17 September 2014: The UN Global Compact has issued five briefing papers on how the private sector can help implement the post-2015 development agenda and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Executive Briefs cover areas considered important to the role of business and investors in such implementation: partnerships; accountability; small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs); private sustainability finance; and public sector policies. These topics are aligned with the Post-2015 Business Engagement Architecture, a UN Global Compact guide to corporate action on global priorities.

While the shape and status of the SDGs will not be finalized by the UN General Assembly (UNGA) until September 2015, the UN Global Compact and the UN Industrial Organization (UNIDO) are undertaking consultations on how to carry out the post-2015 development agenda, including discussions with business and stakeholders from civil society and the public sector in all major regions. The briefing papers’ purpose is to raise awareness among governments of the private sector’s role, and among businesses and investors regarding the SDGs.

The ‘Partnerships’ paper notes that, while sustainability partnerships are often thought of as involving multilateral agencies and multinational corporations, most partnerships involve the national or local level, and dialogue at those levels. The ‘Business Building Trust through Transparency and Accountability’ paper stresses: the importance of building confidence in the private sector and among stakeholders; and accurate reporting procedures to help companies evaluate their sustainability impacts and improve on their performance.

On ‘Localizing the Post-2015 Business Engagement Architecture through SMEs,’ the document explains that the sustainability practices of SMEs will be critical to the success of the SDGs, as SMEs account for 95% of all jobs and nearly half of global gross domestic product (GDP). The paper on ‘Private Sustainability Finance’ notes that corporations, private investors, financial institutions and foundations are more frequently integrating sustainability considerations into their investment design and decision-making.

The paper on ‘Government Policies that Drive Corporate Sustainability’ emphasizes the role of governments in scaling up the business contribution to development by supporting and helping to shape corporate sustainability. [UN Global Compact Press Release] [Executive Briefs on Partnerships, Business Building through Trust and Transparency, Localizing the Post-2015 Business Engagement Architecture through SMEs, Private Sustainability Finance and Government Policies that Drive Corporate Sustainability]