Keynote Address of the Ambassador the European Union to India
Keynote address of the Ambassador the European Union to India,
His Excellency Tomasz KOZLOWSKI,
at the IILM institute of Higher education, 7 January 2016
Professor Chaudhry, Dear friends from academia the public and the private sector
I am very thankful to the IILM and the UN global Compact to have invited me today to give you the introductory key note address for this important seminar.
While the title of the seminar is called "responsible management education training and practice" I understand this is in other words part of a global campaign to raise awareness about the recently adopted Sustainable Development Goals, the so called SDGs, why they matter for the world and in particular for India, and more particularly for its business sector – an aspect that will be developed throughout this seminar - and I will try to give you my perspective about that, a European perspective, that I believe many here in India would share.
Let me start by a few words on the Agenda 2030 and its SDGs, what they are, why are they important, why this is a paradigm shift for the international community
Both India and the European Union have been very active in the United Nations over the last years to develop a new paradigm for development, a blueprint for a development that is sustainable, for both developed and developing countries alike, and focussing at helping the most vulnerable.
This was called the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,with an ambitious set of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and 169 associated targets, setting out a global framework to eradicate poverty and achieve sustainable development by 2030. It was adopted by the United Nations in September in New York, in the presence of more than 150 heads of States and Governments, including those of India and most of those of the European Union and its 28 Member States.
The 2030 Agenda and its SDGs just adopted marks the culmination of an inclusive three-year preparation process. It builds on the Millennium Development Goals – the MDGs – that were adopted in 2000, but progress towards the MDGs had been uneven around the world, and not all targets were reached.
The main difference between the MDGs in 2000 and the SDGs in 2015, is that for the first time at the United Nations we have integrated different tracks of the United Nations work, so the key word here INTEGRATION.
a- The Agenda 2030 integrateswhat was previously done under two separate tracks: the poverty eradication track, following up on the MDGs and the millennium summit, and the sustainable development track, following up on the Rio conferences and Agenda21. Now there is one comprehensive global framework on poverty AND sustainability, because they should be mutually reinforcing, and as a consequence there is less fragmentation and competition of resources, because after all they are about the same thing: improving the lives of our people, especially the most vulnerable.
b- But that's not it, there's another track on implementation that has also been integrated for the first time, Indeedwe have adopted on the one hand the objective - global goals and targets on poverty eradication and sustainable development - and on the other hands the way to reach this objective – the means of implementation at all levels and by all stakeholders –So the 2030 Agenda also includes the United Nations Addis Ababa Action Agenda adopted in July – the Financing for Development track - which sets out the different means necessary to implement the 2030 Agenda, including domestic resources, private finance and Official Development Assistance (ODA), with all stakeholders having their own respective responsibilities.
c- the third dimension of that integration of the new agenda is that it has been developed taking into account the interlinkages with other global commitments, such as climate change, gender equality, health or good governance and many others. We live in a more complex and interlinked world, with various inter-dependant challenges. So we need to have global agenda that recognizes these interlinkages, that puts together the global challenges.
Another major novelty indeed was that the adoption of the 2030 Agenda was characterized by the unprecedented participation of civil society and other stakeholders, It involved governments from developed and developing countries, international organizations and financial institutions, civil society including NGOs, the private sector, academia and many others. And it has engaged people from all over the world, in the most democratic exercise at the United Nations. And I know Indian civil society has been very active.
Overall, the new 2030 Agenda is a GAME CHANGER, it re-defines how the international community works together on a global commitment to a different kind of future for people and the planet – one which will put the world on a path towards sustainable development.
The 17 new SDGs and 169 associated targets balance the three dimensions of sustainable development – environmental, social and economic – I will not cite them all, you have the list, but they are covering areas such as poverty, inequality, food security, health, sustainable consumption and production, growth, employment, infrastructure, sustainable management of natural resources, climate change, as well as gender equality, peaceful and inclusive societies, access to justice and accountable institutions.
Ultimately, this is about governance. About inclusiveness: societies will only accept transformation if people feel their voices have been heard. And it's about breaking out of silos. Sustainable development is not just an economic or social challenge, or an environmental problem: it's all three – and our efforts on each need to reinforce rather than undermine one another.
Now what we do to implement these goals? Concretely? You may wonder: what does the EU does? What should other countries and stakeholders do? This is my next point.
Well, the EU has been a leader in contributing to this process from the start. It is now committed to take this agenda forward, both inside the EU and through the EU's external policies.
Internally: I will give you just one example of what we've been doing in Europe for Europe since we have adopted the Agenda2030. the European Commission has adopted last month an ambitious new Circular Economy Package to help European businesses and consumers to make the transition to a stronger and more circular economy where resources are used in a more sustainable way. I am sure the business people present in this room will be interested in that.
Externally, You may not know it, but the EU and its Member States are, collectively, the world’s largest development donor, yes we are the world largest provider of development aid to poor countries, and by far, providing together €58 billion in 2014 alone.With the view of increasing the impact of EU Development Policy, the EU refocused its aid to ensure that it goes to those countries which need it most.
The EU will help all developing countries to mobilise more domestic resources, for example with EU budget support programmes that will continue to improve their management of public finances.
Through cooperation and partnerships with the private sector the EU will leverage more development funding. Working together with partner countries, it will invest in key sectors such as infrastructure, energy and support to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). EU action will focus on promoting an enabling business environment and responsible business practice. This is very relevant for India and for its business sector that is well represented today.
But more precisely here's what the EU does globally on some specific SDGs:
-Gender equality, for example, is now fully integrated in all development cooperation programmes, yes, we systematically have a gender perspectivein all projects!
-Horizon 2020, the EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (€77 billion) is open to researchers from developing countries. This applies to India and we're doing a lot here, but that the subject of another presentation.
-The EU will allocate at least 20% of its ODA to human development in the period until 2020, to areas such as education and health.
-With regard to climate change,20% of the EU's assistance, about €14 billion up to 2020, will address climate change objectives.In addition, at least 25% of European Investment Bank financing operations shall support climate change mitigation and adaptation. The EU will invest €1.3 billion specifically for environment and climate-related global public goods and challenges by 2020, including, for example, €154 million on forests and €81 million on water.
-There is so much more on many other SDGs, from food nutrition securityto biodiversity and chemicals and waste, and so much more
But asit is a universal agreement, the implementation of the new Agenda will require action by all countries. But governments cannot do this alone, so the Agenda will be underpinned by a Global Partnershipmobilizing action by governments AND stakeholders at all levels, including NGOs the Private Sector and Academia.
4. And this leads me to the next and last part of my key note address, ladies and gentlemen, that will focus on the economic part, the business case for the SDGs, since many of you are here for the that specific question
The EU and the international community are not involved this whole global agenda just because it's the right thing to do, it's also the smart thing to do: for our economy, for our environment, for our society. Because driving people out of poverty and ensuring a sustainable future means stronger economies, more markets - and more stable markets - it means more business for a responsible private sector.
The increasing obligations for European businesses on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) eventually mean more business to satisfy better-aware consumers who are also world citizens, who want to know if the products and services they consume are sustainable, if they have an impact on human rights, on factories' working conditions, on the environment etc. Business with those global consumers will have to be increasingly responsible, and it's a huge market with great business opportunities!
And this is not just the European consumer, you can feel this consumer awareness here in India already! Have you seen the number of "fair trade" or "organic" products popping up in Indian markets?I think Indian consumers and Indian businesses are ready to take their share in the movement towards sustainability and responsibility, also because it means more and better business.
Since this seminar was called in the context of global efforts on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), I cannot refrain from adding that the EU strongly believes in CSR because CSR is critical for the sustainability, competitiveness, and innovation of EU enterprises and the EU economy, and CSR is in the interest of society.
In the EU, we have adopted our own strategy on CSR, and we are following closely – and supporting - all efforts of the UN Global Compact to develop and disseminate CSR principles all throughout the world. Indian companies are increasingly developing their CSR policies too - actually this seminar is part of these efforts - and we can only encourage this trend. But that will be developed by the next speakers.
5. Finally, and as a conclusion,I wanted to stress that Agenda2030 and the SDGs are a common effort of the international community, one in which both India and the European Union are key partners: We both have contributed a lot in the elaboration of the goals, negotiating night and day at the United Nations, discussing a lot bilaterally to find final compromises acceptable to all. And we now are key partners also for its implementation in the world, with our respective responsibilities and capabilities towards this global agenda. Concretely, this also means we can strengthen our bilateral cooperation, building on our excellent cooperation, and develop our work in India that serves the global goals and contribute to poverty eradication and sustainable development in India. For example we are working together increasingly on water management or on energy efficiency […] and we intend to work soon on sustainable urbanization, just to cite a few examples. So India and the EU are 2 key global leaders, working together at the international level for a better world, AND cooperating increasingly here for the benefits of the Indian people.
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