High-level side event: Firms and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): Time to design industrial policies for the SDGs .:. Sustainable Development Knowledge Platform

High-level side event: Firms and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): Time to design industrial policies for the SDGs

Monday, 12 July 2021

8:00 AM - 9:00 AM

Virtual (NY Time)

Side Event

Office of the Special Representative of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) to the United Nations

The private sector has a significant role to play in the achievement of the SDGs, along with other stakeholders. Numerous firms consider it economically viable to develop sustainable products and services linked to their core business. As the SDGs draw more and more attention, this course of action may expand both business opportunities for companies and value added for society.

However, firms still face significant hurdles in their sustainability transition. The private sector’s contributions remain insufficient to achieve the SDGs by 2030, highlighting the need for policy interventions therein. Besides regulations and taxes, which are key components of policy packages, industrial policies (including innovation and general business framework policies) can foster the contribution of firms to the SDGs through their core business.

This event is intended to present emerging insights on how industrial policy can foster the private sector’s contribution to the SDGs. It aims to:

Introduce the main messages of a recently released OECD policy note “Industrial Policy for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)”;

Stimulate the discussion between policymakers and the private sector on the main obstacles and enablers for the sustainability transition of companies;

Spark exchanges among policymakers on the design of industrial policies and strategies for the SDGs.

This event provides an opportunity for the UN community to discuss these important questions, and exchange their experience.