As we prepare for Climate Week and the 79th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA 79) taking place in New York City this month, there are three topics of conversation that we are taking with us. We encourage you to consider how these themes might offer a more robust experience for you and your organization and, ultimately, lead to better outcomes.
In our effort to align with the UN’s theme to build a “peaceful, sustainable, and promising future for all,” we look to the following priorities to influence our decision-making and inspire others to take action in incorporating positive economic, social, and environmental impact into their end-to-end businesses.
1. The Benefits of Ecosystem Building
At the crux of gatherings like UNGA 79 and Climate Week is bringing the top minds and leaders in government, private, social, and academic sectors together to discuss collaborative solutions to pressing issues. Understanding the value of working together to create networks of resources enables sharing knowledge, funding, or diverse perspectives with each other to achieve your goals.
Multilateral partner ecosystems offer an opportunity to play to each other’s strengths. For example, SAP is not the expert in creating social and environmental impact; that expertise resides within the social sector. However, SAP understands the critical role technology can play in creating promising results in addressing issues like climate change and creating a more circular economy. At the same time, governments set the guidelines for policies that influence climate action. Each of us has a role to play and it is important to understand how we can best work together to deliver results and accelerate change.
When participating in conversations on key global issues, like climate change, remember that collaboration between government, private, and social sectors is paramount in catalyzing a positive shift in business to make progress on the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
2. The Importance of Education
Education is a fundamental human right and a key driver in economic development. Next to partnership, prioritizing education and skills development is necessary to remain resilient in a rapidly changing world and help bridge the digital divide in under-resourced communities. Yet, it is not often a topic of conversation at convenings like Climate Week.
Climate disasters disrupt the education of nearly 40 million children annually and continues to increase. The skills gap is growing. More than half the workforce in 57 of 108 countries have jobs that do not match their education level or help citizens adapt to climate change and the green transition. Universal education has an impact on climate change. Financing education can significantly reduce carbon emissions, up to 51.48 gigatons by 2050 in low and lower-middle income countries. Young impact entrepreneurs known as The Possibilists also see climate action as one of the most important issues they face and use education as a tool “[…] for reducing inequalities and creating change.”
During Climate Week conversations with partners like UNICEF’s Generation Unlimited, SAP is hoping to collaborate across sectors and embrace innovative strategies to educate and foster a new generation of environmentally skilled workforces. By building cross-sector collaboration in areas like education, we gain access to new perspectives in social innovation and a wider talent pool as we work toward a more fair, sustainable world.
Advocating for education initiatives and partnerships within climate conversations is important. Education underpins the vitality of the broader business ecosystem, nurtures the next generation of talent, and creates a pathway to environmental progress.
3. The Opportunity of Intergenerational Leadership
When discussing ecosystem building and education, we cannot forget young voices. Young people are at the frontline of issues like climate change, but often fail to appear in key decision-making spaces. SAP embraces the idea of intergenerational collaboration, bringing together diverse perspectives across the business. For example, We Are Family Foundation, with support in part from SAP, conducted a study in which 96% of respondents believed intergenerational collaboration holds significant value and can generate positive change when faced with global challenges.
Youth offer intersectional voices that hold a unique moral authority over issues like climate justice. In addition, they bring innovative and tech-driven approaches as digital natives in an everchanging world. When private, public, and social sector organizations tap into the potential of young experts, business and the world as a whole benefit.
With more than half the world under the age of 30, it’s imperative to ensure equitable representation of youth voices during the upcoming convenings, like Climate Week and COP29.
For more information on how SAP is helping the world run better and improving people’s lives all year round, visit sap.com/csr.
Selina Henn is a strategy and operations associate for Corporate Social Responsibility at SAP.