New York, United States of America, July 18, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Business, Government, civil society and United Nations leaders gathered today for the 2023 SDG Global Business Forum to elevate business ambition to achieve the 2030 Agenda. At the mid-way point to 2030, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are in deep trouble. According to the Sustainable Development Goals Report 2023, of the 140 SDGs targets with data only 15% are on track; nearly half (48%) are moderately or severely off track and some 37% have either seen no movement or regressed below the 2015 baseline.
As one of the most prestigious high-level gatherings of business leaders at the UN, the 2023 SDG Business Forum offered a unique opportunity to drive pivotal momentum towards achieving the SDGs — and leveraging the power of the private sector to contribute positively towards international priorities. It took place alongside important policy debates at the ministerial segment of the 2023 High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development.
Co-organized by UN Global Compact, UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, International Organisation of Employers and World Business Council for Sustainable Development, this year’s Forum looked at progress towards the midpoint of SDG implementation; how collective planning and implementation at the country level can accelerate progress towards the SDGs; how business leaders and Governments can ensure a just transition to a net zero and nature-positive world that leaves no one behind and what constitutes an enabling environment to scale up private financing for the SDGs.
“We know that a strong and inclusive private sector serves to de-risk economies, attract investment and create jobs – building more prosperous and sustainable communities,” said Sanda Ojiambo, CEO and Executive Director of the UN Global Compact, speaking virtually to close the Forum. “In turn, we know that advancing sustainable development is also good for business. After all, companies cannot thrive long-term unless people and the planet are also thriving.”
At the Forum’s conclusion, the co-organizers presented four key takeaways based on lively discussions from the day on how the private sector and partners can take actions to help rescue the SDGs:
- The private sector has a critical role to play in achieving the SDGs
- We need an enabling environment for businesses to invest in sustainable development
- Businesses are the main job creators and promoters of innovation
- The SDGs can only be achieved through partnerships within the private sector, and between them, governments, and other stakeholders
“More and more, companies are taking the initiative to increase sustainability throughout their operations and in the communities they serve,” Ojiambo said. “But we all know there is so much more work to be done. To achieve the pace and scale of positive change that the world needs, business efforts must be targeted for the greatest impact. Sustainability must be core to the business of presidents and prime ministers, parliaments and the private sector.”
Notes to Editors
About the UN Global Compact
As a special initiative of the United Nations Secretary-General, the UN Global Compact is a call to companies worldwide to align their operations and strategies with Ten Principles in the areas of human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption. Our ambition is to accelerate and scale the global collective impact of business by upholding the Ten Principles and delivering the Sustainable Development Goals through accountable companies and ecosystems that enable change. With more than 18,000 companies and 3,800 non-business signatories based in over 160 countries, and 62 Local Networks, the UN Global Compact is the world’s largest corporate sustainability initiative — one Global Compact uniting business for a better world. For more information, visit our website at unglobalcompact.org.
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