8 September 2016: The UN Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) and the Sustainable Development Goals Fund (SDG-F) held a conference on ways for business and the UN to work together to attain the SDGs. Peter Thomson, Permanent Representative of Fiji and President-elect of the 71st UN General Assembly (UNGA) said business contributions “can go well beyond philanthropy” and that the SDGs “can be turned into corporate strategies that work to everyone’s advantage.”

The conference convened at UN Headquarters in New York, US, on 8 September 2016. David Nabarro, UN Special Advisor on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, said “there is no other plan for the future of the world,” than the 2030 Agenda. He said business must use the 2030 Agenda as its framework for investment and basis for monitoring impacts, in order for the 2030 Agenda to succeed. He added that the UN Global Compact can help companies translate the SDGs into meaningful business action.

Paloma Duran, SDG-F Director, said the Fund’s work with companies has shown that business is ready to “co-design, co-implement and follow up with us” on activities in the field. She stressed the need to put all actors’ efforts together, while maintaining clear and distinct roles for each – government, the private sector and civil society. She also informed participants that the Fund is preparing a report on how the principle of universality applies to companies.

Thomson gave keynote remarks explaining that the insurance industry has determined it will not be able to carry the risks that will emerge if SDG 13 and the Paris Agreement on climate change do not achieve the two-degree limit on global temperature rise. He added that while businesses see the benefits of the SDGs and is keen to partner, they are not sure how to do so. Thomson also highlighted: the Group of 20’s incorporation of the 2030 Agenda into its work and the national agendas of G-20 members; that green finance has become mainstream; and that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) will be the driving force for the 2030 Agenda. In an interactive discussion, Venezuela said partnerships with business must not only make money for the companies, but also align with national plans and priorities.

The conference also featured panel discussions on concrete models and examples of cooperation in UN-business engagement. In a session on inclusive economic growth for poverty eradication, Chantal-Line Carpentier, UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), emphasized the value of involving all parties in crafting recommendations, to yield recommendations that “actually make sense” and lead to economic growth. She said all large companies are thinking about the SDGs, even if they are not yet taking action, because of consumers’ increasing interest in companies’ impacts on society. Carpentier also highlighted the emergence of a new approach to public-private partnerships (PPPs), with greater emphasis on clear performance indicators.

Vinicius Pinheiro, International Labour Organization (ILO), said that in a partnership, companies must “play by our rules.” He stressed that the ILO’s relationships with the private sector are not driven by money, but by impact, and the desire to align behavior and action of all actors. He said ILO’s current partnerships are being examined by evaluators.

In the interactive discussion, Melissa Powell, UN Global Compact, observed the need to better “tell the story” of the SDGs’ business value, including for SMEs, as well as the need for information on the quantitative value of cooperation. Krishnan Sharma, Financing for Development Office (FFDO), raised the need to identify specific roles for private sector in achieving the SDGs, such as: mobilizing private finance; making private actions and investments compatible with sustainable development; and applying private solutions to sustainability problems.

In a session on water and sanitation, Juan Chebly, UNEP, said that at this moment in implementation, “financing is everything – or at least the start of everything.” In the case of potable water management, he highlighted waste reduction as a key to efficiency, which could support the “enabling environment” for investment. Alex Martinez, Rockefeller Foundation, stressed the need to build incentives and evidence to encourage private sector investment in water management, by better communicating the clear economic case.

Babatomiwa Adesida, Sahara Group Foundation, and Gonzalo Sales, Ferrovial, also provided presentations. The afternoon session focused on cooperation models in food security and nutrition, gender considerations, and protection of refugees and vulnerable migrants. [IISD RS Sources] [Webcast of Conference] [Webcast of David Nabarro Comments] [SDG Fund]