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Q7. Thinking about accountability and monitoring – how do we ‘stay honest’ and make sure that what gets agreed in new partnerships, innovations and SDGs gets implemented?

• Public transparency
• Assurance rates low due to cost and lack of internationally accepted standard
• Using universities to evaluate/audit. Collaborative learning environment can raise the bar and drive the need and culture for honesty and transparency
• Sustainability awards. Who presents them?
• ISO26000 series needs updating
• Who would audit the auditer? Auditing firms already 'plagued' with ethical issues
• Local inclusion is key
• Use of technology e.g. AI identifying SDG compliant companies
• Protocol Template with clear targets and objectives
• Companies downstream need resources to shift to a more sustainable operation
• Need an accepted global standard on ESG/SDG to also have reasonable/adequate assurance
• Need more diversity in audits to avoid market pressure
• Communication between accounting department and sustainability department should be more and enhanced

Q6. How can businesses unlock sustainable investment opportunities through new forms of reporting?

• Climate risk reporting and TCFD
• Standardised reporting and sustainability audit. Challenge lies with cost
• Reporting on material sustainability issues is a key input to ESG ratings
• Need to allocate time and resources to aligning with SDG framework
• Need to report more data and indicators
• Innovation of communications
• Need a proper framework, standards and procedures for auditing reports
• Reporting needs to move to concise, consistent, comparable and current data
• Guidebooks and guidelines
• Examples
  • FIFCO integrated report
  • Investment Leaders Group's investment impact framework
  • Impact Management Project (IMP)
  • GIIN
  • TONIIC
  • IRIS

Q5. What are examples of strong corporate leadership in the SDGs?

• Nedbank - A South African Bank
• Unilever
• Patagonia 
• Natura
• SSE
• ABN AMRO
• Danone
• Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA)
• Wood
• Sykes
• International Olympic Committee (IOC)
• Iberdrola 
• Barry Callebaut
• Chalhoub Group 
• CAVIRO group
• The Body Shop
• Tata Steel
• Enactus (association) 
• Social enterprises

Q4. How can the development of business models be scaled for broader impact?

• Orienting their business models towards social/environmental impact
• Green Bonds and Social Impact Bonds
• Can the success of microfinance be replicated for access to basic education or basic health services
• More work on 'shared value' for both business and society
• Need buy-in from executive level, not just CSR function. SDGs should be part of 'business as usual'
• A standard M&E framework
• Flexible models that allows the addition of more KPIs and connects with more policies and strategies
• Marking products with SDG rating
• Need to work with academics to develop ideas and models
• Private sector initiatives aren't currently heard by public sector
• Global Prize for the SDGs?
•  Examples
  • “Red Flag” by Shift
  • SROI & emission reporting protocols
  • Genuine Progress Indicator in the USA

Q3. How can more impactful and relevant industry partnerships be encouraged to deliver on the SDGs?

• Encourage and sponser training about the SDGs
• Companies required to align business strategy with the SDGs 
• Sustainability summits held by city governments 
• Universities important in building alliances
• Can't be lost to CSOs and CSR department. Need buy in at executive level
• Industry clusters increase collaboration
• Impact measurement and management has the potential to influence meaningful partnerships
• Business needs to be part of the transformation, not just the scapegoat
• Indices and benchmarks are effective tools for informing stakeholders re company performance
• An interactive online platform where businesses can find partnerships
• Banks have played a key role in developing and promoting innovative financial instruments to allocate capital to a low carbon economy
• Product media campaings can use SDG labelling
• Technologies and innovations should be purpose-driven e.g. Microsoft's AI for GOOD
• Social Network Analysis as a methodology to detect possible alliances
• Partnerships and Associations important to overcome lack of access to information and "how to implement SDGs" for SMEs
• Examples
  • Principles for Responsible Banking
  • BCI (Cotton)
  • WMB coalition
  • Responsible Business Alliance
  • Alianza Empresarial para el Desarrollo AED
  • KnowTheChain
  • Natural Capital Impact Group
  • Natural Capital Coalition
  • Sport and Sustainability International
  • Nucafe 
  • Oil Sands Industry Alliance
  • UN PRI
  • Aliarse 
  • Alianza Empresarial para la Sostenibilidad Centroamerica
  • RE100
  • OEFA - Organismo de Evaluacion y Fiscalizacion Ambiental

Q2. What can be done to help encourage more collaboration between business and government to achieve the SDGs?

• Sharing data
• Financial incentives e.g. SDG projects to be tax exempt or subsidised e.g. Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore
  • Needs to be agreed between business and government
• VNRs should be an SDG road map
• PPP initiatives are critical for success
• Government employees need to be trained at all levels
• Need more collaboration between universities and local business
• Examples
  • Collaboration towards the EU Sustainable Finance Action plan
  • GRI, UNDP and Govt of Colombia collaborated to inform a VNR
  • Costa Rica - NDP linked to SDGs
  • DEPRIVEDHOODS - ERC project
  • "Programa de Educación Financiera" - Costa Rica

Q1. What can be done to make that link so that reporting is more meaningful?

• What the SDGs mean for individual companies
• Who companies are working with 
• How business strategies are impacted by the SDGs
• Framework for SMEs to report to. Current framework too wide
• Linking materiality to strategy is necessary for meaninful SDG reporting. Materiality first, SDGs second.
• Mapping key business impacts (operational and product/service) with relevant SDGs
• Need business leaders to value sustainability - it will cascade down
• Linking existing sustainability goals to the SDGs
• Efforts from universities e.g. Penn University
• Understanding the opportunities and risks the SDGs present
• Linking corporate vision to relevant SDGs
• Training courses to employees on SDGs
• Think globally, act locally
• Examples:
  • SDG Action Manager
  • SASB’s Materiality Map
  • EFQM Model
  • Safaricom