The Business for SDGs Roundtable on Infrastructure

Since the global adoption of the U.N. Agenda for 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the international community has turned its attention to implementation, and the resources from governments and business required to set the SDGs into motion.

In this regard, a pressing priority across all 17 SDGs is upgrading and building infrastructure for sustainable development.

The Roundtable participants will discuss:

  • where and how business is already planning for and investing in infrastructure for sustainability, what are the enabling frameworks, policies and
  • partnerships that can be scaled for impact;
  • what new sources and approaches exist to mobilize resources and advance bankable projects for sustainability infrastructure; and
  • which indicators to use to measure and report impacts of infrastructure investments by the private sector.

Both “hard” and “soft” forms of infrastructure have also figured prominently in the U.N. Financing for Development (FfD) process. The USCIB Roundtable will immediately precede the FfD Infrastructure Forum, and inform recommendations by USCIB to the U.N. High Level Political Forum meetings in July when they review SDG actions by governments, business and others.

USCIB’s Sustainable Development Event to Focus on Infrastructure

Vertical Garden – Green Wall – BioWallSince the global adoption of the UN Agenda for 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the international community has turned its attention to implementation, and the resources from governments and business required to set the SDGs into motion. In this regard, a pressing priority across all seventeen SDGs is upgrading and building infrastructure for sustainability. USCIB will host a roundtable on infrastructure for sustainability this Friday, April 21 in Washington DC.

“Roundtable participants will discuss where and how business is already planning for and investing in infrastructure for sustainability, what are the enabling frameworks, policies and partnerships that can be scaled for impact, what new sources and approaches exist to mobilize resources and advance bankable projects for sustainability infrastructure and which indicators to use to measure and report impacts of infrastructure investments by the private sector,” said Norine Kennedy, USCIB’s vice president for strategic international engagement, energy and environment.

Both “hard” and “soft” forms of infrastructure have also figured prominently in the UN Financing for Development (FfD) process. The USCIB Roundtable will immediately precede the FfD Infrastructure Forum, and inform recommendations by USCIB to the UN High Level Political Forum meetings in July when they review SDG actions by governments, business and others.

Notable speakers at USCIB’s event will include Ambassador Lisa Kubiske, deputy assistant secretary at the U.S. Department of State, Albena Melin, principal operations officer at the International Finance Corporation, Krishan Sharma, senior economist at the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs and Alan P. Larson, senior international policy advisor at Covington.

For further details and registration information please contact Mia Lautermlauter@uscib.org.

International Business Spring 2017 Issue

IB_Spring2017USCIB’s “International Business” Spring 2017 issue is now live! A web version can be accessed here.

The Spring 2017 issue features USCIB President and CEO Peter M. Robinson‘s column on “American Competitiveness and Innovation in the 21st Century” as well as articles on developments in the G20, WTO and the UN climate talks, plus news from our global network–Business at OECD, the International Organization of Employers and the International Chamber of Commerce.

“International Business,” USCIB’s quarterly journal, provides essential insight into major trade and investment topics, a high-level overview of USCIB policy advocacy and services, USCIB member news and updates from our global business network.

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The UN Ocean Conference

This conference, coinciding with World Oceans Day, seeks to discuss and promote the implementation of SDG 14: conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development.

Annual General Meetings of both the International Agri-Food Network (IAFN) and the Private Sector Mechanism (PSM)

Three key messages are to be discussed during the annual general meeting of the IAFN/PSM:

(1) Business wants to be involved and can bring constructive, practical insights;

(2) Business has specific proposals for engagement in CFS work streams (nutrition, SDGs, MYPOW, women’s empowerment); and

(3) Business would like to partner more effectively on food security and nutrition issues, so selecting good priority issues for CFS where consensus can be built is important.

2nd Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) Forum

Launched in 2016, the annual collaborative STI Forum is meant to bring partners together to examine technology needs and gaps, regarding scientific cooperation and innovation, in addition to technology transfer, facilitation and development for the sustainable development goals. The Forum will involve representatives from civil society, the private sector and the scientific community.

UNFCCC Bonn Climate Change Conference

The UNFCCC Bonn Climate Change Conference consists of meetings of subsidiary bodies of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention (COP), which may have important implications for international climate change agreements, particularly the Paris Agreement. It will include a workshop on the role of non-state actors in the implementation of the Paris Agreement.

UN Environment Assembly Focuses on Role of Business

Kennedy at Nairobi UNEP Meetings
Kennedy representing the Business and Industry Major Group at UNEP meetings in Nairobi 

Norine Kennedy, USCIB’s expert on environment and climate change policy and one of two official business focal point representatives for the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), recently attended UN Environment Assembly (UNEA3) preparatory meetings in Nairobi (March 7-10). UNEA represents the world’s highest-level decision-making body on the environment with universal membership of all 193 UN Member States along with non-governmental organizations and the private sector. The meetings in Nairobi began discussions to develop a new framework of of pollution-related issues for potential decisions and pledges at UNEA3; a substantial element of this framework will be the role of business in causing, remediating and minimizing pollution. UNEA3 will take place from December 4-6 in Nairobi.

UNEA3’s theme will be, “Towards a Pollution Free Planet.”  In interventions during last week’s preliminary meetings, government and UNEP officials linked this broad topic with other policy concepts underpinning regulatory efforts, including the circular economy and sustainable consumption.   Several governments also emphasized connections with UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

“At this early stage, most attention seems to be directed at plastics in the marine environment, whether in the form of micro-plastics and smaller debris,  or as plastic bottles and plastic bags, with the push coming from Nordic countries, the EU and some African countries,” observed Kennedy. “Other issues under the other pollution sub-headings could still be proposed.

Led by UNEP Executive Director, Erik Solheim, and echoed by numerous government representatives, UNEA3 preparations for UNEA3 are placing a strong focus on business and industry as a source of solutions, resources, and actions, yet much needs to be done to afford adequate time and attention to contributions that business has made to addressing environmental challenges.  “In spite of extensive partnership and engagement by business with UNEP over decades, discussions last week frequently seemed to assume that business and industry was not already engaged in environmental and sustainability management,” noted Kennedy.   In her intervention on behalf of Business and Industry, Kennedy reminded governments and UNEP of the business community’s ongoing commitment to environmental stewardship and role in advancing innovative technologies to further all elements of sustainability.

Questions remain about how UNEP will identify and invite important business entities to the table, with an emphasis on geographical and sectoral representation, rather than anecdotal examples and individual CEOs.  USCIB will continue to advocate for U.S. business involvement and representation, working with UNEP and the U.S. Administration.