A decisive turning point: Setting global industry on a fairer, greener path towards economic growth – UN News

UNIDO Global Industry Summit Report: Aligning Industrialization with Sustainable Development Goals

Integrating Sustainable Development into Global Industrialization

The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) reports that for global industrialization to benefit the planet and its population, it must be intrinsically linked to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The organization emphasizes a strategic shift from past industrial models to a new framework that actively promotes healthier communities, reduced emissions, and cleaner air.

• SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth): Industrialization is positioned as a critical driver for creating better jobs and improving livelihoods, particularly for the world’s most vulnerable populations.
• SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure): The core mission involves building resilient infrastructure and fostering inclusive and sustainable industrialization.
• SDG 13 (Climate Action): A key objective is to ensure that industrial growth is decoupled from environmental degradation through lower emissions.

According to Manuel Mattiat, UNIDO Chief of Cabinet, the organization is focused on providing concrete solutions, leveraging available knowledge, technology, and financial resources to achieve these goals.

Mobilizing Investment for the Global South

The UNIDO Global Industry Summit in Riyadh focused on mobilizing investments for the Global South, particularly for the Least Developed Countries (LDCs). This initiative directly supports several SDGs by creating pathways out of poverty and reducing global disparities.

• SDG 1 (No Poverty): By facilitating investment, the summit aimed to create economic opportunities to lift vulnerable people out of poverty.
• SDG 5 (Gender Equality): A significant theme was the empowerment of women business leaders, ensuring their participation in economic development.
• SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities): The strategy of building bridges between developed country investors and LDCs is designed to reduce economic inequalities between nations.
• SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals): The summit acted as a platform to forge essential partnerships between public and private sectors to achieve sustainable development.

The Riyadh Declaration: A Framework for Sustainable Industrial Policy

The summit concluded with the adoption of The Riyadh Declaration by UNIDO Member States. This declaration provides a formal framework for governments and international partners to ensure industrialization delivers tangible benefits aligned with the SDGs.

1. Fostering Green Economies: The declaration calls for stronger cooperation to guide industrialization toward greener economies, supporting SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) and SDG 13.
2. Ensuring Fair Opportunities: It emphasizes expanding access to skills and employment, with a specific focus on youth and women, to advance SDG 5 and SDG 8.
3. Improving Livelihoods: The framework is designed to mobilize resources that lead to direct and measurable improvements in community livelihoods worldwide.
4. Driving Innovation: It highlights the importance of digital transformation to ensure developing countries can benefit from new technologies and compete in global markets, a key component of SDG 9.

Analysis of the Article in Relation to Sustainable Development Goals

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

1. SDG 1: No Poverty
   • The article explicitly mentions the goal of “lifting the most vulnerable people in the world out of poverty” through industrial development and investment in the least developed countries.
2. SDG 5: Gender Equality
   • The article highlights the “empowerment of women business leaders” as a key issue covered in UNIDO’s Global Industry Summit and a focus of the Riyadh Declaration.
3. SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
   • The text opens by discussing industrialization “raising the prospects of better jobs and livelihoods.” It also emphasizes “youth entrepreneurship” and expanding “access to skills and employment” as central themes.
4. SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
   • This is the core SDG of the article. The entire piece revolves around UNIDO’s mission to promote industrial development, particularly in the Global South. It discusses “innovation and digital transformation” and helping developing countries “compete effectively in global markets.”
5. SDG 13: Climate Action
   • The article states that for industrialization to be beneficial, it must be accompanied by “lower emissions and cleaner air.” The Riyadh Declaration’s call for industrialization to lead to “greener economies” directly connects to climate action.
6. SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
   • The article strongly emphasizes collaboration. It mentions UNIDO’s role to “build bridges” between investors and developing countries, the need to “mobilise investments for the least developed countries,” and the Riyadh Declaration’s call for “stronger cooperation between governments, businesses and civil society.”

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. Under SDG 5 (Gender Equality):
   • Target 5.5: Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership in all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life. The article’s focus on the “empowerment of women business leaders” directly aligns with this target.
2. Under SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth):
   • Target 8.5: By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, including for young people and persons with disabilities, and equal pay for work of equal value. This is supported by the article’s mention of creating “better jobs and livelihoods” and expanding “access to… employment.”
   • Target 8.6: By 2020, substantially reduce the proportion of youth not in employment, education or training. The focus on “youth entrepreneurship” and expanding access to employment for “young people” points directly to this target’s objective.
3. Under SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure):
   • Target 9.2: Promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and, by 2030, significantly raise industry’s share of employment and gross domestic product, in line with national circumstances, and double its share in least developed countries. The article’s entire theme of industrializing the Global South and mobilizing investment for “least developed countries” supports this target.
   • Target 9.b: Support domestic technology development, research and innovation in developing countries. This is reflected in the discussion on “innovation and digital transformation, ensuring that developing countries can benefit from new technologies.”
4. Under SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals):
   • Target 17.3: Mobilize additional financial resources for developing countries from multiple sources. The article explicitly states a key purpose is to “mobilise investments for the least developed countries.”
   • Target 17.17: Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships. The Riyadh Declaration’s call for “stronger cooperation between governments, businesses and civil society” is a direct reference to this type of partnership.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

1. Implied Indicator for Target 5.5:
   • The focus on the “empowerment of women business leaders” implies an indicator such as the proportion of women in leadership or managerial positions within businesses in developing countries.
2. Implied Indicator for Target 8.6:
   • The emphasis on “youth entrepreneurship” and expanding employment for “young people” implies the use of the official indicator, proportion of youth (aged 15-24 years) not in employment, education or training, as a measure of progress.
3. Implied Indicator for Target 9.2:
   • The overall goal of industrializing the Global South implies an indicator like manufacturing value added as a proportion of GDP and per capita. Progress would be measured by an increase in this value, especially in the least developed countries.
4. Implied Indicator for Target 17.3:
   • The article’s statement about the need to “mobilise investments for the least developed countries” directly implies an indicator measuring the volume of financial flows (e.g., foreign direct investment) to these countries for development purposes.

4. Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: news.un.org