The Business Symposium
– As delivered –
Statement by H.E. Mr. Miroslav Lajčák, President of the 72nd Session of the UN General Assembly, at The Business Symposium
Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Our future on this planet is uncertain. And it is our own doing.
I recently attended COP 23 in Bonn and the news was disheartening. More frequent and intense hurricanes are destroying entire communities. Drought is causing famine and poverty. People are suffering because of a disregard for our environment.
Today the message is clear: Pollution is killing people and our planet.
Amidst this bad news, there is a green shoot: we have the plans to save our planet and people. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement lay the foundations. They chart the path for us to eradicate poverty, develop sustainably and protect the environment for generations to come.
The Sustainable Development Goals belong to us all. They are a product of the convening power of the United Nations. It follows that all of us have a stake in the implementation of these goals. This includes the business community. I want to congratulate you all on the launch of the Global Business Alliance for the Environment (GBA4E). I am confident it will provide a platform for the drivers of economic growth to also be drivers of Sustainable Development.
Allow me to make three points here today.
First, today we face many challenges related to pollution.
The World Health Organization has estimated that nearly a quarter of all deaths worldwide are due to environmental causes.
Women, children and the elderly are disproportionately affected by pollution.
From the 7 million people killed by air pollution annually. To those who must depend on dirty water sources. These people are dealing with the daily reality of pollution. Our oceans are also paying a price; they have become a dumping ground for millions of tonnes of plastic.
Gone are the days when businesses can look solely at their bottom line and governments can push short-sighted development agendas. We know better now. We must look at this holistically: it makes no sense to achieve growth for a few years but degrade our planet forever. There is no Planet B.
Development accompanied by a corresponding burden on the environment is not development at all. It is recklessness. The new hallmark of development is a clean environment.
We live in a world of greater inequality. But development that is unsustainable will only widen the inequality gap in the long. Developing countries need capacity building, transfer of technology and know-how as well as financing to develop sustainably. The private sector is key to unlocking innovative financing from nontraditional sources. Of course, developed countries have committed on paper to provide support and so they should. But businesses have shown that they, too, can fund sustainable development. Also, they can play a role in building capacity and transfer of technology and ‘know-how’. We need partnerships across all sectors to unlock all these possibilities.
Business investment in our people and planet will yield the greatest returns in the long-run. And the business community must play a major role in our sustainable development. This brings me to my second point.
Businesses are critical in achieving a decent life for all on a sustainable planet. And we can achieve this through innovation, partnerships and by ensuring that financing is mobilized.
My second point is that the challenge of achieving a pollution-free planet, at the same time, presents business opportunities. It is an opportunity for businesses to foster economic opportunities, innovate, reduce poverty and create decent jobs.
The Sustainable Development Goals and Addis Ababa Action Agenda give us the tools to change our damaging practices. Businesses are already stepping up to the plate. They are proving that not only is it possible to protect the planet while maximizing profit. But it is more beneficial for all.
My third point is something you already know: the business community need not wait on governments to act.
The global plans belong to us all and the planet is ours. Likewise, the future belongs to our children and their children.
Tomorrow, the Ministerial Declaration of the 2017 UN Environment Assembly under the theme “Towards a Pollution-Free Planet” will be adopted. This will be another powerful commitment. It is our collective duty to ensure that this intent is transformed into action. Public-private partnerships will be essential to drive this declaration and turn it into action on the ground.
Businesses are critical in achieving a decent life for all on a sustainable planet. And we can achieve this through innovation, partnerships and by ensuring that financing is mobilized.
Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,
We already know that businesses are key drivers of sustainable development. People are at the core of all businesses. They run them, they benefit from them, and they are the consumers. And people are demanding more – they are demanding sustainable business practices. Let us listen to their call and deliver.
