Major Group: Business & Industry and Science & Technology
Peter Davies
Troika Introductory speaking notes for HLPF opening session
As Sustainable Futures Commissioner for Wales, I am very pleased to be here to speak at the opening session of the HLPF. I am here speaking on behalf of Nrg4SD, a global membership organisation committed to working together to take action on sustainable development, the Global Business Alliance and the International Council for Science. Together we fully support the UN’s critical Post-2015 Development Agenda.
Coming out of the historic Rio+20 Conference, the United Nations is uniquely positioned to deliver a Post-2015 Development Agenda around which all stakeholders – governments, private sector, and civil society, can address the social, environmental and economic challenges our world is facing.
Nrg4SD was created in 2002 and represents sub-national and regional governments across the world, demonstrating an understanding of the importance and key role of delivery. Making decisions on the ground that will affect the lives of millions of people, sub-national governments are responsible for practical delivery and real life solutions to many of the problems currently being discussed here at UN level and also at country state level.
Together subnational governments represent almost 15% of global economic output making our role absolutely crucial in delivering change and demonstrating what can be done to meet the international sustainable development agenda. Governments such as Wales, Cataluna, Sao Paolo and Quebec have to grapple with day to day delivery and will be judged on how effective their policies are. Introducing new ideas and delivery models needs to make good economic, social as well as environmental sense and by showing what can work we are well placed to demonstrate can help us show good practice and lead by example.
We want to set a common vision and agree objectives that will make a difference to people's lives and the world we live in. The debates around this agenda mean that sustainable development goals need to be transformational in nature. But both the process of identification of the goals and the process of their attainment must reflect a change on the ground and a shift in the way people live. Without that notion, they are unlikely to make a difference.
Gatherings like these bringing together people from around the world are crucial if we are to exchange best practice and promote further high level political discussion. We want to make a difference by encouraging learning and knowledge transfer between countries and governments. Ambitious policy that is created for the long term makes better economic sense.
For the United Nations Post-2015 Development Agenda it is essential that businesses of all sizes grow and flourish in a responsible and sustainable manner. It is these businesses that will create the jobs and livelihoods, and provide the necessary technical resources to create and develop new solutions to the sustainable development challenges the international community is
facing today. More than ever, economic growth, trade, investment, entrepreneurship, innovation and sustainable job creation are recognized as fundamental for development.
The sustainable use of our natural resources can create a new economic model that puts us at the forefront of the next one, delivering wealth creation, wellbeing and sustainable economic growth. For example, renewable energy gives security of supply and investment and is a key driver to green growth, helping meet our climate change targets, delivering a sustainable economic model and providing security of supply. Together building a strong sustainable future.
Key to this will be:
1. The inclusion of an overarching vision to “eradicate extreme poverty,” with one integrated approach reflecting all three dimensions of sustainable development – social, economic and environmental – with one set of combined goals.
2. The recognition that the pursuit of sustainable development will require collaborative action between all actors in society – business, governments, and civil society.
3. The recognition that the earth is finite. Resources must be respected and managed efficiently to ensure a net positive contribution over the long term. Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) should take into account the economic and social benefits to achieve sustainability while striving to eliminate the negative environmental impacts, including climate change, enveloping the ecosystem that is our home.
4. Developing partnerships, sustained collaborations to strengthen the science-policy-society interface in support of effective solutions for sustainable development to reflect the latest available science on the nature, pace and magnitude of changes across the sustainable development agenda.
5. Reviewing and monitoring sustainable development to include national implementation strategies, progress towards achieving international goals and targets and progress towards achieving global environmental sustainability.
6. The need for a globally coordinated science and innovation system.
7. The need for good governance focused on: smart regulation with minimal bureaucracy and well functioning national institutions.
8. The need to support policies and institutions to protect and promote human rights including: democratic values, independent courts, free speech, and individual liberty.
9. The need to align and scale up corporate sustainability based on universal principles in the areas of human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption.
10. The need to foster economic growth, trade and investment, promote entrepreneurship, innovation, sustainable job creation and the establishment of new enterprises.
Troika Introductory speaking notes for HLPF opening session
As Sustainable Futures Commissioner for Wales, I am very pleased to be here to speak at the opening session of the HLPF. I am here speaking on behalf of Nrg4SD, a global membership organisation committed to working together to take action on sustainable development, the Global Business Alliance and the International Council for Science. Together we fully support the UN’s critical Post-2015 Development Agenda.
Coming out of the historic Rio+20 Conference, the United Nations is uniquely positioned to deliver a Post-2015 Development Agenda around which all stakeholders – governments, private sector, and civil society, can address the social, environmental and economic challenges our world is facing.
Nrg4SD was created in 2002 and represents sub-national and regional governments across the world, demonstrating an understanding of the importance and key role of delivery. Making decisions on the ground that will affect the lives of millions of people, sub-national governments are responsible for practical delivery and real life solutions to many of the problems currently being discussed here at UN level and also at country state level.
Together subnational governments represent almost 15% of global economic output making our role absolutely crucial in delivering change and demonstrating what can be done to meet the international sustainable development agenda. Governments such as Wales, Cataluna, Sao Paolo and Quebec have to grapple with day to day delivery and will be judged on how effective their policies are. Introducing new ideas and delivery models needs to make good economic, social as well as environmental sense and by showing what can work we are well placed to demonstrate can help us show good practice and lead by example.
We want to set a common vision and agree objectives that will make a difference to people's lives and the world we live in. The debates around this agenda mean that sustainable development goals need to be transformational in nature. But both the process of identification of the goals and the process of their attainment must reflect a change on the ground and a shift in the way people live. Without that notion, they are unlikely to make a difference.
Gatherings like these bringing together people from around the world are crucial if we are to exchange best practice and promote further high level political discussion. We want to make a difference by encouraging learning and knowledge transfer between countries and governments. Ambitious policy that is created for the long term makes better economic sense.
For the United Nations Post-2015 Development Agenda it is essential that businesses of all sizes grow and flourish in a responsible and sustainable manner. It is these businesses that will create the jobs and livelihoods, and provide the necessary technical resources to create and develop new solutions to the sustainable development challenges the international community is
facing today. More than ever, economic growth, trade, investment, entrepreneurship, innovation and sustainable job creation are recognized as fundamental for development.
The sustainable use of our natural resources can create a new economic model that puts us at the forefront of the next one, delivering wealth creation, wellbeing and sustainable economic growth. For example, renewable energy gives security of supply and investment and is a key driver to green growth, helping meet our climate change targets, delivering a sustainable economic model and providing security of supply. Together building a strong sustainable future.
Key to this will be:
1. The inclusion of an overarching vision to “eradicate extreme poverty,” with one integrated approach reflecting all three dimensions of sustainable development – social, economic and environmental – with one set of combined goals.
2. The recognition that the pursuit of sustainable development will require collaborative action between all actors in society – business, governments, and civil society.
3. The recognition that the earth is finite. Resources must be respected and managed efficiently to ensure a net positive contribution over the long term. Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) should take into account the economic and social benefits to achieve sustainability while striving to eliminate the negative environmental impacts, including climate change, enveloping the ecosystem that is our home.
4. Developing partnerships, sustained collaborations to strengthen the science-policy-society interface in support of effective solutions for sustainable development to reflect the latest available science on the nature, pace and magnitude of changes across the sustainable development agenda.
5. Reviewing and monitoring sustainable development to include national implementation strategies, progress towards achieving international goals and targets and progress towards achieving global environmental sustainability.
6. The need for a globally coordinated science and innovation system.
7. The need for good governance focused on: smart regulation with minimal bureaucracy and well functioning national institutions.
8. The need to support policies and institutions to protect and promote human rights including: democratic values, independent courts, free speech, and individual liberty.
9. The need to align and scale up corporate sustainability based on universal principles in the areas of human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption.
10. The need to foster economic growth, trade and investment, promote entrepreneurship, innovation, sustainable job creation and the establishment of new enterprises.