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How the private sector can contribute to achieving the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda?
Monday, 1 April 2019
12:45 PM - 1:45 PM
A 1

Side Event

Moderator

Ms. Leena Srivastava, Vice Chancellor, TERI School of Advances Studies

High-level remarks

Mr. José Alberto Alderete, General Director, ITAIPU, Paraguay

Speakers
  • Mr. José Alberto Alderete, General Director, ITAIPU, Paraguay
  • Ms. Claribelle Poujol, Head of Resource Mobilization and Partnerships of UNFCCC
  • Mr. Gonzalo Saenz de Miera, Director, Climate Change, Iberdrola
  • Mr. Ole Lund Hansen, Chief, Global Operations, UN Global Compact
  • Ms. Constança Pinto Moura, Public Affairs Advisor, Danfoss A/S
Q&A
Closing remarks

Mr. Liu Zhenmin, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, United Nations. Read Mr. Liu's speech >>>

Summary

This meeting aims to showcase how private sector can contribute to the 2030 Agenda and the Paris Agreement, analyzing challenges and opportunities, as well as make a series of concrete recommendations to policy makers on how to engage with the private sector in order to accelerate implementation and strengthen synergies between the two agendas.

During the session private sector representatives will present their strategy to support the implementation of the Agenda and the Paris Agreement, including successful case studies.

Background

The Paris Agreement is a landmark agreement to combat climate change and to accelerate and intensify the actions and investments needed for a sustainable low carbon future. Meanwhile, the 2030 Agenda is committed to achieving sustainable development in its three dimensions – economic, social and environmental. The interlinkages between climate impacts and the SDGs reveal challenges that must be faced with a holistic approach in order to maximize the action´s co-benefits.

Climate change compromises a great variety of processes on earth, including business operations. Flood, droughts, sea level rise, extreme and unpredictable weather are some of the predicted threats the sector has faced and that can affect health, livelihood, food security, water supply and economic growth. In addition, the world has faced an ambitious plan to eradicate poverty and hunger, ensuring all human beings prosperity, while protecting the environment and assuring peace by 2030.

Such challenges are not faced by governments only. Companies around the world are aware of this reality and are investing in clean energy that reduces risks and creates new jobs, in conservation efforts that protect natural resources and in adopting environmental, social and governance criteria in their decision-making. The private sector, in this sense, plays a key role in achieving the Paris Agreement and the SDGs, as they can improve efficiency, bring innovation, eliminate carbon emissions in their supply chain, reduce poverty and built more inclusive societies.

The DESA and Itaipu Partnership "Sustainable Solutions for Water and Energy" seeks to promote an intersectoral dialogue between stakeholders covering paths and actions related to water (SDG 6) and energy (SDG 7) and their interlinkages, such as climate change (SDG 13). The purpose of the partnership is to accelerate progress towards the active implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

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