The private sector can play a crucial role in driving solutions for climate change and other environmental issues by setting goals to reduce pollution and help the environment according to Sanda Ojiambo, CEO & Executive Director of the United Nations Global Compact.
Ojiambo highlighted the significance of leveraging the strength of the private sector to drive solutions around climate change. She said,
“The private sector plays a key role in driving forward solutions around climate change, seeking to make ambitious targets around decarbonization, mitigation, biodiversity, regenerative agriculture, and tackling pollution and waste.”
With a focus on collaboration and multilateral engagement, Ojiambo stressed the importance of gathering in constructive spaces to address environmental issues collectively highlighting the importance of multilateral engagement and holding businesses accountable for their actions.
“it’s very important to keep businesses accountable to set High ambitious targets to be sure that what business is doing is grounded in science and the latest evidence and it makes a firm contribution to economies”
According to Ojiambo pollution, climate crisis, and biodiversity are interconnected and must be treated with holistic solutions that consider social elements and just transitions in all economies.
“We must be able to tackle the climate crisis biodiversity and nature loss and pollution all together for us to be able to succeed environmentally we must also be sure to look at the social element and what the just transitions will look like in all of the economies where we’re tackling these issues.”
The United Nations Global Compact, launched in July 2000, is the world’s largest voluntary corporate sustainability initiative, engaging over 16,000 corporate participants and stakeholders from over 160 countries. Endorsed by chief executives, the Global Compact serves as a practical framework for businesses committed to sustainability and shared responsibility for achieving a better world.
Ojiambo has led numerous public-private partnership initiatives on a global scale. She is currently leading efforts to drive impact and advocacy at both local and global levels, advising on the contributions of the private sector to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.