening: This position directly supports SDG 4 (Quality Education) by focusing on improving educational systems and policies on a global scale.
• Global Director of Family-Based Care in Child Protection: This role is aligned with SDG 16.2 (End abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence against and torture of children), aiming to build robust child protection frameworks.
• Global Director of Impact Governance and Public Policy: This position addresses SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions) by focusing on good governance and transparent public policy to challenge systemic injustice.

Operationalizing Justice and Equality: A Multi-faceted SDG Approach

inDrive’s commitment to the SDGs extends beyond its new hiring initiative and is rooted in its foundational business model. The company’s approach reflects a comprehensive strategy to advance multiple interconnected goals.

1. Fair Economic Practices: The platform’s model, which allows drivers and riders to negotiate fares, promotes fairer economic conditions for workers, contributing to SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities).
2. Targeted Social Programs: The company’s 70-person impact division runs programs focused on critical development areas, including women’s entrepreneurship, which directly advances SDG 5 (Gender Equality).
3. Institutional Commitment: By placing social impact roles at the same level as traditional C-suite positions in growth and operations, inDrive is institutionalizing its commitment to the SDGs, creating a framework for sustainable and responsible business practices.

Strategic Implications for Corporate Responsibility and Talent Retention

The “Positions of Purpose” initiative serves as a case study in how corporations can integrate the principles of justice and sustainable development into their core operating systems. By elevating these roles, inDrive is making its commitment to the SDGs a central part of its organizational structure and retention strategy. This approach resonates with a workforce that increasingly values purpose-driven employment, thereby fostering a more engaged and loyal employee base. The initiative exemplifies a practical application of SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals) by blending corporate and non-profit expertise to drive scalable social change.

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

The following SDGs are connected to the issues in the article:

• SDG 4: Quality Education

  The article explicitly mentions that inDrive is hiring a “Global Director of Education Policy and Systems Strengthening” and already runs programs focused on “education.” This directly connects to the goal of ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education.

• SDG 5: Gender Equality

  The article states that the company’s impact division has programs focused on “women’s entrepreneurship.” This initiative aims to empower women economically, which is a core component of SDG 5.

• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

  inDrive’s “fairness-first model that lets drivers and riders negotiate fares directly” is a response to what was seen as “unfair taxi pricing.” This model aims to create fairer economic conditions for drivers. Additionally, the campaign offers “remote-eligible roles with competitive pay,” contributing to decent work.

• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

  The article notes that inDrive’s impact division runs programs focused on “air quality.” This is a direct effort to address urban environmental challenges, a key aspect of making cities more sustainable.

• SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

  This is a central theme of the article. The company’s founding mission is “challenging injustice.” The hiring campaign includes roles for a “Global Director of Family-Based Care in Child Protection” and a “Global Director of Impact Governance and Public Policy,” directly targeting the promotion of just, peaceful, and inclusive societies.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

The article’s content points to the following specific SDG targets:

• Under SDG 4 (Quality Education):
  • Target 4.7: “By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development…” The hiring of a director for “Education Policy and Systems Strengthening” is aimed at improving the foundational systems that deliver such education.
• Under SDG 5 (Gender Equality):
  • Target 5.5: “Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life.” The focus on “women’s entrepreneurship” directly supports women’s participation and leadership in economic life.
• Under SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth):
  • Target 8.5: “By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men… and equal pay for work of equal value.” The company’s model challenging “unfair taxi pricing” aims to provide fairer earnings for drivers, contributing to the “decent work” aspect of this target.
• Under SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities):
  • Target 11.6: “By 2030, reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special attention to air quality…” The mention of programs focused on “air quality” directly aligns with this target.
• Under SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions):
  • Target 16.2: “End abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence against and torture of children.” The creation of a “Global Director of Family-Based Care in Child Protection” role is a direct structural commitment to this target.
  • Target 16.6: “Develop effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels.” The hiring of a “Global Director of Impact Governance and Public Policy” and the overall mission to “weave justice into their operating systems” reflect an effort to build a transparent and accountable corporate institution.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

The article implies several indicators for measuring progress:

• Indicator for SDG 16 (Target 16.2 & 16.6) and SDG 4 (Target 4.7):

  The primary indicator mentioned is the creation of senior executive roles: “Global Director of Family-Based Care in Child Protection,” “Global Director of Education Policy and Systems Strengthening,” and “Global Director of Impact Governance and Public Policy.” The establishment of these positions within the corporate structure is a measurable action showing the company’s commitment to institutionalizing justice, education, and governance.

• Indicator for SDG 5 (Target 5.5) and SDG 11 (Target 11.6):

  The existence of active programs is an implied indicator. The article states the company “runs programs focused on areas including education, women’s entrepreneurship and air quality.” The number, scope, and reach of these programs can be used to measure progress.

• Indicator for SDG 8 (Target 8.5):

  The implementation of a “fairness-first model that lets drivers and riders negotiate fares” serves as an indicator. The successful operation and adoption of this model, which challenges traditional pricing structures, can be measured to assess its impact on creating fairer economic conditions for drivers.

• Overall Impact Indicator:

  The company’s stated mission “of positively impacting 1 billion people by 2030” is a high-level, long-term indicator. Progress towards this quantitative goal would be measured by tracking the number of individuals reached through all its social impact initiatives combined.

4. Create a table with three columns titled ‘SDGs, Targets and Indicators” to present the findings from analyzing the article.

Source: digiday.com