Cutting-Edge Firms Investing in New, Greener Future, Deputy-Secretary-General Tells Business Forum, Stressing Link between ‘Doing Good and Doing Well’
Following are UN Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson’s remarks at the Sustainable Development Goals Business Forum, in New York today:
Thank you very much for the chance to address this timely and important Sustainable Development Goals Business Forum.
Many of you were part of the process that led to the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It had been preceded by the largest global consultation in history. We had heard from millions of individuals and thousands of business leaders.
Several partners helped forge this visionary Agenda. Now we need everyone to make the Agenda a reality for people around the world. This goes for Governments and international organizations, but equally for the private sector, civil society, the scientific community and parliaments.
We are privileged to welcome to this Forum a number of business leaders who concretely and on the ground are advancing progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals. I know we can all be inspired by how much the business community can help us shape a safer, more just and more sustainable world. The private sector has a tangible influence over people’s lives — and a great responsibility for their well-being.
Fortunately, when businesses act in the common interest, they also serve their enlightened self-interest, in fact, their bottom line. There is a direct correlation between doing good and doing well. Smart enterprises on the cutting edge are investing in a new, greener future. By this, they are expanding markets, increasing profits and improving societies.
We are already seeing important progress. Last month in Cannes, the six biggest communications agencies in the world announced a new initiative called “Common Ground” to advance the 2030 Agenda. For those of you who know the world of advertising, this represented a major breakthrough in cooperation and impact. The founders wanted to demonstrate that even fierce competitors can set aside their differences in order to serve a wider common interest. In Cannes, the Secretary-General underlined that the Sustainable Development Goals touch every aspect of businesses and their clients. The Goals echo what citizens and consumers demand. The Goals reflect what shareholders want. And the Goals instil pride in employees.
There are many ways by which your work can benefit the Sustainable Development Goals. You can bring renewable energy to communities. You can improve agricultural yields for smallholder farmers. You can expand where goods and services go, reaching remote and vulnerable populations. You can shift value chains toward more sustainable practices. You can facilitate and increase trade. With these measures and more, you can help create more inclusive and stable societies. All this contributes directly to peace and security as well as to well-being and economic growth.
The Sustainable Development Goals are integrated and mutually reinforcing. In a way, they represent a Declaration of Interdependence in our globalized world. To achieve these Goals we need the creativity and innovation of the private sector. I commend the United Nations Global Compact under the dynamic leadership of Lise Kingo and all companies committed to responsible business practices. You are now advancing on a historic path of mobilizing all good forces for sustainable development. This Forum is a chance to share experiences, promote accountability and demonstrate concrete commitment to a better and more sustainable future.
Any successful business moves with the times. We live at a moment of turmoil and turbulence — but also of great promise and potential. We must not give in to the forces of division and the forces of polarization, but stand up for working together with unity of purpose. I call on you to seize this opportunity to help us rise to the challenges we face in today’s world and realize our collective responsibility to work for a better future for all.
Thank you.