SLSD - Swedish Leadership for Sustainable Development.
Description
Swedish Leadership for Sustainable Development was founded in 2013. It is a network made up of 26 Swedish rooted companies, selected Swedish expert organisations the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida). The SLSD initiative came out of two priorities of the Swedish government. First, the government wanted to ensure a broad consultative process leading up to defining the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Second, there was a desire to improve the relationship with the private sector in the development assistance context. The initiative was evaluated in 2018 and based on the recommendations, a new phase have started.
The network was initiated as part of a stakeholder dialogue prior to the development of the UN's new development goals. With many Swedish companies at the forefront of adopting sustainable approaches, the Swedish Government called for a more proactive role for Swedish companies in the international development cooperation context. Moreover, with development funding being a mere trickle in comparison to the challenges that need to be addressed, untraditional partnerships were sought that would direct more re-sources towards ending poverty.<br />
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A common declaration was adopted by about 25 companies, expert organizations and Sida, about important aspects for sustainable global development post-2015. In connection with the adoption of the Global Sustainable Development Goals in September 2015, the members agreed on a joint commitment to - together as a network and through their respective core activities - contribute to the implementation of Agenda 2030 by;<br />
1. Systematically minimize negative impact on the environment, maximize positive effects and create higher efficiency in resource use (related to SDG 12)<br />
2. Create jobs with decent conditions, productive employment and development opportunities in communities where members operate (related to SDG 8)<br />
3. Combating corruption and unethical business practices in areas where members operate (related to SDG 16)<br />
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Gender equality and equal treatment are also emphasized by the companies as the prerequisites for securing sustainable development, while information and communication technologies (ICT) and innovative financing solutions are seen as important tools in this work.
The activities can be clustered into four areas: Round Table with annual meetings at CEO-level and quarterly networks meetings, Exchange with working groups around specific thematic areas for knowledge exchange and new insights, Influence where members participate and/or make statements in global events like HLPF, WEF, Ocean conference, and joint initiatives where members and Sida together finance a project that a third neutral party implements. One example of a joint initiative is the Sweden Textile Water Initiative (STWI), a partnership consisting of 20+ Swedish textile and leather goods retailers, approximately 120 of their suppliers and sida. The goals is to reduce energy, chemicals and water in five different countries (Bangladesh, China, India, Turkey and Ethiopia).
The joint statements and commitments are important effects of the network. First, they signal continued commitment by Sweden’s leading companies to sustainable business and Agenda 2030. Second, they also provide foundational rationales and guidance for the existence and work of the network. Third, they constitute tangible outcomes of the network, which remind members of the relevance of the network and generates external attention to the network and it activities.
There has also been work on several substantive themes and issues within the net-work over the years. However, much of this work does not seem to have reached beyond learning and exchanges. Additionally, working group outputs have not been consistently reported back to the overall network membership and they do not feature in much detail in Sida’s project reports of the network.
The intense knowledge generation, exchanges, and relation-building that have occurred within the network have been highly valuable and contributed to the continued engagement and interest in Swedish Leadership among the members. Most of these effects have been at the individual level. Nevertheless, the motivation and energy of most of the company representatives involved in the network suggest that they are prepared and willing to play the role of change agents within their companies. Whether they are able to do so is another issue. Some may already be providing a link between the network and their colleagues. Policies and decisions taken may have been influenced by membership in Swedish Leadership, but if so the network would be one of many factors influencing their sustainability efforts, making any contribution difficult to measure. There is, however, scant evidence that Swedish Leadership has translated into significant organisational capacity development within the member companies or Sida. Core operations have not been influenced in a notable way.
Swedish Leadership has served as inspiration for private and public sector initiatives within and outside Sweden. There is both anecdotal and some concrete evidence that the network has served as a model in the establishment of other networks. The network has also served as a useful gateway to interact with government, allowing members to jointly influence government policies on a number of occasions. However, internal and external stakeholders believe there is scope for more pro-active efforts to influence Agenda 2030 processes and promote the Swedish Leadership model and its work, both within Sweden and internationally. <br />
The joint statements and commitments are important effects of the network. First, they signal continued commitment by Sweden’s leading companies to sustainable business and Agenda 2030. Second, they also provide foundational rationales and guidance for the existence and work of the network. Third, they constitute tangible outcomes of the network, which remind members of the relevance of the network and generates external attention to the network and it activities. <br />
There has also been work on several substantive themes and issues within the net-work over the years. However, much of this work does not seem to have reached beyond learning and exchanges. <br />
The intense knowledge generation, exchanges, and relation-building that have occurred within the network have been highly valuable and contributed to the continued engagement and interest in Swedish Leadership among the members. Most of these effects have been at the individual level. Nevertheless, the motivation and energy of most of the company representatives involved in the network suggest that they are prepared and willing to play the role of change agents within their companies. Whether they are able to do so is another issue. Some may already be providing a link between the network and their colleagues. Policies and decisions taken may have been influenced by membership in Swedish Leadership, but if so the network would be one of many factors influencing their sustainability efforts, making any contribution difficult to measure. There is, however, scant evidence that Swedish Leadership has translated into significant organisational capacity development within the member companies or Sida. Core operations have not been influenced in a notable way.
SDGS & Targets
Deliverables & Timeline
Resources mobilized
Partnership Progress
Feedback
Action Network
Share
Timeline
Entity
SDGs
Region
- Europe
Geographical coverage
Website/More information
Countries
Contact Information
Anne-Charlotte Malm, Senior Advisor
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