Along with a number of other Spanish organisations, the white-headed duck conservation project at the Cabezo Beaza wastewater treatment plant (Cartagena) has been included as an example of good practices for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) by the Spanish Network of the United Nations Global Compact.

The actions included in the framework agreement between Hidrogea and the Asociación de Naturalistas del Sureste (ANSE), an ecologists' association, to favour conservation of the white-headed duck go above and beyond SDG 15, regarding life on land.

The project, whose latest achievement is to attract three breeding pairs of this duck in danger of extinction, also extends to SDG 6: 'Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all'; SDG 11: 'Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable', as it generates synergies between Industrial activity and the conservation of natural heritage; and SDG 17: 'Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development', as it is the result of an alliance between a private company (Hidrogea) and an NGO (ANSE).

Thus it meets principles 7, 8 and 9 of the Global Compact, stressing a preventative approach, responsibility and environmentally-friendly technologies.

Inclusion of the white-headed duck in the special SDG dossier is part of the campaign Spanish Network for the United Nations Global Compact, marking the third anniversary of the Sustainable Development Goals. Sources in the Spanish Network of the UN Global Compact report that the campaign to collect good practices has seen participation from a total of 77 member organisations, of which 43% are actions by large companies, such as Telefónica, Ferrovial, Inditex and BBVA, 32% by SMEs, 8% by third-sector organisations and 4% by education institutions and centres.

The most frequently covered topics focus on health, the environment and responsible consumption, represented by SDG 3—with 14% of the good practices presented, SDG 13 (13%), and SDG 12 (10%), respectively.

The special dossier can be viewed on the website  www.pactomundial.org.