Investment in pursuit of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is often presented as discretionary, expendable when funds are tight. We must change public and political perceptions to recognize the full scope of the returns that SDG-aligned investments can yield
At the mid-point on the way to 2030, SDG financing is under pressure. Reforms of the global finance system, and more targeted financing solutions, are needed to get back on track to meet the Global Goals
Global
At this mid-point to the 2030 deadline, it’s clear that action must ramp up massively if the SDGs are to be realized and climate catastrophe averted. Initiatives such as the UN SDSN Global Climate Hub can help get governments back on track
Global
Humanity should survive the decades to come, but will it thrive? A lot depends on how many costs our leaders are willing to pay up front, and how many they will wait to have inflicted upon them
Global
COP27 is the “number one litmus test” of how seriously the world takes the toll on countries that suffer most from climate change, according to the UN Secretary-General. November’s summit must finally make good on promises to deliver climate action that ensures a sustainable future for all
Private markets function on data – but the data to accurately price climate risks in investment decisions is sorely lacking. We must urgently fill this information void or private finance will fail to contribute to climate action
New technologies will play a vital role in achieving net zero. Getting them on stream and in widespread use fast enough to prevent climate catastrophe calls for bold and urgent action to unblock essential investment
Recent attempts to place sanctions on Russia illustrate how easily illicit financial flows are concealed on a massive scale. With trillions diverted from critical development projects each year, jeopardizing many of the SDGs, the world has an urgent and moral duty to expose and stanch the movement of these ill-gotten gains
ESG ratings are imperfect measures of a company’s exposure to environmental, social, and governance risk, and they often ignore the impact that companies have on society. Complete redesign might help, but is that possible?
Global, Sub-Saharan Africa
Global development finance has been thrown into disarray – first by the pandemic and now the war in Ukraine. Ramping up finance flows to LDCs in the short term might appear unrealistic, but it is more essential than ever if we’re to avoid even greater catastrophes ahead
