Time for Action: Sustainability and Beyond - Ideas to Solutions
The SDGs offer us an integrated perspective to combat the global crisis, economic recovery, and development. The year 2020 started off with a reaffirmation of our global commitment towards achieving the 2030 agenda. With less than 10 years left to deliver the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), it is more important than ever for the global community to mobilise for accelerated action. Delivering the SDGs in less than a decade will demand ambition, decisiveness, and a sense of urgency.
To amplify, secure and strengthen the existing efforts, there is need for all the local, national, and global partners to come together. The urgency of this decade demands that all sectors of society galvanize to secure greater participation and leadership, more resources, and improved, game-changing solutions to address increasing inequality and the escalating climate emergency.
As businesses navigate through changes brought in by globalization, technology, society, and consumer behaviour, embedding Environment, Social, and Governance (ESG) factors into their core strategy can help deliver long-term value. The COVID-19 pandemic has reinforced importance of ESG framework as a key approach to long term business resilience and further accelerated the transition to multi-stakeholder approach.
There is need to look at the overarching linkages between the investment case for SDGs and ESG driven investment decisions, and how they can lead to tangible consequences for both the investors and the corporates.
The Sustainable Development Goals with shared vision to end poverty, rescue the planet and build a peaceful world — are gaining global momentum.
With less than 10 years to go, an ambitious global effort is underway to deliver the 2030 promise—by mobilizing more governments, civil society, businesses and calling on all people to make the Global Goals their own.
Mobilization
There is need to mobilize everyone everywhere to create an unstoppable force linked to Global goals.
Demand urgency and ambition
End extreme poverty, win the race against climate change and conquer injustice and gender inequality.
Ideas to solutions
Driving sustainable innovation, financial investments, and technology—while making space in our communities and cities for young people to lead.
Today, progress is being made in many places, but, overall, action to meet the Goals is not yet advancing at the speed or scale required. It calls for accelerating sustainable solutions to all the world’s biggest challenges — ranging from poverty and gender to climate change, inequality and closing the finance gap.
The Business Statement
“As per the Business & Sustainable Development Commission, sustainable business models related to the SDGs could open economic opportunities worth up to $12 trillion and increase employment by up to 380 million jobs by 2030”
The world has marched into the “Decade of Action”. With less than ten years left to achieve the Global Goals, nations are accelerating the design and implementation of sustainable solutions to the world’s biggest challenges - ranging from poverty and gender inequality to climate change. As well said “A thriving society in a thriving environment” has the triple bottom line factors - People, Planet, and Profits (3Ps) which are increasingly becoming an area of focus worldwide.
We all understand the key role the government and business can make to implement decisions that can have a real and lasting impact on society and the environment, for the better or the worse, and across the short and long term. Both are bringing concerted efforts to align their strategies and sustainability efforts to best prepare for any future black swan events.
Responsible investments by businesses through the allocation of capital on sustainable equipment and other assets like green technology, will ensure long-term "good" and inclusive and sustainable growth. On the other side, investments that may cause harm to the environment, society, or corporate governance in the long term, should be avoided as they can result in a strong ESG proposition.
Businesses have a major role to play in recalibrating to an economic system that supports sustainable growth and profits. We must set ambitious goals, measure ourselves differently, account for our actions and collaborate across organizations, industries, and regions.
The analysis of interrelation between sustainability and business continuity resilience is paramount to ensure smooth functioning of business by designing the following.