Myrthe van der Plas is the Dutch SDG Pioneer of 2022 runner-up.

Myrthe van der Plas is the Dutch SDG Pioneer of 2022 runner-up.

Myrthe van der Plas is the Dutch SDG Pioneer of 2022

runner-up

Myrthe van der Plas is the Dutch SDG Pioneer of 2022 runner-up. The SDG Pioneers is a UN Global Compact initiative that highlights professionals working within a UN Global Compact member organisation. These professionals are individuals who have taken a Ten Principles-based approach to set ambitious, and impactful SDG goals. In this article, you can read more about Van der Plas’ leading work, both in her personal life and as Senior Manager of Data Analytics at PwC.

Positive impact on the SDGs

At PwC, Van der Plas contributes to creating a positive impact on the SDGs by supporting clients in their sustainable decision-making process. She does this through the Responsible Business Simulator, an approach that incorporates financial and non-financial elements into the process. This way, organisations can focus on people and the planet while still making a profit.

Photo Credits: Photo Republic

Van der Plas has supported the decision-making of many organisations through the Responsible Business Simulator. Examples include Stichting IZZ (a non-profit organisation) in their decisions around the sustainable employability of its employees, DSM with a strategic energy issue, and the KNVB (Royal Dutch Football Association) in calculating the social and economic impact of football. During the Syrian refugee crisis, Van der Plas also looked at how municipalities could best spend their budgets on status holders while supporting a dialogue based on facts rather than gut feelings.

In addition, Van der Plas conducts PwC’s annual SDG Impact Measurement. The SDG Impact Measurement maps out which SDG goals PwC has made a positive impact on and where there is still room for improvement.

Lakisama Foundation

In her personal life, Van der Plas has committed to SDG 1: no poverty and SDG 4: quality education through her own Lakisama Foundation. In her own words: “Lakisama provides children in Kenya with access to education. Before actually setting up Lakisama, I spent a long time looking for ways to give people in lower-to-middle income countries the chance of a better future. Many conversations and books later, education seems to be a good way to go.”

 

“World poverty still grips me daily.”

Van der Plas considers combating world poverty a crucial goal, saying: “SDG 1 – no poverty, is closest to my heart. The poverty in the world still grips me daily. It feels unfair that many people live below the poverty line. It feels like it is very unnecessary. That has been a reason for me, in addition to my regular work, to do voluntary work and to establish a foundation through which I contribute to poverty reduction.”

She recognises that there is still a long way to go, but that change is evident: “I think there is much room for individuals and companies to be more committed to this than they currently are. However, I see improvements favouring other SDGs that could potentially positively impact SDG 1.”

Guidelines to accelerate change

“The existence of the UN Global Compact helps to clarify the importance of looking beyond profit and at what is important next. The UN Global Compact principles are a valuable tool for making a clear commitment and serving as a basis for strategy and policy. I use the publications to stay up-to-date, enrich my knowledge, and occasionally support my perspective. The SDG Ambition Accelerator helps define robust ambitions and targets. We consulted the GC Inventory of Business Indicators when creating the indicators for the SDG Impact Measurement for PwC.”

Get to work!

Van der Plas’ most important advice is: “Get to work on it! It doesn’t have to be extensive and compelling right away; the most important thing is taking the first step. Once you’ve started, you’ll gain new knowledge that will allow you to take natural follow-up steps. Get inspired by people and organisations that are already working on sustainability.”

 

Sustainable Impact on Food Systems

Sustainable Impact on Food Systems

Sustainable Impact on Food Systems

Catherine Phan

International Development Manager, Blueyse

‘Sustainable consumption and production is about doing more and better with less.’

All the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are aligned with this statement. We want to ensure we have the resources needed for future development without sacrificing our natural environment. SDG 12 focuses on the assurance of sustainable and responsible consumption and production practices, primarily in the agri-food sector.

The agri-food system or ‘food system’ refers to the consolation of activities involved in producing, processing, transporting and consuming food. Food systems play an impactful role in the health of our bodies and in the health of our environment, our economies, and our cultures. Therefore, when there is an issue in the value chain of food production, i.e. anywhere between the process of (1)Soil- (2)Breeding- (3)Growing- (4)Processing- (5)Logistics- (6)Retail/Foodservice- (7)Consumption, the resulting consequence could threaten our education, health, and economy. We saw this during the COVID-19 crisis as millions of people around the globe experienced vulnerable situations and food scarcity. Moreover, when our food systems fail, most of those already poor or marginalised are the most susceptible.

Fortunately, through awareness and progress toward the SDGs, researchers have outlined all the steps needed to ensure a well-functioning food system. The goal is to achieve net-zero emissions before 2050 and halt global temperature rise to 1.5 °C. To achieve this, there must be a change in how we produce our foods. Currently, the food sector accounts for around 30 per cent of the world’s total energy consumption and accounts for approximately 22 per cent of total Greenhouse Gas emissions.

Therefore, one of the main elements of our food systems is to address how the food industry can become more sustainable and energy smart. Energy-smart food systems use low carbon energy systems to provide greater access to support agricultural and fishing communities. The next element to transition to a more sustainable food system is the reduction of chemical pesticides. Pesticides, although helpful in increasing yield, will seep into the water and soil which can poison other organisms and lead to high levels of toxicity. The European Commission has launched its Farm to Fork strategy where the goal is to reduce the use of pesticides by 50% by 2030.

Transitioning to a sustainable food system will be challenging in the short term, but through innovation and research, there are efficient methods to lower the environmental impact. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) just released their Mitigation for Climate Change report of 2022. In this report, they discussed that although we are not on track to limit warming to 1.5 °C in 2050, there is increasing evidence of climate action. Some zero emissions targets have been adopted by at least 826 cities and 103 regions. Even with this positive, there still needs an accelerated climate action. In regards to migration options in agriculture and farming, the IPCC recommends many courses of action ranging from reducing CH4 and N2O emissions and the promotion of ecosystem restoration, reforestation and afforestation. The common theme is that we need to act now. We know what needs to be done and we need to take action now if we want to make changes.

 

Resources:

UN Food Systems Summit: https://www.un.org/en/food-systems-summit/about

“Energy-Smart” Food for People Climate Issue Paper: https://pre-sustainability.com/articles/lca-for-agri-food/

Climate Change 2022: Mitigation of Climate Change video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STFoSxqFQXU

Climate Change 2022: Mitigation of Climate Change: https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg3/

 

A Call from the UN Women Netherlands

A Call from the UN Women Netherlands

Oproep UN Women Nederland

De oorlog in Oekraïne houdt iedereen bezig op dit moment. Bijna 3 miljoen mensen zijn op de vlucht geslagen, voor het overgrote deel vrouwen en kinderen. Duizenden mensen zijn omgekomen of gewond geraakt. Vrouwen en meisjes lopen extra risico’s. Zij lopen bijvoorbeeld het risico op seksueel geweld; door militairen of door vrouwenhandelaren. Vanuit Moldavië horen we al verontrustende berichten dat vrouwenhandelaren vrouwen opwachten aan de grens en misbruik proberen te maken van de wanhopige situatie van deze vluchtelingen.

Gelukkig willen veel mensen en bedrijven helpen en velen hebben dat ook al gedaan. Dat is fantastisch. Als UN Women Nederland zijn we door onze collega’s in Oekraïne en Moldavië met klem gevraagd of we iedereen willen oproepen om hen te steunen in hun moeilijke, maar zo belangrijke werk. 

Als één van de weinige internationale vrouwenrechtenorganisaties is UN Women Oekraïne in Kyiv gebleven om vrouwen en meisjes te beschermen en vrouwenrechtenactivisten te ondersteunen in hun roep om vrede. Intussen doet UN Women Moldavië alles wat zij kan om vluchtelingen op te vangen en vrouwenhandelaren de pas af te snijden, onder andere door de inzet van hun lokale netwerk en jarenlange ervaring in de strijd tegen handel in vrouwen en meisjes.

Als uw bedrijf zou willen helpen om UN Women op dit cruciale moment te helpen bij het ondersteunen van vrouwen en meisjes in de Oekraïne, dan zou dat heel welkom zijn! U kunt een bijdrage overmaken op rekening van UN Women Nederland: NL58 TRIO 077 646 9541 onder vermelding van ‘Wij steunen vrouwen in Oekraïne’.

Wij zorgen dan dat dit zo snel mogelijk bij onze kantoren in Oekraïne en Moldavië terecht komt. Voor meer informatie over UN Women en als u vragen heeft kunt u altijd contact opnemen met Liesbeth Pruijs (Corporate Partnerships, l.pruijs@unwomen.nl) of met Marije Cornelissen (Directeur, m.cornelissen@unwomen.nl).

UN Women is de organisatie van de Verenigde Naties voor vrouwenrechten en gendergelijkheid. Vanuit 60 veldkantoren, waaronder in Oekraine en Moldavie, voert UN Women projecten uit in meer dan 90 landen wereldwijd. 

Global Compact Network Netherlands recognizes Iris van Wanrooij for championing the Sustainable Development Goals

Global Compact Network Netherlands recognizes Iris van Wanrooij for championing the Sustainable Development Goals

Global Compact Network Netherlands recognizes Iris van Wanrooij for championing the Sustainable Development Goals

Amsterdam, 14 March 2022 — On Thursday, 10 March, Global Compact Network Netherlands recognized the Dutch SDG Pioneer 2022 — a business leader who is championing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and inspiring others to advance the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The winner is Iris van Wanrooij, Program Manager Corporate Social Responsbility at EMMA Safety Footwear.

Iris has done outstanding work in pioneering and advancing the sustainability and ESG agenda of EMMA Safety Footwear in her role as Program Manager Corporate Social Responsibility. She has clearly invested in building up her own knowledge and has been able to translate this into tangible results.

Iris ensures that ideas are put into concrete actions and progress is tracked with clear KPI’s.

“Our external panel of high level experts were very positive about Iris’ nomination and praised her innovativeness. She translated the SDGs into practical goals that are measurable and tangible whilst engaging with several stakeholders. EMMA Safety Footwear already incorporates the SDGs but it is very impressive how she has managed such a higher positive impact of her company on circularity and climate. We congratulate Iris with this title, it is a recognition of her great work and we believe she will be a role model for other professionals working for companies. She shows that you can make the SDGs practical for SME companies, how you can make a positive impact on the SDGs, and take leadership in the sustainability journey. – Linda van Beek, Executive Director at Global Compact Network Netherlands

As the winner of the Local Round, Iris will now compete in the Global Round along with other candidates for the title of 2022 UN Global Compact SDG Pioneers. The global winners will be announced this June 2022 during the UN Global Compact Leaders Summit.

“Business has a critical role to play in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. These exceptional professionals show exactly what can be done by business to make a difference that not only serves shareholders but also society at large. I hope they will also inspire others to join them in uniting in the business of a better world,” said Sanda Ojiambo, CEO & Executive Director of UN Global Compact.

About the SDG Pioneers Programme

As a special initiative of the UN Secretary-General, the United Nations Global Compact works with companies everywhere to align their operations and strategies with Ten universal principles in the areas of human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption. Launched in 2000, the UN Global Compact guides and supports the global business community in advancing UN goals and values through responsible corporate practices. With more than 13,000 companies and 3,000 non-business signatories based in over 160 countries, and over 65 Local Networks, it is the largest corporate sustainability initiative in the world.

For more information, follow @global-compact-network-netherlands on social media and visit our website at www.gcnetherlands.nl.

 

About Global Compact Network Netherlands

Companies face unique challenges to operate responsibly and have several opportunities to make a positive impact. The local networks of UN Global Compact Promote the sustainability of companies at the base level in more than 85 countries by making Global Goals Local Business.

Global Compact Network Netherlands aims to accelerate and upscale the positive impact of the Dutch business community on the SDGs with the purpose of improving the lives of current and future generations.

Guided by the Ten Principles and the 17 SDGs we facilitate accountable companies and stakeholders in their ambition to translate sustainability commitments into concrete actions.

Global Compact Network Netherlands stimulates and facilitates the creation of local connections and catalyzes companies and stakeholders to achieve Agenda 2030.

 

Contact

Global Compact Network Netherlands

Marco Swan, Program Manager

Tel: +31651146829

E-mail: swan@unglobalcompact.nl

SDG-related investments: An overview of Phenix Impact Database

SDG-related investments: An overview of Phenix Impact Database

SDG-related investments: An overview of Phenix Impact Database

Impact Investing goes beyond negative screening and using Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) integration to reduce harm or avoid risks, generating intentional positive impact. Phenix Capitaldefines impact investing as investing with the dual mandate of financial returns and positive societal or environmental impacts, with the notion of measuring the positive and negative impact of investments, ensuring both intentionality and additionality among these.

Moreover, Phenix Capital Group aims to enable the allocation of capital from institutional investors towards social and environmental solutions while supporting the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). For this matter, Phenix has developed a proprietary Impact Database to provide investors with access to and intelligence on the impact fund market opportunities available to them, mapped to the SDGs.

Phenix Capital’s Impact Database features impact investing funds offering solutions for global social and environmental issues whilst prioritising financial returns. This category of impact investments can be referred to as financial-first impact investments.

Three main variables have been central to sourcing the investment opportunities listed on the database: funds considered have a clear impact proposition, institutional quality and track-record, and target market-rate returns.

SDGs and Impact themes breakdown

Phenix Impact Database has been tracking and mapping the capital commitments towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) since 2015 of over 2,050 funds. The following analysis differentiates historical trends (from funds launched before 2021) from current trends (from funds launched since 2021).

Historically, the most targeted SDGs were SDG 13 Climate Action, SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy and SDG 9 Industry Innovation and Infrastructure.

As shown on the graph below, historically and currently, SDG 13 Climate Action has been the one receiving the most capital across all asset classes. Interestingly, SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities and SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production have been on the back of historical capital commitments but are tied in 3rd place when it comes to current capital allocation. Thus, currently, the top 3 most targeted SDGs are SDG 13, SDG 7 and SDGs 11 and 12 tied in 3rd place. The market is moving more capital towards the SDGs directly related to climate.

Looking at how investing towards the top 3 most targeted SDGs is done in practice, the underlying funds have historically targeted investments in climate (DEF), renewable energy and social infrastructure impact themes. By climate, Phenix considers investments in solutions aiming to tackle the investment gap to meet the Paris Agreement targets. By infrastructure, Phenix considers investments in assets focused on social, healthcare, education and energy. However, there is a shift in targeted impact themes when looking at funds launched in 2021 and 2022. Currently, Cleantech is the most targeted impact theme, receiving the highest amount of capital commitments.

By Cleantech, Phenix considers investments in the innovation and development of technology-related solutions that contribute to a low-carbon, net-zero economy, such as clean energy sources, energy efficiency and carbon sequestration.

Currently, investments in Cleantech sum more than 17 billion euros, followed by investments in the Renewable energy impact theme, with more than 16 billion euros, and climate with more than 15 billion euros of capital committed. It shows the current market preference for climate-focused investments.

The following graph shows the climate-related SDGs that have raised the most capital, broken down by the most targeted climate-related impact themes mentioned above. We can observe once more that by SDGs, Cleantech is the impact theme that is raising the most capital, followed by renewable energy. Historically, renewable energy has been the most prominent one. Additionally, circular economy is raising more capital than historically, especially towards SDG 12.

Asset Class Breakdown

Phenix Capital’s Impact Database also categorise funds by asset class, keeping track of public equity, private equity, infrastructure, private debt, public debt, real estate, farmland & cropland, timberland & forestry, fund of funds and hedge funds.

Historically, public equity funds are the asset class with the highest capital committed, over 170 billion euros. Most of the public equity funds listed on the database were launched before the pandemic and are bigger in size when compared to other asset classes. Historically, the top 3 targeted asset classes are public equity, private equity and infrastructure, summing almost 400 billion euros in capital commitments.

Currently, there has been a shift of asset class focus, with private equity having more than 20 billion euros in capital commitments in 2021 and 2022. Therefore, it is possible to see that the most targeted impact theme, Cleantech, is directly linked to the private equity asset class. Currently, the top 3 most targeted asset classes are private equity, infrastructure, and public equity.

The most targeted asset classes have historically targeted SDG 13 and SDG 7. However, historical data shows that more listed funds were targeting SDG 9, whereas currently, in 2021 and 2022, more funds are targeting SDG 12 and SDG 11, with private equity taking the lead.

Markets breakdown

Finally, there has been a decrease in funds targeting emerging markets, and capital allocation has shifted towards developed and global markets. Historically, for developed markets, the most targeted region was Western Europe, and currently, it has shifted towards North America. For emerging markets, besides climate being targeted, SDG 8 and SDG 1 were also a priority for the region; however, currently, less capital has been raised towards those areas.

In conclusion, in line with the commitments of COP26, it is possible to see that more funds have been pledged towards net zero. In addition, there is an increase in investors’ appetite towards climate investments. In any case, the investor community must have in mind that other impact themes are just as essential, and that capital should be allocated towards them as well.

 

Authors:

Viviane Cavalcanti – Event Programmer and Content Creator, Phenix Capital Group

Arnau Gil, CFA – Director, Investment Consulting and Data Team, Phenix Capital Group

Maria Gil – Analyst, Investment Consulting and Data Team, Phenix Capital Group

Alexandre El Aiba – Associate, Investment Consulting and Data Team, Phenix Capital Group

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