Guterres: Businesses “best allies” to fight climate change & poverty

Addressing the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres called for a new generation of partnerships with the business community to reduce the effects of climate change and combat poverty.

In his address the Secretary-General underlined the importance of achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, noting that conditions for an inclusive and sustainable development are a main method of preventing crises and conflicts.

Guterres said: “The best allies of all those that want to make sure that the Paris Agreement is implemented, the best allies today in the world are probably in the business sector and it is very important to fully mobilise them.”

He expressed that partnerships with businesses will help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – which, when fully implemented, would see returns on investments of $30 billion per year.

Such partnerships will be mutually beneficial, generating investment for the private sector but also enabling the private sector “to play an absolutely essential role in making sure that those goals are effectively achieved.”

He spoke particularly on the “alignment of the core business of the private sector with the strategic goals of the international community.”

He asserted that only the private sector will able to provide the necessary innovation, capacity, products and services to develop new areas in the economy.

He added that only the private sector will be able to create enough jobs to stabilise societies.

Clear dialogue and strong partnership between governments, international organisations and the private sector is the only way to allow modern advances to facilitate “fantastic increase in the well-being of people” and prevent them from turning into “a nightmare for mankind.”

At the event, Mr. Guterres met separately with Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Theresa May; the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Nawaz Sharif; and President Petro Poroshenko of Ukraine.

The 2nd annual Sustainable Investment Forum will unite more than 350 policy makers and representatives of the private and public sector to discuss how to scale-up climate finance to achieve the aims of the Paris Agreement, on 19 September 2017 in New York. More information here