Group4_D | SDG 17 : Partnerships For The Goals

Introduction to SDG 17

The 17th sustainable development goal talks about the partnership between the countries and sectors of the world and their need to achieve the United Nations' targets by 2030. It aims at promoting international trade and helping developing economies in improving their exports. It emphasizes establishing a system of trading that is fair for all and benefits all nations equally. SDG 17 has 19 targets that are classified into seven broad categories:

Finance

Strengthen the mobilization of resources to improve domestic revenue collection. It includes improving domestic capacity for tax as well as revenue collection.

Developed countries are needed to implement the official development assistance (ODA) commitments, including achieving the 0.7% ODA/GNI target for developing countries and 0.15-0.20 % for least developed countries.

Organizing financial resources for developing countries from different sources

Helping developing countries in achieving long term debt sustainability and reducing the debt burden of poor countries suffering from indebtedness

Investing in the least developed countries

Technology

Enhancing access to science, innovation, and technology. Establishing international cooperation and sharing knowledge on a mutually acceptable basis.

Promoting the development, transfer, and distribution of sustainable technology to developing nations on mutual terms.

Working on strengthening the development of technology, science, and innovation for less developed economies.

Capacity Building

Ensuring support through North-South, South-South, and triangular cooperation for enhancing capacity-building in developing countries.

Trade

Establishing and promoting a universal trading system under the WTO while considering the Doha Development Agenda negotiations.

By 2020, doubling global exports of less developed economies and increasing the exports of developing countries.

Realizing the need to adopt quota-free and duty-free markets on time for all the least developed nations permanently.

Systematic Issues

Ensuring macroeconomic stability globally through policy coordination.

Improving policy coherence for supporting sustainable development.

Respecting the policies of other nations to create and implement policies for poverty reduction and sustainable development.

Multi-stakeholder Partnership

Encouraging public, public-private, and civil society partnerships.

Improving partnership among nations for sustainable development.

Data monitoring and Accountability

It improves capacity-building in developing countries, least developed countries, and small island developing States and increases reliable data availability.

Building different methods that are in line with GDP by 2030 for measuring the progress on sustainable development.

The Relevance of SDG 17 to India

Sustainable Development Goals have been built on the principle of universality of ‘leave no one behind,’ reflecting India’s development slogan of “Sabka Saath Sabka Vikaas” (Collective Efforts, Inclusive Development). Achieving the first 16 goals without progress on SDG 17 would be challenging as every SDG requires a partnership to achieve ambitious goals.

India aims to revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development and reaffirms common but differentiated responsibilities. Being a developing country, it is unlikely to have sufficient revenues to finance and achieve the SDGs. It also loses out on tax revenue because of illicit financial flows as international tax havens and tax evasion practices make it difficult for India to improve tax collection efficacy. Without cooperation, India cannot boost its ability to secure means of implementation for achieving the SDGs.

Hence, India emphasizes that developed countries have an obligation to provide financial assistance to developing economies, especially in matters like climate change and a pandemic like Covid-19, which are battles that India can’t fight alone without assistance.

Partnership is a key policy tool that supports collaboration between governments, the private sector, and society. The world is more interconnected than ever before, and India plays an important part in global partnership as it is one of the fastest-growing economies in the world. It is becoming a main stakeholder by building a network both within the region and with other countries. India has membership and leadership in premier institutions like Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, BRICS and its New Development Bank, South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), and UN agencies and programs worldwide. Therefore, India is expected to play a leading role in partnership for the success of all the SDGs globally.

Business implications and responses

SDG-17 works towards the effective development, accountability, and sustainable business environment by promoting universal trade rules that are fair and beneficial for all. It aims to enhance the sharing of knowledge, expertise, technology, and financial resources in all countries through global partnerships. Global Partnerships are vital for the effectiveness of all types of corporations for the shared benefit of people, the planet, and businesses. To ensure equitable benefit and development, SDG-17 particularly focuses on increasing the exports from the developing countries and providing them the required aid and financial assistance.

According to a report by the Business &Sustainable Development Commission (January 2017), businesses can generate US$12 trillion of savings and revenues in the Energy, Cities, Food & Agriculture, and Healthcare sector by 2030. It also estimates 380 million new job creation due to the alignment of businesses with the SDGs. Global Partnerships aligning with the SDG is a golden opportunity for businesses to prosper and expand globally while contributing to a better world envisaged by 2030.

Nowadays, investors show a keen interest in the businesses' proactiveness towards the SDGs and are becoming more concerned with sustainability-related business opportunities. Customers are also more enlightened and responsible than ever. Global research conducted by PwC found that the companies signed up for SDGs saw 78% of the customers more likely to buy their goods and services.

Businesses need to focus on sustainability to grow in the long term. They should define their goals in a productive and growth-driven way while being relevant and inspiring to the stakeholders. Their strategy should be based on a purpose and ignite long-lasting positive change, which would, in turn, increase the shareholders’ long-term value.

Here are examples of companies that have contributed towards SDG17:

Novozymes: The Company tries to enhance the global partnership for SD and encourage effectively, public-private, public, and civil society partnerships, building on the experience and resourcing strategies of partnerships.

Novozymes has been an active leader of (SE4All), ensuring universal access to modern energy services to transform the global energy sector. Novozymes is also an active partner of the Sustainable Food Platform, aiming to rethink market-based solutions for nutrition and food security in Africa. It has been a signatory to the UN Global Compact and has always actively participated in various UN initiatives.

Microsoft: The Company aims to promote environmentally-friendly sounding technologies to developing nations and understands the importance of information technology in least-developed countries.

Microsoft is the front runner of the “Transform to Net-zero initiative” with major global companies to deliver research and guidance to implement roadmaps for eliminating carbon emissions. Microsoft is also co-convener of the 2030 Digital Fasttrack Studios (DFS) in Geneva to identify digital technologies' policies to accelerate SDGs.

Tata Steel: Tata Steel Group’s focus on sustainability and the environment has been through its operating strategy. The Company is committed to reducing its impact on climate change and is continuously working on the process to reduce its business’s carbon footprint. Tata steels also remain committed to improving the quality of the lives of the communities where it operates.

Tata steel leaders work with various industry bodies like the WSA, GRI, IIRC, CII, and UNGC to further implement sustainability practices.

Adobe: Adobe's core belief is that digital experiences are a powerful tool to change the world and champion sustainability, innovation, and access to technology with their programs. The company is on track to achieve 100% renewable energy by 2035 and have announced their intention to set more ambitious targets moving forward. They are heavily invested in supporting and uplifting local and global communities and empowering voices through their product. In 2019 they had supported over 60,000 NGOs and invested $50 million in community development.

Analysis

For realizing sustainable development all over the world, it is imperative to use SDG 17 as a means for strengthening the implementation of all SDG. Deepening the partnerships between the governments, the private sector, and the society both domestically and internationally is vital to achieving the ambitions of Agenda 2030. The 19 targets of SDG 17 address these needs and calls for action to increase the SDGs' capability at various levels. Hence, meeting any targets of SDG is essential towards a more sustainable future.

The partnership approach adopted within the EU countries provides vast experiences and can be regarded as a useful policy tool. However, this approach is based on the premise that it is quite complex for single institutions to address social issues such as employment, poverty, and hunger. Thus, partnerships promote strong connections among various governmental and civil organizations, public authorities, and individual citizens while also getting viewed as a means for promoting democracy. Many programs had been implemented across EU nations, such as EQUAL and TEP, which focussed on finding new ways to fight discrimination and inequality in the labor market.

With a population accounting for one-sixth of the population, India holds the key to the success of Agenda 2030. The country has developed a robust model for the localization of SDG’s majorly centered on adopting, implementing, and monitoring the State and District levels' progress. NITI Aayog has strived to develop inclusive partnerships collaborating with State/Union governments over the years and has created platforms where the voices of the vulnerable can be heard and plan to address these challenges can be made. Apart from NITI Aayog led initiatives, the country has also made progress by providing international platforms for better dialogue among nations such as India-Africa Forum Summit, BRICS Summit, India-UN Development Partnership Fund, and International Solar Alliance.

However, the focus of partnership in SDG 17 has been mostly on ensuring that ‘developed countries’ provide aid to 'developing countries'. EU itself has endorsed this approach and has declared itself to be the largest ODA provider in 2018. Linking terms such as ‘developed’ and ‘developing’ with ‘partnership’ render its usefulness as an effective policy tool. Instead, the focus should be on linking various actors from different geographical and sectoral backgrounds to work closely.

Suggested Path Ahead

After all this discussion regarding the 17th SDG, one thing is clear, stronger partnerships among nations worldwide will contribute greatly towards protecting the environment and sustainable development through mobilizing various resources, sharing knowledge among each other, encouraging the creation and transfer of technologies that are safe while in a way, being more environmentally sound, and promoting capacity building among the people of different nations.

Furthermore, the need for a deeper understanding of partnership and its usefulness as a strong policy tool is key in assisting factors with different backgrounds to successfully achieve the SDGs. Looking at the current scenario, it is obvious that ‘business as usual’ is no longer an option. Only by working together to design a revamping social change can sustainable development be made a reality.

This year, the Global FDI is expected to decline by about 40% because of the pandemic, which will hamper employability, infrastructure, technological, and many other developments. Thus, just as the pandemic subsides, nations worldwide should come together to bring the Global FDI back up to speed. Moreover, the remittances to low- and middle-income countries are projected to fall by about 20%, which also acts as an economic lifeline for many poor households. These setbacks can deeply hamper growth and sustainability worldwide. They thus should be the first and foremost goals rather than going after pre-set targets from before the pandemic (which has changed everything).

Developed nations need to implement and carry out all their development assistance commitments to the least developed countries. Developing nations should be assisted in attaining debt sustainability. Global FDI should be more promoted towards the least developed countries whereas sustainable technologies to all developing nations. Removing trade barriers and increasing exports for the least developed and all developing nations respectively is also imperative.

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