February 2016: The private sector is identifying opportunities to contribute to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), according to recent publications and blogs. Business groups and other researchers have highlighted sustainability trends that will affect the private sector, addressing key areas for corporate leadership in implementing the Paris Agreement on climate change; the role of the mobile communications industry; concerns about the UN Technology Facilitation Mechanism’s (TFM) engagement with business; infrastructure financing; and a campaign to identify ‘SDG Pioneers.’

Climate change and energy issues will remain central in the sustainability agenda, according to SustainAbility, with an increased focus on expanding carbon pricing and displacing fossil fuels, while the SDGs and inequality will shape the social agenda. The group’s annual report, titled ‘Global Trends & Opportunities: 2016 and Beyond,’ observes growing consensus on climate action and the need for systemic responses to poverty, inequality and resource scarcity. In this context, companies face increased pressure to respond to issues related to climate change, energy and water, and to redefine their roles and responses. The report predicts: the rise of cities and regions as key players in implementing the Paris Agreement and SDGs; use of health as a lever to motivate corporate action on climate issues; increased attention to water management; a new focus on how companies address human rights in operations and supply chains; and momentum for reforming the global financial system. Finally, the report highlights five opportunities for corporate leadership: demonstrating how to move from ambitious goals to ambitious implementation; advancing SDG implementation and the social agenda by aligning broader social goals with business opportunities; transforming legacy industries towards a low-carbon economy; encouraging responsible consumption patterns, including addressing food waste; and pioneering beneficial technology.

Speaking at the Mobile World Congress, in Barcelona, Spain, the UN Secretary-General’s Adviser on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, David Nabarro, said the mobile communications industry has a key role to play in promoting, advancing and measuring the SDG. Nabarro called on the mobile industry to “work with governments and the international community to expand connectivity, lower barriers to access and ensure that tools and applications are developed with vulnerable communities in mind,” as well as to accelerate a data revolution for sustainable development. Such a revolution must include the responsible use of data for development and humanitarian purposes, and close the digital and gender divide, he said.

Questions have arisen about the UN Technology Facilitation Mechanism’s (TFM) ability to incorporate the views of business and add value beyond existing UN technology bodies, writes Business for 2030. The group notes that the TFM’s success will depend on its ability to meaningfully engage with stakeholders, especially the private sector. The blog points out, for example, that the ten-member, multi-stakeholder group of experts, appointed by the UN Secretary-General to provide guidance, ideas and recommendations to the UN Inter-agency Task Team on Science, Technology and Innovation for the SDGs (IATT), only includes one representative from business. In addition, the IATT deleted the reference to property rights in its Terms of Reference, despite strong intellectual property protection being critical to supportive ecosystems for innovation, it says. The blog provides examples of partnerships with the private sector that have leveraged insights and enabled new technology, suggesting that the TFM engage in similar ways.

Another Business for 2030 blog discusses how to finance Africa’s infrastructure gap. It cites the views of Andrew Patterson, Bechtel, who recommends that governments be selective and strategic about which projects they focus on, with whom they partner and which funding models they use. He recommends that governments focus on three to five large infrastructure projects per year, with governments spearheading large infrastructure projects using external funding, and private investors focusing on projects that can quickly reach financial closure, such as power projects or expanding airports or marine ports.

The UN Global Compact (UNGC) launched a global campaign to identify ten ‘SDG Pioneers’ to inspire the private sector to be a force for good. UNGC is inviting submissions in two categories: local business leaders and entrepreneurs who have demonstrated business success by advancing sustainable development in their country; and local change-makers who have advocated for sustainable development and mobilized action locally. UNGC will then invite two SDG Pioneers to participate in a one-year programme to develop their global potential and support their aims. [Publication: SustainAbility Annual Report] [UN Press Release on Mobile World Congress] [Business for 2030 Blog on TFM] [Business for 2030 Blog on Infrastructure] [UNGC Press Release]