In a recent report, Philip Alston – the UN Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights – points to the flip side of human progress. He argues that the impact of climate will be greatest on the people living in poverty and that climate disruption will threaten democracy and human rights in large parts of the world.
Over the past decade, “social entrepreneurship” – defined variously as “the use of new approaches to solve old social problems” (Swab Foundation) and “entrepreneurship carried out for societal benefit” (Skoll Foundation) – has attracted increased attention in business circles. This has corresponded with the interest to actively involve businesses in achieving the SDGs.
Building resilient and sustainable infrastructure – promoted most directly in SDG 9 – is not only important for low-income countries but is also a challenge in many parts of the developed world, where new investments and innovations are required to upgrade existing roads, bridges and tunnels.
A couple of weeks ago, I attended the launch of the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2019 (SOFI) report at the United Nations in New York. The report does not make for pleasant reading.
Around the turn of the millennium UN organizations began encouraging partnerships with business, while at the same time inviting business to contribute to achieving key global goals, including poverty reduction, decent work conditions for all and the protection of environmental resources. The UN has strengthened its emphasis on partnerships significantly since then, and partnerships are promoted as a main instrument for reaching the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as manifested in Goal 17.
A blog by the Oslo SDG Initiative.
