Without immediate and fundamental changes, the world will fail to fund the SDGs and finance the transition to a sustainable, resilient, and inclusive future. Based on the latest report from the Force for Good (F4G) Initiative, the current funding shortfall to achieve the SDGs is approximately 10% of annual global GDP for the next decade, and this amount is not something either governments or the private sector can deploy on their own. However, financial institutions as the custodians of over 85% of the world’s gross liquid assets have a critical role to play in the mobilization of other key stakeholders and in the development and execution of solutions
The F4G Initiative is hosting a series of high-impact sessions at the World Investment Forum in support of the United Nations Secretary-General’s strategy and roadmap for sustainable development to 2030, exploring the challenges facing the world, the current efforts of finance industry leaders to address these, and the big ideas for the world to transition to a more sustainable and inclusive future.
In this session, leaders of institutions that are active and innovative in addressing major global challenges will discuss the systemic nature of the challenges facing the world and the need for systemic solutions to address both environmental sustainability and social factors such as financial inclusion or resilient health care. The interrelated nature of the SDGs implies the need for a holistic and multi-stakeholder effort for the targets to be achieved, which will require alignment between consumers and producers, the owners of asset and their managers, and governments and society as a whole, ultimately making the system of capital more robust and fit for purpose in meeting the challenges and opportunities of the world.
Issues to be addressed
- What are the world’s critical challenges that need urgent financing at scale?
- What are major initiatives leaders have launched to direct financial resources to these challenges?
- What are some of the systemic changes that will need to occur in the world for its challenges to be funded and addressed?
