The UNGC meets every year in New York with 2000 of the world's foremost business, academic, NGOs and thought leaders. And this year, that included us. Like the rest of the world, the UNGC event has pivoted with travel and distancing restrictions, giving unprecedented access to thousands of attendees.
This year I was fortunate to be invited to host a panel on "Entrepreneurship for Sustainability" and I invited 5 established ekko.world Aussie business members along as well as an author who is about to crowd fund to publish 17 children's books on the UN SDGs and one of the most experienced and important influencers in Australian based superannuation funds investment for climate change.
The 2020 UNGC team included Stephanie Devine, The Very Good Bra; James Dutton, Nutricare; Stephen Dunne, Chair, Investor Group for Climate Change / Chair, Investment Committee, cbus Superannuation; Nik & Harry Robinson, Good Citizens; Graham Ross, Blocktexx; Peter Ball, SDG children's books; Maria Abadilla, Orangutan Alliance.
With human consumption at the root cause of climate change, environmental entrepreneurs are important catalysts for grassroots consumption change and are increasingly recognised for their supply chain influence. From the organisations who make choices about where Mom & Pop's savings are invested through to the millions of eco micro and small businesses, who are innovating new systems, challenging business as usual and creating cleaner, greener, local solutions.
Environmental entrepreneurs are also the main innovators and thought leaders reinventing how many things are made or done - for a better world. The UNGC video of the session is here and that includes our live panel discussion, although the video interview is dodgy, but luckily we pre-recorded the first part of the panel discussion and you can watch it at The Eco Channel. (Please be kind enough to like the video and follow The Eco Channel while you are there!)
The impact of better consumption is seen in every one of the 17 SDGs, but the work of Environmental Entrepreneurs starts in Responsible Consumption and Production; Climate Action; and Partnerships for the Goals.