The Global Opportunities for Sustainable Development Goals (GO4SDGs) initiative showcased innovative green recovery solutions for micro, small and medium-sized companies (MSMEs) in a virtual side event on 13 July 2021 at the United Nations High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development.
The event – organized by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Green Growth Knowledge Partnerships (GGKP) and SEED – highlighted how MSMEs are driving sustainable development in Africa, Asia, Central and Eastern Europe and Latin America. It also served to announce the winners of the 2021 SEED Awards for Entrepreneurship in Sustainable Development, which recognizes outstanding eco-inclusive enterprises in Asia and Africa.
“Most businesses in the world are small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). In emerging markets, they create seven out of 10 formal jobs, but are responsible for 70% of global pollution,” said Joyce Msuya, UN Assistant Secretary-General and Deputy Executive Director, UNEP. “If countries are going to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development then we must urgently help SMEs build back better and change the track."
One year from the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, recovery spending has fallen short of nations’ commitments to build back more sustainably. The pandemic has shown how vulnerable MSMEs are to global shock with 60% of micro and 57% of small businesses strongly affected, compared with 43% of large firms.
“Economic recovery depends to a large extent on the ability of MSMEs to survive the crisis and improve their viability,” said Anne-Mareike Vanselow, Deputy Head of Division, Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU). “We should use best practices and instruments we have at hand – GO4SDGs, GGKP and SEED have a key role to play in supporting MSMEs.”
The GO4SDGs initiative aims to accelerate regional solutions for inclusive green economies and sustainable consumption and production by sharing best practices and offering science-based knowledge, policy tools and capacity development opportunities in priority areas to “build back better”. One of the initiative’s core goals is to implement action and change by supporting MSMEs increase their capacities and access for financing innovation.
¨The GO4SDGs initiative is about connecting the dots, building synergies and bolstering cooperation between key strategic partners in a way that allows to scale up and replicate best practices for each region,” said Mirko Zuerker, Head of Programme Development at SEED.
At the side event, representatives from GGKP, the National Cleaner Production Centre South Africa (NCPC-SA) and Yield Lab presented available tools, knowledge and services to support MSMEs in a green recovery. One of those tools is the Integrated Greening Operations (I-GO) SMEs Self-Assessment tool – developed by the Green Industry Platform, with support from Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE) – that aims to increase opportunities for resource efficiency and to increase resilience, productivity and competitiveness of MSMEs.
“The business case is strong for MSMEs to contribute to a green recovery,” said Hannes MacNulty, GGKP Senior Green Industry Advisor. “Given their strong roots in local communities, they can be influential agents of change and innovation. Small changes in one area can lead to amplified changes elsewhere.”
GO4SDGs brings together key strategic partners working directly with the private sector and civil society to accelerate action on the UN Sustainable Development Goals, including the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), International Labour Organization (ILO), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), SEED Initiative and World Economic Forum. It also builds on UNEP’s leading knowledge and platforms such as the Green Growth Knowledge Partnership (GGKP), International Resource Panel (IRP), One Planet Network and Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE).