September 21, 2020, Oakland, California – It is vital that the global community not quickly forget the COVID-19 crisis, but draw lessons from it to rebuild more equitable and sustainable societies. This week, for Climate Week NYC 2020, the Pacific Institute will participate in sessions focused on the role of the business sector in advancing water resilience and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The focus of this year’s event from September 21st to 27th is rebuilding after the COVID-19 pandemic using lessons learned to pursue an equitable transition to a net-zero future.
The business sector has an important role to play in building a more equitable and resilient future, as it is uniquely positioned to leverage its agility and partnerships to bring different sectors together quickly and effectively to scale action as factors like climate change and population growth reshape our world. In this new world, we will need “all hands on board” to ensure equity and the sustainable use of resources.
Join our webinars this week to learn how the business sector can contribute to a more equitable and sustainable future:
SDG Business Forum – Untapped Potential: Water Innovation to Advance the SDGs
Date and time: September 23, 2020, 8:00-9:00am PT
Register here.
At this critical time, when ambition for all the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals must be raised, UN-Water and the Secretary-General launched the SDG 6 Global Acceleration Framework during the High-Level Political Forum in July this year. A key accelerator in this Framework is leveraging and scaling up innovative technologies and practices at the country level. This can only happen through effective partnerships with the business sector that bridge UN frameworks with corporate innovations. The Water Resilience Coalition is working in this space by elevating water stress to the top of the corporate agenda through innovative, data driven approaches to collective action in water-stressed basins. This session will facilitate a dialogue among key UN players driving the SDG 6 Global Acceleration Framework and C-suite executives who have pledged support for the Water Resilience Coalition to explore how innovations in supply chain management, technology and governance practices can advance the 2030 Agenda. The conversation will highlight the ways innovation for water and sanitation are helping to manage the Covid-19 response in countries globally, alleviate water stress, and build long-term resiliency.
Speakers include:
Ms. Faduma Ali, Water Youth Network
Mr. Olcay Ünver, UN-Water Vice-Chair
Ms. Aina Grobicki, Deputy Director for Adaptation at Green Climate Fund
Ms. Kate Gibson, Global Director for Society, Diageo
Mr. Eric Souberain, Vice President for Nature and Water Cycle and CEO of the Danone Ecosystem Fund
Ms. Samantha Sims, Vice President for Environmental Sustainability and Product Stewardship, PVH Corp.
Ms. Maria-Francesca Spatolisano, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Coordination and Inter-Agency Affairs
Mr. Jason Morrison, Head, UNGC CEO Water Mandate, and President, the Pacific Institute
Nature for Life Hub: Nature for Water
Date and time: September 24, 2020, 10:00–11:30am PT
No registration required. The event will be live-streamed here.
Nature plays a fundamental role in ensuring that the world’s 7.6 billion people have enough water to drink, grow food and maintain sanitary conditions. Yet we are facing a global water crisis, with 1 out of 3 people living without safe drinking water. By 2050, up to 5.7 billion people could be facing some level of water scarcity, which will inevitably have an adverse impact on the enjoyment of human rights. This session explores the various dimensions of how nature-based solutions can build long-term water security and why this matters over the next 30 years to address and manage future shocks. The session provides examples and best practices from around the world in integrating nature into national water management plans, and shows how businesses are integrating nature-based solutions into their water stewardship plans
Speakers include:
Kelly McEvers, NPR , MC and Moderator
Ms. Mina Guli, Ultramarathoner, CEO of Thirst
Ms. Audrey Azoulay, Director General, UNESCO:
Mr. Henk Ovink, Special Envoy for Water, Government of the Netherlands
Ms. Eunice Heath, Corporate Director of Sustainability, Dow Company
Ms. Elim Sritaba, Chief Sustainability Officer, Asia Pulp and Paper
Boon Rueang Wetland Forest Conservation Group – Thailand - Equator Prize Winner 2020
Keiron Brand, Uganda WWF, Virunga National Forest, Catchment management
Ms. Kate Brauman, Lead Scientist, Global Water Initiative, University of MInnesota
Ms. Ulrike Sapiro, Senior Director, Water Stewardship and Agriculture, the Coca-Cola Company
Mr. Stephan Hart, NCFF, European Investment Bank
Mr. Gille Kleitz, Directeur – Agriculture, Eau, Biodiversité Transition écologique et ressources naturelles
Ms. Xanthea Limburg, City of Cape Town Councilor
Ms. Andre Erickson-Quiroz, Managing Director for Water Security, the Nature Conservancy