China's leading dairy firm Yili Group was granted the best practice award in achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) at the 2018 China Business Summit on Achieving SDGs held in Beijing, on Dec 7.

The summit, organized by the China Enterprise Confederation, China Enterprise Directions Association and UNGC, was aimed at showcasing Chinese enterprises’ efforts to create new driving growth with technological and industrial reforms for the quality and sustainable growth of China and the world.

Zhang Jianqiu, executive president of Yili, said that it is the second time Yili has won the award.

“It is a great honour for Yili to win the recognition, and Yili will continue to shoulder its social responsibilities,” said Zhang.

The company has embraced sustainable development goals and integrated the SDGs into its business strategies for years.

Focusing on goals of ending hunger and poverty, Yili proposed the World Integrally Sharing Health (WISH system) in 2017, aiming at spurring industrial growth and improving the nutrition of people in poverty-stricken areas.

The company also made efforts to protect ecology and carried out a wetland protection project in Northeast China in cooperation with the World Wide Fund for Nature.

During the summit, Yili was also made a member of UNGC's Global Compact Network China, the first Chinese food enterprise so honored.