Insights
Can Stockholm+50 be a Turning Point for Gender Equality? BY Ingvild Solvang, Simon Anderson, Sohna Aminatta Ngum, Clara Mottura
Connecting sustainable infrastructure policy with on the ground finance BY Alice Jetin Duceux
With alarming speed, coronavirus (COVID-19) has killed hundreds of thousands of people and infected millions across more than 200 countries and territories. It has changed our lives and our economies, particularly for the poor and vulnerable, who are already disproportionately impacted by climate change and other environmental, social, and economic risks.
The virus has also become central to national policy – many countries have closed their borders and have imposed strict quarantine measures to stop the spread – and has halted business operations in ways that were unimaginable.
The economic impacts of these containment efforts are likely to be felt for years to come. Leaders are calling for wartime mobilisation efforts and special support for emerging economies to cope with the twin crises of public health – protecting people from the coronavirus and preventing its spread – and rescuing and rebuilding the economy.
#GGKPwebinar series: Sustainability after COVID-19
The coronavirus health crisis is first and foremost a human tragedy. But, it is also posing major risks for the global economy, exposing financial vulnerabilities and testing the post-financial crisis economic model.
International financial institutions, central banks and multilateral development banks are working to respond to the crisis and ease the economic disruption through structural transformation, monetary measures and additional lending commitments.
Sustainable investing is very much part of the COVID-19 response. This includes the social bond market and socially responsible impact investment strategies. The outbreak shows how important long-term resilience into portfolio is for sustainable investing. Responsible investors have a role to play by focusing on long-term economic performance, and asset managers and investors can proactively protect their investments by particularly addressing the “social” part of ESG stock funds.
Sustainable finance also has a role to play in mobilizing the response to coronavirus, as evidenced by UNEP FI members’ banks actions. Institutional investors’ fiduciary duties and stewardship practices should be aligned with long-term decision-making and sustainable value creation.
In addition, governments’ stimulus packages need to lay the foundation for crucial Paris climate agreement-aligned investment. This includes encouraging longer-term investments for sustainable infrastructure with appropriate market incentives.
GGKP Webinar Series - Sustainability After COVID-19
The 10-part #GGKPwebinar series Sustainability After COVID-19, which ran from April-July 2020, invited experts from leading institutions to discuss the impacts of the pandemic on issues ranging from poverty to gender, nature, supply chains, waste and the global Green New Deal movement.
Discussions centred on what it would take to achieve an inclusive, green recovery, including green fiscal stimulus packages, sustainable finance, green buildings and construction, public polices for inclusive green growth and more.
The conversation continued in the fall, with the ongoing Rebuilding Better series. Discussions thus far have focused on how training and education, material efficiency, green industrial policy, land restoration and improved mineral resource governance can support a green and just post-COVID world, and how governments can support businesses and workers throughout a just transition to greener economies.
COVID-19-related #GGKPwebinars generated a tremendous amount of interest in 2020, with over 7,000 participants engaging directly with more than 100 global experts in over 20 online discussions.
“We are committed to providing up-to-date information and insights into the global pandemic,” said Simmons. “GGKP’s focus on promoting an inclusive and sustainable economy is intended to complement and build on other organisations’ important efforts focused on health, labour, fiscal and other social and economic issues related to the COVID-19 response.”
With more than 2 million infections reported in over 200 countries, coronavirus (COVID-19) has become an unprecedented global health crisis. While the pandemic’s alarming death toll has devastatingly impacted human lives and livelihood, it has also tested our national and economic resilience in ways that were unimaginable not too long ago.
As the world braces itself for the economic fallout, millions of workers and business owners are being hit hard with projections of massive job losses. The crisis is exacerbated in emerging and developing economies where industrial fallout significantly impacts economic growth and social cohesion, and where some 2 billion people who work in the informal sector are at risk without means to sustain their livelihoods.
Global supply chains are also being disrupted with trade restrictions, halted manufacturing and distribution suspended. And the pandemic is endangering key service-dominated industries – such as transport, tourism and hospitality – as firms wrestle with uncertain cash flows, cost-cutting measures and debt relief in the face of plummeting consumer demand. As one of the most vulnerable stakeholders, small and medium enterprises are being the worst hit as they struggle to absorb losses from the closure of commercial activities.
While COVID-19 has pushed industrial actors to rethink business models to stay afloat, some governments and other actors are considering how recovery efforts can prioritize sustainable and resource-efficient industrial operations across global production and supply networks. This includes generating innovative solutions for diversifying production portfolios and building local or regional business capacities for sustaining growth.
By adopting many of these policies and measures, government and industrial stakeholders can work to both protect people from the coronavirus and preventing its spread, while rebuilding economies.
GGKP Webinar Series - Sustainability After COVID-19
The 10-part #GGKPwebinar series Sustainability After COVID-19, which ran from April-July 2020, invited experts from leading institutions to discuss the impacts of the pandemic on issues ranging from poverty to gender, nature, supply chains, waste and the global Green New Deal movement.
Discussions centred on what it would take to achieve an inclusive, green recovery, including green fiscal stimulus packages, sustainable finance, green buildings and construction, public polices for inclusive green growth and more.
The conversation continued in the fall, with the ongoing Rebuilding Better series. Discussions thus far have focused on how training and education, material efficiency, green industrial policy, land restoration and improved mineral resource governance can support a green and just post-COVID world, and how governments can support businesses and workers throughout a just transition to greener economies.
COVID-19-related #GGKPwebinars generated a tremendous amount of interest in 2020, with over 7,000 participants engaging directly with more than 100 global experts in over 20 online discussions.
“We are committed to providing up-to-date information and insights into the global pandemic,” said Simmons. “GGKP’s focus on promoting an inclusive and sustainable economy is intended to complement and build on other organisations’ important efforts focused on health, labour, fiscal and other social and economic issues related to the COVID-19 response”.
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