As countries seek to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, it has never been more important to consider how ADB can support the ambitions of the 2030 Agenda. The SDG Dialogues engage senior ADB management and global experts to reflect on the path to SDG attainment in the region at this critical time.
Transcript
ADB and the Sustainable Development Goals
Supporting Progress in Asia and the Pacific
Helen Clark
Former Prime Minister of New Zealand, Former Administrator, UNDP
One thing that gives me optimism about the future of the SDGs is when major regional development banks like the ADB take them very, very seriously. If the financing institutions don’t put them at the heart and center of their programming and planning and partnerships with countries, we can’t get anywhere because SDGs require political commitment, and they require money to go with it. And you are such an essential part of that partnership.
Emily Woodland
Managing Director / Co-Head, Blackrock
Sustainable Investing Asia Pacific
Companies in Asia that understand their overall impact on the environment and society, and they properly align their business and operations with the sustainable transition—they’ll have the potential to become market leaders. And those that fail to adapt will likely be facing into more pressure from regulators, and things like operational issues, and reputational repercussions of total inaction.
Naina Batra
CEO and Chair, Asian Venture
Philanthropy Network
That’s exactly what I hear from the market: is, you know, we need blended finance. We need to be able to derisk some of these early-stage investments. We need to be investing in innovation. We need to be investing in scaling some of the enterprises in the areas that have the greatest amount of need.
Masatsugu Asakawa
President
Asian Development Bank
The SDGs are firmly embedded in our long-term corporate Strategy 2030. Our corporate targets on gender, climate change, and private sector mobilization are all strongly aligned with the SDGs.
ADB’s integrated and country-focused approach— combining finance, knowledge, and partnership— uniquely positions us to support our DMCs in their efforts to achieve the SDGs. Yet there is much more to be done, and much to learn from our ongoing efforts.
Next on the SDG Dialogues Live Webinar Series
SDG Impact: New Approaches to Measurement and Alignment
2 December 2021
Source: Asian Development Bank