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The United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are the blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all by 2030. Along with the global rising inequality and severe climate change issues, technology and digitalization play significant roles in the completion of SDGs, according to John W.H. Denton, secretary general of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC).
ICC is the world's largest business organization, representing more than 45 million companies in over 100 countries.
"We have been in business as an organization for a hundred years. We are purpose-led, independent and not for profit. We set norms and standards on a global basis," the secretary general introduced, adding that the organization is committed to supporting the full implementation of SDGs, with the help of digital tools.
"We think at the moment the way things are going, we won't get [SDGs]. And therefore it's important for us to change trajectory," Denton urged.
Addressing global inequality
Denton called for more attention to the rise of global inequality. "And I think our aim is to ameliorate that… There's a bunch of linking pieces that we need to stop the global rise in inequality," he said.
Technology should be a good solution based on his point of view, and to make sure that technology works for everyone.
"First of all, at policy level, we need to ensure that the way that policy leaders develop support technology and enable technology," he said.
Meanwhile, Denton highlighted the importance of digital skills, considering digital skills are necessary for people to "create their own livelihood" and for businesses to "flourish."
"They need to be supported with technology. They need to have digital skills," he stressed. According to Denton, ICC is carrying out a series of practical measures to ensure "the standards that support the digital economy are actually going to be respected and developed."
He also mentioned that dealing with corruption is really important in the process of ameliorating the rise in inequality. "Dealing with corruption is really important. And dealing with illicit outflows of finance from developing and emerging economies is really important," he noted.
**Tackling climate change **
The ICC considers climate change as a growing emergency, and is undertaking efforts to help business take climate action; it has launched the Chambers Climate Coalition to mobilize local businesses and chambers of commerce.
From micro-enterprises to multinational conglomerates, businesses in every sector and every region of the world are becoming increasingly dependent on technologies and digital tools to carry out their daily operations. Therefore: "The digital platform, digital economy is actually action on climate change," Denton said.
Meanwhile, the bushfires in Australia have shown the world what climate change could bring. Denton called for mobilizing and supporting local communities and businesses to "clean up Australia."
"It's about mobilizing individual citizens and businesses to actually do their bit to green Australia, helping with carbon offsets, looking at issues like greater compression of carbon, seeing what we can do at a local level," he stated.
Moreover, climate change was the main topic of this year's World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos. Denton was happy to see more conversations focusing on action on climate change.
"But I think there's still too much time wasted on arguing the case when the reality should be arguing what sort of different actions we should be taking next year," he told CGTN.
Talking about the value and the future of the WEF, he considers the WEF as a useful part of a global conversation. "But it's not the global conversation… It's actually really important for us to ensure that when we come here with a plan of action, we're living up to that."
As some at the forum were concerned that there will be a tech decoupling between China and the U.S., he also shared his insights:
"We're working very hard to see if we can, I suppose, shape the future where the digital platform remains whole. In the unfortunate event that there is a decoupling, then clearly, one of the roles of the ICC is independence, not for profit purpose of organization, with very strong governance (that) is actually to try and support interoperability. But that's a way down the track," the secretary general said.
(CGTN)
