Global Goals Business Forum sets sustainable agenda

DUBAI: The Global Goals Business Forum at Expo 2020 Dubai was held on January 18, at the Dubai Exhibition Centre. It brought together business leaders and experts from the public and private sectors to debate the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Expo 2020 Dubai, the Dubai Chamber of Commerce, Estonia, and the United Nations Global Compact co-hosted the event as part of Global Goals Week, which runs from 15 to 22 January.

Sanda Ojiambo, CEO and Executive Director, UN Global Compact, said in her opening remarks that there is need for business leaders to make bold business decisions for the future. Businesses need to integrate the SDGs into their corporate strategies. She added that businesses should account for their externalities in the same way they account for their business losses.

Hassan Al Hashemi, Vice President, International Relations, Dubai Chamber of Commerce, said that while the pandemic has highlighted the broader vulnerabilities of global society, the roadmap forward to address these interconnected challenges are the SDGs. He called upon businesses to align their efforts with the public sector to accelerate progress towards the SDGs and ensure a steady path to a brighter future.

The forum’s main theme was financing, and the session ‘Financing the 2030 Agenda’ was moderated by Marie Morice, UN Global Compact’s Head of Sustainable Finance. It concentrated on SDG-aligned investment instruments and Environmental, Social, and Governance strategies that can contribute to the achievement of the SDGs.