Supporting Public Private Partnerships to Accelerate the Sustainable Development Goals

On 15 March, the United Nations (UN) in China took part in a dialogue convened by the Indian Association Business Council (IABC) featuring leaders of Chambers of Commerce and government counterparts on the topic of “How can we use Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) to Accelerate the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in this Decade of Action?” Over 100 participants gathered at the historic House of Roosevelt in Shanghai to share information and best practices related to PPPs and explore opportunities for innovative, catalytic collaboration toward achieving the SDGs, including zero hunger, gender equality, and climate action, among others.

Participants EUCham, SingCham, BritCham, CanCham, IrishCham, SwissCham, and AustCham, TEC-The Expatriate Center, together with Indian business leaders from IABC and representatives from the United Nations and the China International Import Expo (CIIE), listened to panel discussion and case study “power talks” highlighting successful PPPs that have focused on integrating sustainable business principles and the UN SDGs into policies and practice.

UN Resident Coordinator in China Siddharth Chatterjee kicked off the evening by introducing the UN SDGs—a collective roadmap for addressing our most pressing global challenges—and the role that PPPs can play in reinvigorating and amplifying SDG efforts. Mr. Chatterjee illustrated the potential of PPPs with success stories from his time as RC in Kenya, including the establishment of an SDG Partnership Platform to address maternal mortality in six countries, which, in a period of 2.5 years, led to a one-third reduction in maternal deaths. Mr. Chatterjee shared that the UN in China will be launching a new Joint SDG Fund that will support cross-sector initiatives in priority areas including climate, health, and food security, by drawing upon the diverse expertise and experience of the 26 UN entities operating in China, convening broad-based public-private partnerships, and catalyzing new sources of finance to scale-up investment and innovation for the SDGs in China and in the Global South.

Mr. Weimin Zhang, Board Member and Assistant President of the CIIE National Exhibition & Convention, shared an important perspective on how CIIE is promoting sustainability and encouraging organizations participating in CIIE to integrate the SDGs into their policies and operations. Next, a panel featuring corporate and Chamber leaders discussed “Factors enabling organizations to navigate PPP to land SDG driven projects”, and senior partners and CEOs from several companies delivered “power talks” highlighting innovative, sustainable business practices, ranging from projects focused on reducing their carbon footprint to addressing food insecurity by reshaping digital farming technology. Mr. Vishal Sharma, CEO of DB Schenker Greater China, discussed ‘Road to Zero’ and their Green Fleets innovation in the logistics industry, as well as their engagement with the public sector to promote advocacy for SDG implementation. Mr. Richard Chen, CEO of Master Kong, illustrated how their F&B product line is syncing up with the SDGs by introducing carbon neutral beverages and renewable plastics to better serve consumers in China.

The event was concluded with sharing from Ms. Shen Yu from UNIDO ITPO Beijing and Ms. Brianne Stuart from the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office, on the role of UN agencies in China in supporting responsible business practices and in fostering effective PPPs, highlighting opportunities to engage and tap into UN expertise and resources.  

In his closing remarks, Mr. Chatterjee reminded the audience that in order for the international community to reach the ambitions of the 2030 Agenda, we must stop seeing the SDGs solely as lofty ideals for governments and international organizations to pursue and, rather, recognize them also as vital instruments that the private sector can use to reshape sustainable business models and unlock new markets. Ultimately, sustainability is good for both humanity and business.

Following the substantive discussion, participants had the opportunity to network with business, government, and UN leaders, creating linkages and building relationships that will spur tomorrow’s partnerships for a better world.