Business can drive execution of Sustainable Development Goals

The choices business leaders make every day can have a significant impact on society, the environment and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Fabio Segura, Co-CEO of the Jacobs Foundation spoke about the choices at the crossroads of philanthropy and business.

From investment decisions, such as impact investing, and strategic planning to resource management and company policy, even the smallest actions can accumulate into global impact. By better understanding the SDGs, and the role of business in supporting them, the business sector can more effectively promote choices with positive outcomes for both business and sustainable development.

These topics were discussed during the “Business Leaders for a Sustainable Future”, an event organized for alumni of different Business Schools on September 20 at the UBS in Zurich. Fabio Segura, co-CEO of the Jacobs Foundation, delivered a closing keynote.

His talk was based on experience with the Transforming Education in Cocoa Communities (TRECC) initiative in which the Jacobs Foundation partners with the UBS Optimus Foundation and Bernard van Leer. TRECC works with the government of Ivory Coast, NGOs, and cocoa and chocolate companies—all with the aim to improve the quality of education and development among children and youth in cocoa-growing communities in Ivory Coast.

The panel discussion was moderated by Dr. Tillmann Lang (Yova) with following panelists: Lea Bachmann (Save the Children Switzerland), Martina Gaus (UBS Optimus Foundation), Sabina Handschin (Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation), Matthias Meier (Aiducation International Switzerland) and James Shepherd (Swiss Re Reinsurance). This event was co-organized by business schools alumni from ESADE, IE, IMD, INSEAD, and HSG.