The Make-or-Break Decade for the SDGs has begun
Despite some successes in development and environmental politics, progress is far from sufficient to achieve real sustainable development. We know that the 2020s are the make-or-break years. In the new 2021 edition of the Global Goals Yearbook we discuss barriers and solutions.
Despite some successes in development and environmental politics, progress is far from sufficient to achieve real sustainable development. We know that the 2020s are the make-or-break years. In the new 2021 edition of the Global Goals Yearbook we discuss barriers and solutions.
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Figure 2:<br />
SDG INDUSTRY<br />
MATRIX<br />
► Financial services<br />
► Food, beverage, & consumer<br />
goods<br />
► Climate extract<br />
► Healthcare & life sciences<br />
► Industrial manufacturing<br />
► Transp<strong>or</strong>tation<br />
► Energy, natural resources,<br />
chemicals<br />
VISION 2050:<br />
TIME TO TRANSFORM<br />
► Energy<br />
► Transp<strong>or</strong>tation & mobility<br />
► Living spaces<br />
► Products & materials<br />
► Financial products & services<br />
► Connectivity<br />
► Health & wellbeing<br />
► Water & sanitation<br />
► Food<br />
WEF PLATFORM<br />
► Shaping <strong>the</strong> future of<br />
consumption<br />
► Shaping <strong>the</strong> future of energy,<br />
materials, and infrastructure<br />
► Shaping <strong>the</strong> future of investing<br />
► Shaping <strong>the</strong> future of mobility<br />
► Shaping <strong>the</strong> future of<br />
trade and global economic<br />
interdependence<br />
► Shaping <strong>the</strong> future of <strong>the</strong><br />
internet of things and urban<br />
transf<strong>or</strong>mation<br />
► Shaping <strong>the</strong> future of <strong>the</strong> new<br />
economy and society<br />
partnerships, and products that relate to<br />
particular SDG targets. You will learn at<br />
which stage of <strong>the</strong> value chain your company<br />
interacts with each SDG and which<br />
geographies are most relevant f<strong>or</strong> you.<br />
Various initiatives and publications can<br />
provide assistance in this regard. This<br />
applies in particular to <strong>the</strong>se three:<br />
<strong>The</strong> SDG Industry Matrix of <strong>the</strong> UN<br />
Global Compact (UNGC) showcases industry-specific<br />
examples and ideas f<strong>or</strong><br />
c<strong>or</strong>p<strong>or</strong>ate actions that are related to <strong>the</strong><br />
<strong>SDGs</strong>. Presented in a series of publications,<br />
each matrix highlights <strong>the</strong> bold<br />
pursuits and decisions made by diverse<br />
companies f<strong>or</strong> each SDG.<br />
Vision 2050: Time to Transf<strong>or</strong>m of <strong>the</strong><br />
WBCSD presents a shared vision of a<br />
w<strong>or</strong>ld in which m<strong>or</strong>e than 9 billion people<br />
are able to live well, within planetary<br />
boundaries, by 2050. To achieve this<br />
vision, we need transf<strong>or</strong>mation at scale,<br />
and business needs to focus its actions<br />
on <strong>the</strong> areas through which it can best<br />
lead <strong>the</strong> systems transf<strong>or</strong>mation.<br />
<strong>The</strong> W<strong>or</strong>ld Economic F<strong>or</strong>um (WEF)<br />
Platf<strong>or</strong>m integrates and aggregates solutions<br />
to a complicated and fast-changing<br />
w<strong>or</strong>ld with interconnected problems and<br />
challenges.<br />
Each of <strong>the</strong>se initiatives <strong>has</strong> developed<br />
detailed inf<strong>or</strong>mation on selected industries<br />
and business areas that can be used<br />
f<strong>or</strong> your company. (Figure 2)<br />
And this is how an initial classification<br />
of <strong>the</strong> <strong>SDGs</strong> can look, depending on <strong>the</strong><br />
industry (Figure 3):<br />
With all this data, you can assess your<br />
current level of positive and negative<br />
impacts (high, medium, <strong>or</strong> low) f<strong>or</strong> each<br />
SDG and <strong>the</strong> chances f<strong>or</strong> potential business<br />
opp<strong>or</strong>tunities that are linked to<br />
this. <strong>The</strong> goal is a materiality matrix<br />
f<strong>or</strong> trends and to pri<strong>or</strong>itize SDG targets<br />
where <strong>the</strong> sect<strong>or</strong> can contribute <strong>the</strong> most<br />
to minimizing negative impacts and<br />
maximizing positive impacts.<br />
<strong>The</strong>se questions help in <strong>the</strong> analysis:<br />
• Is this topic a c<strong>or</strong>e issue f<strong>or</strong> your company?<br />
• Is it critical that your sect<strong>or</strong> take <strong>the</strong><br />
lead in addressing this specific sustainability<br />
challenge?<br />
• Would this happen without any activity<br />
in <strong>the</strong> sect<strong>or</strong>?<br />
• Does this contribute toward <strong>the</strong> pri<strong>or</strong>itized<br />
<strong>SDGs</strong> identified in step 1? If so,<br />
which one(s)?<br />
• Does it offer potential f<strong>or</strong> impact contribution?<br />
• Will <strong>the</strong> impact of this deteri<strong>or</strong>ate bef<strong>or</strong>e<br />
2030 <strong>or</strong> soon after?<br />
• Is this applicable globally? If not, to<br />
which geographies is it most relevant?<br />
• Does it create a rebound effect?<br />
• Is this complementary to o<strong>the</strong>r sustainability<br />
initiatives you run? If so,<br />
which ones? Will your stakeholders<br />
supp<strong>or</strong>t this?<br />
• Will your clients and customers supp<strong>or</strong>t<br />
this?<br />
<strong>The</strong> results can be transferred to such a<br />
table (Figure 4):<br />
40 Global Goals Yearbook 2021
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